Questions about education paths one should take as a programmer.
16
votes
12answers
1k views
What are some good tools for introducing kids to programming? [closed]
What tools would you suggest for introducing kids to programming?
26
votes
18answers
7k views
Is it ever too old to learn how to become a programmer? [closed]
If you want to be a good developer, but start developing at the age of 26, is there any way to became a good programmer ?
20
votes
7answers
4k views
Is a Master's worth it? [closed]
I know there are a few questions already about getting a Master's degree in Computer Science, but my question is a bit different. I've started programming when I was quite young. I did receive a BS in ...
22
votes
13answers
17k views
Does having Master's degree in Computer Science help your career?
I am curious about experiences of programmers who have gone beyond college or university and now work in the industry. I am not talking about academia (you need PhD there anyway). Do you have a ...
36
votes
23answers
3k views
Is a university education worth it for a good programmer?
I've been doing design and programming for about as long as I can remember. If there's a programming problem, I can figure it out. (Though admittedly Stack Overflow has allowed me to skip the figuring ...
20
votes
22answers
4k views
Is learning how to use C (or C++) a requirement in order to be a good (excellent) programmer?
When I first started to learn how to program, real programmers could write assembly in their sleep. Any serious schooling in computer science would include a hefty bit of training and practice in ...
25
votes
24answers
4k views
Is C++ suitable as a first language?
A local college is teaching C++ to first year college students (16 years old) with no prior programming experience.
As first programming language, is C++ suitable?
60
votes
33answers
19k views
Do I need to go to a big-name university? [closed]
As a soon-to-be graduating high school senior in the U.S., I'm going to be facing a tough decision in a few months: which college should I go to? Will it be worth it to go to Cornell or Stanford or ...
13
votes
8answers
1k views
How do I pick up a new language quickly, given I know several others?
One type of question that keeps coming up on Programmers.SE is how to learn a specific language, given you know several others (usually through a lot of experience or education).
In some cases, ...
40
votes
13answers
5k views
What is a Ph.D. good for in the software industry? [closed]
I'm a self-taught programmer and have just started a computer science degree to supplement my knowledge and fill in the gaps.
However, I'm already debating the direction of my education. I want a 4 ...
27
votes
19answers
3k views
“Half of everything you know will be obsolete in 18-24 months” = ( True, or False? ) [closed]
Just ran across this, and wondering if anyone has a way to prove or disprove this statement:
Something to keep in mind ... what's
the half-life of knowledge in high
tech? It tracks with ...
13
votes
22answers
1k views
Is software development an engineering discipline?
Can software development be considered engineering? If no, what are the things that it lacks in order to be qualified as an engineering discipline? Related to this is this question on Stack Overflow ...
45
votes
8answers
2k views
When stuck, how quickly should one resort to Stack Overflow? [closed]
I'm self-learning iOS development through the iTunes U CS193p course, and I often find myself stuck. I've been trying to get unstuck myself, but it might take me hours and hours to figure out what I'm ...
13
votes
9answers
1k views
How do you learn to program? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
I still can't figure out how to program?
I'm graduating with a Computer Science degree but I don't feel like I know how to program
I don't known if you guys ...
59
votes
22answers
3k views
Learning to program without a computer
I have a friend in prison who wants to learn programming.
He's got no access to a computer so I was wondering if people could recommend books that would be a good introduction to programming without ...
20
votes
13answers
2k views
Low level programming - what's in it for me?
For years I have considered digging into what I consider "low level" languages. For me this means C and assembly. However I had no time for this yet, nor has it EVER been neccessary.
Now because I ...
6
votes
6answers
608 views
What should I study to 'learn' Comp Sci?
[This question was originally asked on Stack Overflow, but recommended to move the question here.]
I can't find anything quite like the question I'm about to ask, so please forgive me if there's ...
3
votes
11answers
2k views
Importance of CS degree when applying for development jobs? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is a university education really worth it for a good programmer?
I'm currently looking for a job as a web developer, and I have ~3 years experience in the field and know ...
44
votes
10answers
2k views
Graduate expectations versus reality [closed]
When choosing what we want to study, and do with our careers and lives, we all have some expectations of what it is going to be like. Now that I've been in the industry for almost a decade, I've been ...
17
votes
4answers
769 views
As a self-taught programmer, how do I get the academic foundation without attending school again?
I've made a pretty good living as a self-taught programmer, but when I find that I discuss some low-level fundamental topics with my peers who have a CS degree, holes appear in my knowledge. I'm a big ...
13
votes
6answers
3k views
Books on developing software for financial markets/investment banks [closed]
Developers already working in the financial sector - What books on specifics of software development for financial markets do you recommend for someone just moving into this area?
Specifically, I'm ...
15
votes
9answers
2k views
Need advice: Staying techie or going the MBA way?
I know this is a very subjective question and I am the best person to decide this for myself...but I am just looking for your views.
I have 5 years of experience as a professional developer. I have a ...
25
votes
14answers
4k views
Why do we study Java at university?
Java is often found in academia. What is the reason behind that?
16
votes
9answers
4k views
Becoming a professional programmer, without going to college? [closed]
I was recently rejected from a college that had previously accepted me, on the grounds that I spent a year of high school in a foreign country and the college wasn't interested in recognizing ...
18
votes
6answers
408 views
Programming concepts taken from the arts and humanities
After reading Paul Graham's essay Hackers and Painters and Joel Spolsky's Advice for Computer Science College Students, I think I've finally gotten it through my ...
16
votes
5answers
2k views
Is objected oriented programming paradigm outdated since it is anti-modular and anti-parallel?
