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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:
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.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 ;
}
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.
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.Quote:
1) They all want you to follow a career path. I have a career.
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.Quote:
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.
One reason to continue education is that, at least in other fields, you get to stay employable.Quote:
But anyway, if you have a career you want to keep what good is a piece of paper going to do for you?
Prerequirements are not set in stone at all. Talk to the professor or the department secretary and they will be able to help you.
Why don't you attend a local community college? They usually cost much less, and even though they might not be as intense as a university, many community colleges still provide a good education. Then, if you want to apply it towards a degree, you can transfer your credits to a university and work towards a degree.
I know where I live there is an excellent community college with 2 or 3 C++ courses.
[edit]
woah woah woah. I just saw that you (Todd) are from Katy Texas. When I said "where I live" I meant exactly that...because that is where I am from too.
Dude...
Check out Cy-Fair Community College just off of West Road and Barker Cypress. They have C++ courses.
[/edit]
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
Go to comm college and let the state pay for most of your tuition.
Buy a good book and save the rest of your money. ;)
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.