Thread: C++ Programming Course

I've been looking at some different colleges for courses in C++. Two immediate problems with this approach:

1) They all want you to follow a career path. I have a career.
2) With the career path, courses are $400+ per credit hour, and there's all these courses in front of (prereq-ing) the ones I want to take.

If you wanted to get hooked up with a C++ programming course, what would YOU do?

Todd

First off: what do you want the qualification for?

I did C++ as a free external module, as the foundation degree I am doing does not cover it. Although I wasent around for any classes it wernt hard, just had to write a simple prog and sit a test.

That said it dosent necessarily mean I can create anything useful with the language. IMHO the best way to learn is just read about, and experiment with stuff. You don't need a college course for that, unless you want some sort of certification. Theres tons of stuff on the net. Also as far a programming ability is concerned I think a completed project would say a lot more about someones ability than any college course would.

Personally I wouldn't waste my money

Well, I'm coming at this from 2 different perspectives.

First, I want in-depth C++. Everything I've done so far with C++ is self-taught:

Code:

start a project ;
while(1) { 
   define my next coding objective ;    
   do { 
      read the book ; 
      hack up a solution ; 
   } (while testing still fails) ; 
   if (finished) break ; 
}

I'm looking for best practices, advanced techniques, etc. Unix and/or Linux systems programming (aka, leveraging the operating system). I also want to get into some GUI's.

And, while C++ is a target of mine, I also want to bone up more on C and Java too.

Second, I never went to college, and if I am going to "pay for education", I might as well have it applied to a degree.

I'm considering pulling the trigger on an online course through a college in Florida, and have even ordered the required textbooks, but it's $1,500+ for the one class, and it's just a pre-req about the importance of information systems. Geez. I've been in the industry for 28 years - I think I understand that one already.

Todd

Unfortunately for me theres non 'in-depth' programming courses in my college; nor in the county that I live in it seems.

But anyway, if you have a career you want to keep what good is a piece of paper going to do for you? I would just find something I take an interest in and have a bash at it. Theres nothing a teacher is going to tell you that you cant find on the net. If you want to make GUI apps just focus on that. Maybe you could make a perfect MS paint clone for Linux? That would be useful and doable by one person. Even if it turns out a hideous mess you learn from your mistakes.

1) They all want you to follow a career path. I have a career.

If you want to get out of pre-requisites, ask the college about the CLEP exam and take that. You may have to wait a while for the next exam, but it will allow you to apply your work experience towards your academic career.

2) With the career path, courses are $400+ per credit hour, and there's all these courses in front of (prereq-ing) the ones I want to take.

Holy crap, why not just take a course at a community college where you live? In-district tuition is always cheaper. This is how I'm going to college right now.

But anyway, if you have a career you want to keep what good is a piece of paper going to do for you?

One reason to continue education is that, at least in other fields, you get to stay employable.

lol!

I just signed up at Houston Comm. College (Fry & I-10). Decided to take a College Algebra course first. $326 is a whole lot better than the equiv Univ. course for $1500+. I may try Cy Fair next go round. Thanks!

Todd

Well, I work out of the house. Most of my days are in front of the computer or in a technical book. I think interacting with other humans at a technical level, face to face, is a good thing.

Class start tomorrow night. I hope I'm not bored out of my gourd.

you're one of THOSE programmers...who like people. be lucky you're getting a purely C++ course , near the last days of my C++ course my teacher was already handing out course flyers on java which was the "new think in programming".

But enjoy the class anyway, you'll like C++. She's not the prettiest thing on earth, but has a great personality.