I have read the controversial article Teaching FP to freshmen posted by Robert Harper who is a professor in CMU. He claimed that CMU would no longer teach object oriented programming in the ...
20
votes
10answers
2k views
What programming should I know before college?
I am a student in high school who has wanted to become a computer programmer since elementary school. There are not very many places that teach programming to people my age around where I live, so I ...
16
votes
14answers
823 views
Education vs. Experience
I'm going through a rough time. I'm a CS student at UIUC, which I hear is one of the top schools for CS. I love computers and programming. I've been pretty much doing it my whole life. I'm a freshmen ...
5
votes
6answers
2k views
Is a degree needed for low-level/embedded programming jobs?
I know that it is possible to get into software development without a degree in computer science, but is it possible (or rather, common) to be able to get an embedded programming job without the ...
14
votes
12answers
745 views
Do employers hiring for software jobs care about the classes you took in a Computer Science Masters program?
I'm torn between two classes right now for next semester (Software Design and Advanced Computer Graphics). I would enjoy Advanced Computer Graphics more, but I feel the software design class would ...
8
votes
8answers
470 views
How indepth should a programmer develop his understanding of the Unified Process and UML?
I know a lot of places use UML and the unified process as their development model... but then there's a lot that don't. Would it be important to have more than a basic and functional understanding of ...
5
votes
4answers
320 views
When do you have enough experience?
I've worked on three successful projects (freelanced) throughout my highschool career; however, they primarily involve web technologies. I know that I'm proficient in setting up LAMP stacks, working ...
3
votes
5answers
855 views
What are the most needed skills for someone entering the workforce as a software engineer?
I am currently doing a PhD in analytical chemistry, however I am a reasonably good programmer and consider myself to be best in the lab apart from my supervisor. I spend most of my time coding and ...
11
votes
3answers
462 views
Leaving for the desert soon, need suggestions
I just got the news that I'm (finally) getting to spend the next few months in Afghanistan with my fellow AF maintainers, and I was hoping to get some suggestions of good offline content to learn ...
8
votes
8answers
2k views
Will getting a degree in mathematics help in game development?
I'm two months away from getting my degree in systems engineering, which is to say, I learned how to code and code well using managed languages.
The only reason I got into this career was because I ...
3
votes
9answers
324 views
Tool for teachers of informatics
I am a teacher of informatics and programming on high school. But programming isn't very popular among students. So I ask you, can you give me some tips and tricks, how make classwork more ...
45
votes
10answers
19k views
How to be a successful programmer without a CS degree [closed]
Disclaimers (Please read before jumping to answer):
I've seen a number of questions similar to the one I would like to ask, so here are some similar questions.
IMHO They are neither completely what ...
31
votes
19answers
3k views
CS subjects that an undergraduate must know
In college, I was never interested in theory. I never read it. No matter how much I tried, I was unable to read stuff and not know what was actually happening practically. Like for example, in my ...
42
votes
27answers
5k views
What is the biggest weakness of students graduating with degrees in Computer Science?
This question is directed more toward employers and graduate student advisors/professors but all opinions are welcome.
What do you find is a common weakness of new hires and/or new grad students? Is ...
27
votes
17answers
2k views
Introducing Programming To a Mathematician [closed]
I currently am a programmer, I'm almost 16 years of age and have pretty much narrowed my careers down to something involving a Computer Science degree or Electrical Engineering degree (I know they are ...
122
votes
22answers
1k views
How do you educate your teammates without seeming condescending or superior?
I work with three other guys; I'll call them Adam, Brian, and Chris.
Adam and Brian are bright guys. Give them a problem; they will figure out a way to solve it. When it comes to OOP, though, they ...
13
votes
8answers
1k views
Great Lunch and Learn Topics
We recently revived the lunch in learns for the programming department in the company I work for. We were all asked if we had any ideas for a session, and if we would be interested in doing a ...
11
votes
5answers
4k views
Not-for-profit universities that offer computer science undergraduate degree online? [closed]
There are many masters degree programs in computer science online offered by reputable organizations. However, I've found very few bachelors only degree programs offered by non for-profit ...
8
votes
8answers
1k views
Can a CS degree benefit an older programmer? [closed]
Is there any benefit in getting a CS degree in ones mid 40's career wise? Would the increased likelihood of getting past the HR filter be worth it?
It's something I might actually enjoy doing, ...
34
votes
16answers
5k views
Will a computer science college degree ever hurt my employability? [closed]
Too often, I can see that there are many viable programmers without college degrees in Computer Science, Informatics, etc.
Now that I've been reading more articles about underperforming education ...
13
votes
12answers
1k views
Computer Science Degrees and Real-World Experience [closed]
Recently, at a family reunion-type event I was asked by a high school student how important it is to get a computer science degree in order to get a job as a programmer in lieu of actual programming ...
12
votes
6answers
2k views
Do people who get paid to write code but score low on the “programmer competency matrix” have an ethical duty to find a different kind of job?
People advise me to "find a job doing something that you are good at", but the truth is that I don't believe I am good with anything other than just writing code. I don't think that I can design or ...
9
votes
5answers
2k views
Online programming degree that employers will not disregard? [closed]
I already have a bachelors in an entirely different field, but I am looking to start a career in programming. However, traveling into school would be very difficult for me at this point.
Are there ...
18
votes
7answers
573 views
How to improve the training of students regarding maintainability?
Maintainability is a major stake of professional software development. Indeed, maintenance is nearly always the longest part of a software life cycle, as it lasts from the project release until ...
17
votes
5answers
935 views
How can I compensate for having gone to a JavaSchool?
In an earlier question, I asked for career advice for new software engineers who did well before and during college. But what about people who weren't fortunate enough to go to MIT or Yale, for ...
