[nfbcs] Computer science major college question

Tue Jul 5 02:09:03 UTC 2016

Certificates are valuable. There are a lot of jobs in IT where a 
specific certificate is part of the screening criteria for a job. This 
obviously isn't true for all jobs, but it depends on the field you're 
going into.

My own personal opinion is that students coming out of college are not 
four years behind. I just personally don't feel that the industry moves 
that quickly. I would agree that colleges don't keep up with the 
industry, but I wouldn't say things are changing every few months. I was 
using Python in the mid 90's, so it isn't new.

I'd say the problems with most four year schools is that they teach 
theoretical computer science. The focus is on programming. They don't 
spend enough time on testing, writing test plans, design reviews, 
maintaining existing code and the kind of things you'll spend most of 
your time on in the real world. I'd strongly suggest internships. That's 
where you can prove you know what it's like when you get out of school.

I also personally look for people who want to learn. If you have the 
basics in college then you know how to program, and picking up a new 
language shouldn't be a problem. I learned Pascal in college 30 years 
ago, but I never coded a single line of Pascal in the work place. 
Internships and working on your own picking up languages or joining an 
open source project are good ways to demonstrate your willingness to 
learn and pick up new skills.

On 04/07/16 20:59, Andy B. via nfbcs wrote:
> Certificates are not more valuable to the industry as a whole. Just because
> you have one does not ensure you know how to create algorithms, convert from
> binary to hex to octal and back, critically think, analyze problems,
> interpret user requirements, design systems, and well, all that good stuff.
> Part of the problem sits with the school admins. On the other hand, most of
> the problem of being 4 years behind is the student's. Why do students think
> that learning something new stops at school? I have heard of so many who
> believe that PHP 5 is the end of PHP versions and never try php 7. Why not
> learn Python? "It isn't part of my degree. So, apparently, the school
> doesn't think it important." No, the school assumes that you will explore
> the outside world of programming once you have the essentials under your
> belt. This is why student's are 4 years behind the times.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Greg Kearney via
> nfbcs
> Sent: Monday, July 4, 2016 8:14 PM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Greg Kearney <gkearney at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Computer science major college question
>
> One of the issue that I have with Computer Science degree programs is that
> of timing. Computer Science is a field which is changing very rapidly.
> Universities and colleges are notable for not being able to modify their
> academic programs very fast. This leads, as I have found in the process of
> interviewing people, to a situation where the person is literally four years
> behind the current state of industry by the time they emerge form a CS
> program.
>
> It is for this reason that certificate programs offered by community
> colleges are sometimes more valuable. While traditional CS undergraduate
> programs give the student a sound understanding of the theory of computer
> programming; certificate programs give one the practical application of
> theory. Many a CS major I have encountered can write out an algorithm on
> paper but are hard pressed to implement the same algorithm in Python when
> asked to do so.
>
> The reason is that Professor X has been teaching his algorithms class for
> the last 20 years the same way from the same text. This in a field in which
> everything changes every few month. It does you little good to learn
> algorithms in Fortran or Cobol when employers need it in Python or Swift.
>
> Greg
>> On Jul 4, 2016, at 6:59 PM, Andy B. via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> There are those who choose to open their own business for purposes
>> that an established company cannot provide. For an example, my company
>> will provide a valuable resource for soon to be graduates.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nicole
>> Torcolini via nfbcs
>> Sent: Monday, July 4, 2016 6:46 PM
>> To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List' <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Nicole Torcolini <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
>> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Computer science major college question
>>
>> Some companies will not hire people who do not have a Computer Science
>> degree. However, that does not necessarily mean that you have to get one.
>> Either way, be sure to get your hands on some real life work through
>> an internship or something before trying to get a job.
>> The DRC at my college was very helpful. It just depends on the school.
>> Some DRC's can provide a lot of help in some areas but not others, so
>> make sure that you talk to the DRC before you apply or accept.
>> Many colleges require a foreign language. Most have a wide enough
>> selection that you should be able to choose the one that you want.
>> What specifically are you concerned about with foreign languages?
