We're doing pseudocode right now and use c# in 1 week or something.
Most others don't understand it, so i'll have to wait
EDIT: Nah, we did an example with all the different types and the teacher told us what happens
Quote:Most others don't understand it, so i'll have to wait
Oh god that takes me back.
"There are two people in the class that don't get it therefore everyone needs to wait until they get it before we can move on." That was unbelievable frustrating. In my intro to c++ class we spent three weeks going over functions, THREE WEEKS!!! It should have taken 30 minutes at the most.
Ye, reason why you shouldn't rely on classes and start teaching stuff yourself lol...
Most of my programming knowledge came from the internet when I studied stuff myself. I have taken a few CS classes even though I majored in English; it helped to fill the necessary credit hours and some interdisciplinary studies. I remember taking the introductory C++ class. Most of it was redundant for me, but I did glean some useful things about pointers. Most of the time I'd just browse the internet. It was very structured though, if you couldn't keep up you were left behind, assignments were due every week. The staff offered plenty of help to be sure. The most memorable moment came when I visited a well know C programming board and saw one of the students asking for help (e.g. "here's my assignment, gimme code plz"). Thread got closed due to the board's homework rules (you at least need to show some effort/attempt to solve it before asking), though not before the student rage-quit when no one helped him/her.
Quote:Ye, reason why you shouldn't rely on classes and start teaching stuff yourself lol...
Quote:Most of my programming knowledge came from the internet when I studied stuff myself.
Well obviously. But to do anything with that knowledge career wise you need a degree. And to get that degree you're going to need to take these classes. And if you take these classes you're going to have to put up with the idiots in those classes. Therefore it's a common issue regardless of how much or little you learn about programming outside of class.
My comment about learning by myself was meant to highlight that I'm just hobbyist (and everyone is really, until they start getting paid) coming from a very different and almost unrelated discipline, but I still breezed through most of the classes I took. Compare that to kids who are seriously majoring in the field but honestly have no clue what they're doing (I met and even helped a few). It's amusing on one point, at least I thought so.
About dealing with idiots in classes, I suppose it depends on where you take such classes. Some classes aren't very rigid in their schedule for the semester, so the teachers are allowed to spend additional time on subjects if they want to. Others are sink or swim environments; people either learn it or they don't. The latter was closer to what I experienced. Given that the class size was probably well over 200 students (it was taught in a large lecture hall, recitations were split between about 9 TAs) and the fact that the department set strict minimums for what needed to be covered, we really didn't slow down. Just once an assignment was pushed back, but the lessons themselves continued.
Well, the lecturer comes get it to the class and lectures, if you dont get it then you're on your own.
I wish my school operated that way. American schools are way too easy on students. Come foreigners! Teach us to be cruel and unforgiving!
Quote:Given that the class size was probably well over 200 students
That's why. I had some general math classes (algebra, trigonometry, precalculus) that were like this but that's about it.
Quote:the fact that the department set strict minimums for what needed to be covered
This is the inevitable result of a large class size. Mass education makes it impossible to slow down.
(11-10-2012, 04:36 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]This is the inevitable result of a large class size. Mass education makes it impossible to slow down.
I think that the department really didn't want students coming into higher-level C++ programming classes and saying "well, we never learned
that." They probably wanted everyone (the ones that pass at least) on the same base, more or less, when taking advanced classes. If they slow down for one semester, it messes with that base that teachers in the advanced classes expect students to know.
(11-10-2012, 04:36 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]I wish my school operated that way. American schools are way too easy on students. Come foreigners! Teach us to be cruel and unforgiving!
It's not better in foreign schools... At least the school where I study allows us to join labs and skip some classes in exchange of doing some talks and working on interesting projects. That's not a common thing in french schools at all though, I know a lot of friends in different schools who complain about the same things as you do.