jaeusm

Universities are more concerned about teaching you how to program (among other things) rather than teaching you several languages. You can pick those up on your own along the way.

bigguy

Yeah, but if they ask like where did you leanr .NET or C++ and I say I taught myself, wouldnt that kinda drop my chances of getting the job while a person who was taught in College how to use the languages?

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ReggaetonKing

I disagree. I self-taught myself everything I know about computers, programming, (except VB), and all the software I am familar with is due to playing around and reading! A lot of my teachers wonder how can I self-teach myself these things and show them how to do it easier. When I ask my VB teacher (who is also the Java teacher) how she learned Java and VB, she said she taught herself before she applied to my school (she knew C++ at the time when Java wasnt released yet). A lot of people are impressment when a person self-teaching themselves about anything. Why learn it someone else's way then you can go our own pace and still be ahead! I've been on Java < 1/2 year and my teacher said I am worthy of AP Computer Science!

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jaeusm

If you can demonstrate your ability, then it doesn't really matter who taught you. Once you get out of college, you'll undoubtedly learn new languages. You won't stop learning after you graduate. In fact, the purpose of a degree is to give you a solid base -- an understanding of fundamental concepts. You'll spend the rest of your career building on to that base.

The purpose of college is not just to teach you programming languages. You need more understanding than just a language syntax to do anything meaningful. Don't think that you'll come out of college knowing all you'll ever need to know.

ReggaetonKing

well said jaeusm!

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I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code!

Jimbo

How you learned a language compared to how efficient you can create an algorithm are very different. If you have good coding skills and know enough about writing algorithms, picking up a language can be done rather quickly. Of course, you wont necessarily be an expert at the language, but a well written algorithm will more than make up for any code deficiencies caused by unfamiliarity with a given language. Furthermore, once you know C style syntax and how OOP works, the differences between the more common high level languages are very small. Employers will be looking more towards what you can produce on a generic (language independent) level, rather than whether you can write the most efficient Hello World app in a given language.

[edit:] Come to think of it, my school doesnt really empasize learning anything special about any language, just the basics of how to use it. To just be a programmer, you dont really need to go college, but if you do, you pick up a lot more about Comp Sci theory and a deeper understanding of how things work.

Lich

While I disagree with your statement, who'se to say they will even ask that. Think about it. On your resume it will say "Bachelors in Computer Science" or whatever. And it'll say "Skills: C++, .NET, JAVA, etc". They will probably assume that. Besides, there's crap that isn't really taught at colleges much that you can learn yourself (assembly and scheme for example).

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J_Kay

Sometimes a good thing to do if you taught yourself different languages, is to have a couple programs to show employers. Then they can look at your code, see how well written it is and if you follow certain standards. Any good employer may test you, give you buggy code and have you fix it, or throw them together a simple program on the spot. Anyone can put on their resume that they know C++, Java, whatever......but not being afraid to prove it can really help your chances. Confidence goes a long way....even if you're not quite sure what your doing.

Komodo

I love this place...

You can get the A+ when you're 14? I thought you had to be 18.
Maybe pretty soon the A+ is gonna be viewed as basically a GED for computers or something, heh.

Well, I think I might just go to the College that's only a few blocks from my house.

J_Kay

You can buy a book at a bookstore, study the material and go take the test at a CompTIA testing center. I would almost guarantee that if the college thats a few blocks away from your house offers any kind of IT courses, that they'd be an authorized testing center.