School Daze
I can't recall if I've mentioned it here or not, but I'm taking an "Intro to Java Programming" course at the local university this quarter.
Before you get too worked up, let me tell you that it's not as exciting as it sounds. And, as I've found, it's not as easy as it sounds. Before the class started, I expected that because I work in the IT field (even though in an area that requires no programming), I'd breeze right through an introductory programming class. As it turns out, I've been having some trouble wrapping my head around some programming concepts.
For example, where I'm from, you'd get beaten up by a gang of algebraists for making the claim x = x + 5. You might think I'm joking about there being gangs of algebraists, but that's just because you've never thought to make such a ridiculous claim as x = x + 5 in public. (I dare you to try it and see what happens.) Mathematically, it doesn't make sense. Yet it makes perfect sense in Java, and probably in several other programming languages. So I've had to do some deprogramming in order to learn programming.
I'm doing fine in the class, but the amount of effort required is way more than I expected. So if I've been a bit absent on your blog lately, it's because I've been busy unlearning everything I know so that I can do well in this class. The good news is that the final exam is tomorrow (Tuesday), so I should be back in the swing of blogging soon.
Excuse me, while I get back to studying. Drink on the left, bread on the right... Yellow and blue makes red...
Comments
Jonathan said:
You left off the ;
x = x + 5;
now it makes perfect sense in Java
:)
cadiz12 said:
and here i thought you were scared off by the frequency of my posts.
carry on. looking forward to seeing what the reprogrammed you will be up to.
Sarah said:
Lightweight!
Welcome to the world of homework. At least it ends for someone soon...
Silandara said:
I keep meaning to learn programming. But then I think about it and realize I prefer just playing around in Dreamweaver to learning php functions.
Now, can you do anything useful with what you've learned?
glo said:
Wow. Good luck on the exam. You've finally uncovered why computer programmers seem a little 'off' to the rest of us.
I just tried to solve for x and discovered that x is both x + 5 and x - 5 which means that x is the absolute value of infinity times +/- 1. I think. The answers weren't in the back of the book as the publisher suggested.
Jon said:
Back in ’96 I went to visit my friend at college. He was a freshman and had just started at Cal Tech. It’s a bit of a math school. If you don’t think that there are gangs, you are naïve and a fool. And if I could leave you with one other pearl of wisdom, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, MAKE FUN OF XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS IN THEIR PRESENCE. You will suffer greatly. Learn from my mistakes.
Good luck with the programming. From what I understand (and let’s be clear, I understand very little) Java is pretty quirky.
cadiz12 said:
i'm scared of programming after this professor expected us to teach ourselves PERL outside of class to complete a design project.
WXS said:
http://www.cs.mdx.ac.uk/research/PhDArea/saeed/paper1.pdf
Makes for an interesting read. :)
-- WXS
Rhonda said:
Java Programming = Scary + 5;
Viking said:
I've discovered that same gap in logic with PHP. Anyway, I should take a few programming classes too. Linguistics degree + programing skilz = not worthless
Radioactive Java Man said:
Think of it as de-evolving. And I can't remember but does Java understand this "c" equivalent?
x+=5;
Better, yes?
I said:
Luckily, the exam wasn't too bad.
And yes, RaJ, Java does understand x+=5. It's less likely to get me beaten up by algebraists, but it's not a whole lot clearer.
elasticwaistbandlady said:
I would have commented earlier, but I've been busy buying up extra locks and barricading my door from roving bands of thug algebraists.
Congratulations on doing well on the exam! A gold star for you, sir!!!
Histrionic said:
I totally dig stuff like x+=5 for the sheer craziness of it, especially when you start using it with text in Python:
x="python"
x+=x*3
print x