Joel Gives College Advice For Programmers

An anonymous reader writes "Joel on Software explains what college students should do with their lives. Interesting to note is how he justifies such trivialties as GPA scores and well-roundedness, the very things comments here tend to think are overrated. In short, learn to write English, learn to write C, and don't worry about India!"

Comments

Good advice...

[Omniscientist]

I'm currently a college student who is going to be majoring in Computing Engineering. This article is something I should have read before I started my first semester at college, specifically the "don't blow off the non-CS classes". My first semester was mainly non-CS classes and it did hurt my GPA slightly (nothing I can't fix tho). He brings up an important part, I believe, in how necesarry it is that you must be able to convey your ideas through speech and writing well. The whole microeconomics thing is some good advice too. Ooh and its nice to hear that we shouldn't worry about all those jobs going to India. The only thing that made me scratch my head in the article was this passage in relation to Computer Programming as a job:

If you enjoy programming computers, count your blessings: you are in a very fortunate minority of people who can make a great living doing work they enjoy. Most people aren't so lucky. The very idea that you can "love your job" is a modern concept. Work is supposed to be something unpleasant you do to get money to do the things you actually like doing,

I'm being a bit sarcastic here, but I've heard from too many people that punching out code all day at work makes them very hesitant to even touch a computer at home. For those who are currently computer programmers/engineers, would you say you really enjoy your job, or does it get extremely old and tedious after awhile?

Non-CS Courses

[ackthpt]

Microeconomics Joel touches on for what I consider trivial reasons. My recommendation in regard to the non-CS core classes with a math foundation is to get a broad exposure to them, including macroecon, chem, physics and of course, calculus (which is usually required anyway.) Why? Because it gives you opportunities to consider how you might approach problems or exercises in these disciplines analytically and how you might program modeling and such. I found on thing could lead to another, quite often, as classes can often be very interconnected in theories and information and were inspirational for lots of experiments in coding. Broad experience in coding is essential, unless you like to play the high-risk game of specialization (big bucks, but little call for your skills)

Non-math courses help develop a personality and there's no shortage of need in that department, where I've worked. Learn some general psychology, socialogy and language. A well exercised brain is more creative than one that only dwells on one aspect or type of challenge.

I found many formulas and ideas from classes outside CS contributed greatly to offering information and processes which normally may not have occured to me.

In short, you're in school, make understanding the concepts behind your classes your main focus, socializing and entertainment when you can fit it in, not the other way around.

Re:Slashdot anti-intellectualism

[Rakishi]

In school: what you put in is what you get out. Want to cheat and not learn anything, go right ahead but I doubt you'll be making as much money as me in a decade or two. Talk to the Professors, show interests, discuss things, do research, etc.

Also: Go to a better school then or get a better advisor. First of all the whole "you can learn it from a book just fine" is BS imho since unless you know which book to get you won't have a fun time. In addition, for many things the feedback you get on projects (or even just doing the thing assuming it's hard enough) is more valuable than anything else.

As for "tangents" let's see I'm a Junior now and I've taken courses in: Math, CS (including grad courses in AI, Robotics and Genomics), Statistics, Psychology, Philosophy (Bioethics, and now I know the main arguments for a dozen important issues), Physics, Biology, History, Writing and a few others. I learned something in all of them, I took classes much harder than what I should be taking and while I didn't get an A in them I learned much more than if I took a class where I did get an A easily