>> College is similar to high school in that you are still required to
>> take certain subjects; you just have more options for the specifics in
>> those subjects.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Aaron
>> Cannon via nfbcs
>> Sent: Monday, July 04, 2016 9:33 AM
>> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
>> Cc: Aaron Cannon
>> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Computer science major college question
>>
>> If you really want to program, don't wait until college to learn. If
>> you want to learn it, then learn it. There are tons of free resources
>> online, and even more on BookShare.
>>
>> If you'd like some pointers on getting started, ask on this group.
>>
>> Best of luck.
>> Aaron
>>
>> --
>> This message was sent from a mobile device
>>
>>
>>> On Jul 4, 2016, at 08:58, Taylor Arndt via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>>>
>>> Well, I want to be able to program.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Jul 4, 2016, at 8:58 AM, Greg Kearney via nfbcs
>>>> <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> You will definitely need calculus for a computer science degree.
>>>> Most
>> schools will also require a language. That said I have heard of a few
>> school that accept computer languages (C, Fortran, Python, etc.) for
>> this requirement but such schools are, I suspect, very, very rare.
>>>>
>>>> As a dyslexic I was told to steer well clear of formal foreign
>>>> language
>> instruction and so ended up taking American Sign Language to fill my
>> university's language requirement. The advantage was that ASL has no
>> written form and as such I was never required to learn to read, write
>> or spell in it.
>>>>
>>>> When I went to school the disabled student's office provided far
>>>> less
>> support than many of them do today. What support they gave was welcome
>> however, they could, for example, insure that once I had signed up for
>> a class and the recorded book were ordered that the class would be
>> offered no matter what.
>>>>
>>>> I would also point out here that there are many paths to a career in
>> technology and no all of them lead through a computer science degree.
>> Today I hold the professional title of engineer at a major silicon
>> valley company, yet my degree is in fine arts with graduate work in
>> American Studies. I never once had any formal computer science or
>> engineering training but I did avail myself of some programming
>> classes that filled the math requirements in college.
>>>>
>>>> Many of the people I work with directly have degrees in music and
>>>> others
>> in fields as wide ranging as philosophy and history and came to
>> computer science after the fact. Indeed my company often tells people
>> they should ignore the education requirements section of job posting
>> and apply if they feel they can do the work. My supervisor never set
>> foot on a college campus but came out of the military.
>>>>
>>>> Greg Kearney
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Jul 3, 2016, at 11:40 PM, Taylor Arndt via nfbcs
>>>>> <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Really? I thought if you went into the sciences you didn't have to
>>>>> have
>> one wow that stinks
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jul 3, 2016, at 10:18 PM, Andy B. via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1. I had to take calculus. Why? When you start getting into
>>>>>> database
>> cross products, intersections, and unions/set theory, having an
>> understanding of these from a math point of view helps. Finally,
>> during week
>> 1 of one of my programming classes starting tomorrow, we have to write
>> a program that solves a 4-line algebra problem.
>>>>>> 2. The DS offices did not do much for me in my undergrad degree.
>>>>>> 3. Almost all schools require a foreign language credit(s). Mine
>>>>>> did
>> not because I took classes online.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Robert
>> Guyette via nfbcs
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, July 3, 2016 9:34 PM
>>>>>> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Cc: Robert Guyette <rags215 at comcast.net>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Computer science major college question
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes you have to take calculus bedside you will use it in computer
>> science classes.  The more the math the better.  I did  not rely on
>> the disabled students services.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Get Outlook for iOS
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sun, Jul 3, 2016 at 6:27 PM -0700, "Taylor Arndt via nfbcs"
>> <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi, so I am doing some research for colleges. I know that I want
>>>>>> to
>> major in computer science but I have few questions One. Do you have to
>> take calculus in college?
>>>>>> If so why is this?
>>>>>> Two. Did the disability services at your college help you in
>>>>>> anyway for
>> your computer science major?
>>>>>> Three. Did you have to take a foreign language class in order to
>> graduate?
>>>>>> Thanks, and I'd appreciate any input
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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-- 
Christopher (CJ)
chaltain at Gmail