Tips for Independent Learning?

Austin asks: "As an undergraduate seeking a degree in Computer Science, I am very interested in expanding my programming skills and tools. Much of the platform specific knowledge, such as the usage of unique languages and APIs such as .NET and Cocoa, are rarely taught on an academic level, and independent projects are looking very appealing as a way to broaden my abilities. I find it difficult to maintain motivation developing software that there are already excellent alternatives to, and contributing to mainstream open source projects is an intimidating endeavor due to their size and complexity. What have many Slashdot readers done to gain experience with tools not taught inside the classroom?"

Comments

Port an existing project you wrote

[PylonHead]

When I want to learn a new programming environment, I pick out a simple project that I have already written in a known environment and port it to the new system.

This lets you focus completely on the new environment and not get bogged down in (high level) design decisions. It also gives you an apples to apples comparison in possible strengths and weaknesses of the two systems. (although any first project is likely to miss out on some possible advantages.)

One thing I've done.

[techno-vampire]

Come up with a small project. If nothing else, a program that does something you want or need done, even if nobody else wants it. Write it, debug it, get it working and add as many or few features as you need. Don't worry if anybody else will ever use it because that's not what it's for. You'd be surprised how much you can learn, just trying to get it right.

Next, put the code aside; use the program, but don't look at the code for about six months or so, while doing other things. Then, come back, look it over and see if you can improve it. You'll have forgotten how you did things, so this will be similar to maintaining sobody else's code. By the time you're done, it will be better written, easier to understand and probably working better, and you'll have learned quite a bit more.

Re:Don't "Ask Slashdot"

[afaik_ianal]

"Independent learning" does not exclude asking others for advice. In fact I would say that Austin has already taken the first important step towards gaining the knowledge they seek.

Step 2, Austin: Ignore the naysayers.

Motivation

[Mieckowski]

I've made lots of small Cocoa applications on my own, and the two things that have helped me stay motivated on individual projects are:

1) Keeping them short (1-2 weeks to finish)
2) Having people to show them to

So if there is a group on your campus related to Cocoa or .NET programming I would join it. Also, it can be easy to sign up for 1-2 units of individual study credit with a professor if you have a project idea (this is a great excuse to come talk to them during office hours).

Learn to hold the ball before you throw it

[Opportunist]

It's not the answer you're looking for, but after trying what you're about to try myself and fail at it, I can only give you the advice to learn the basics before trying to do more than tiny projects. Anything else leads to frustration.

It might seem pointless to do the projects you're now doing in class. But those are the tools that give you later the ability to pick up anything coming your way. Technology changes fast. And people make the mistake to dig into the tech without learning the basics. 10 years ago it was RAD tools. 5 years ago everyone went crazy about Corba. Now it's .net. What is it going to be in 5 years? Nobody knows.

But when you have the ability to understand new technology quickly, you're already ahead of those that only learned a certain technology and don't understand the wiring under the board. Learn to understand that instead of hunting some specific implementation that's most likely outdated before you understand it if you don't have the foundation to learn it quickly.

Find.. Scratch.. Itch.. Something like that..

[EMIce]

Yada yada yada.. And I'm not talking about your balls. You will need creativity.

And for that...

http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/0 00932.html

Easier said than done though.

Just do it.

[linguae]

I am a freshman computer science student. Here is my advice.

Remember that a computer science curriculum teaches the theoretical foundations of computer science. You start with basic programming (C, Java, or [if you're really lucky] a functional programming language like Scheme), and then learn about data structures, algorithms, software engineering, architecture, systems programming, OSes, compilers, and theoretical computer science, as well as some CS topics of your choosing (numerical analysis, graphics, more software engineering, AI, etc.). Discrete mathematics is also very important; you can't do much in computer science without it. And don't forget your EE courses like digital design (designing circuits using Boolean logic) and assembly programming; you'll get to know about computers from an electrical engineering standpoint (different, but cool, IMO). As much as I like mathematics and theoretical CS, sometimes you need to get close to and examine the metal. I personally liken computer science, mathematics, and electrical engineering to be the holy trinity of computing, but I might be out there....

Computer science departments typically do not teach the ins and outs of APIs and industry programming languages unless it ties into learning about the fundamental concepts explained above (Java's usage in CS courses, for example). However, this doesn't stop you from learning these APIs independently. My suggestion are the following:

1. Research APIs. What platforms are they used for? What are the strengths-weaknesses of the APIs? What languages do they support?
2. Start with some basic tutorials to get a grasp for the language and/or API.
3. Start writing programs. You'll have to start small at first, such as older projects. For example, if you wrote a payroll application in C back in CS 101, why don't you reimplement it using Objective-C and Cocoa, along with a slick, shiny, plastic Mac interface? (Any other implementation would do; that is an example)
4. As your skills get better (and as you start taking more specialized computer science courses), try working on a bigger project. Writing a C compiler for a 16-bit microprocessor that you'll learn in an EE course will surely keep you busy (I haven't written a compiler yet, so I don't know how difficult this is, although this sounds very intersting). Perhaps coding a web browser in C# and .NET is more interesting.
5. Helpful hint: You might want to focus the skills you want to learn on a project that you would like to build someday. For example, if your dream is to build a small operating system, you will need to learn some assembly language, C (or some other "close to the metal" language), and the architecture that you plan on coding the OS for. Good OS books (like Tanenbaum's book) are also nice to own. Once you figure out learning the basic tools, theories, and practices, then you can start coding a small OS. Once your program is finished and running, then you can add all of the complex features that you like.

Enjoy your life as a computer science major. It is truly rewarding and interesting. Now I have to return to my own programming assignment....

Save water, shower with a friend

[An Onerous Coward]

If you find it hard to keep yourself motivated on a project, one solution is to pair up with someone who shares your interest in the project. Admittedly, it's not always easy to find someone with similar interests and complementary skills. But if you do, having another person to bat around ideas with can be a wonderful experience.

Get an internship doing what you want to learn.

[Rimbo]

The work experience itself is worth several years' worth of graduate school.

Go work for professor

[Latent Heat]

There is always some lab or professor who needs some software design and coding to do something -- to automate a lab, to analyze data, to conduct an experiment, to produce a software package to share with other universities. You may even advertise interest/skills in something off the main track -- Cocoa for example -- there may be some faculty member who needs the app done for OS X.

Go around and talk to people. Express interest in what they are doing. Explain your level of skills/need to acquire skills, describe something you have already done and how you went about doing it.

Intern!

[MrBugSentry]

Get yourself working for a company for the summer. Accept just enough pay to keep a roof (maybe even your parent's) over your head and to keep you in beer and skittles. In exchange learn how to actually do the job you think you are training for.

By no means accept just any internship. Even if you like the name on the door, do your research. The best way to do this is to get clear in your own mind what you want to learn before you apply for the internship. Go into the interview with a plan and see if the company can provide what you want. Sometimes the right answer is a huge firm with formal mentoring. Sometimes the answer is a tiny firm where they will accomodate your individual needs and talents.

We try to give our interns real for profit projects or at least internal projects. Nobody is well paid, but they learn a lot. They tell us that in their exit interviews and their code sure looks a lot better in August than it did in June!