If I understand correctly, a Ph.D. also ensures that you have a strong research background,
and that you've made a significant contribution to your particular field. I'd like that
kind of preparation, and I think it would benefit me a lot.
The industry has its own lessons. I'd also need to carefully plan my career, since doing
pretty much the same thing as just a coder for four years is likely not going to help me
very much, but progressing from coding to designing bigger systems and applying whatever I
learned from the best practices promulgated in programming books would really help.
There are degrees that mixes both computer science and education - perhaps like
the MACSME and SESAME programs offered by Berkeley. I think that the most difference
can be made at the undergraduate or graduate level, where students have already chosen
to specialize in computer science and more in-depth knowledge can be offered. So I'm
planning to take postgraduate studies as well, in order to deepen my research (and make
a significant contribution to the field!) as well as prepare myself for teaching at
the university level.
I'm working on my self-confidence and communication skills - it's been pretty hard,
especially for a self-confessed geek, but I make myself do presentations and talk in
front of a lot of people, and I'm slowly getting used to it. I want to be exposed to
different teaching styles so I can look for best practices to use, and I've been reading
the ACM SIGCSE papers to see what other people's research reveals. I can't wait for next year.
Hopefully our department chair will let me hold tutorial sessions
for the freshmen, and that will help me gain a little more experience.
I like explaining things to people and getting them to understand, and that will be useful
whether I teach or work in the industry.
That's useful - certainly I wouldn't like to take up one of the H1-B slots for something as
short as an internship, since even if they raised the cap, there are still too few H1-Bs for
the corporations.
I'll need to find an educational exchange program here, then, that wil allow me to pursue
that kind of path. Although our university has ties to Jesuit universities in Japan, and
perhaps some ties to schools in the US, it's usually humanities-related majors that get
the international exposure.
I'll look around our school to see if there's a way. Although computer science generally isn't
seen to be one of the majors that could really use international exchange, I'm certain
that the exposure to different cultures, working environments and people will be really
helpful.
I'm also looking at the Fulbright scholarships - that might help. Most financial aid in the
US is meant for US citizens - understandably - but there are a few that international students
might be eligible for. I'm also considering Australia - Monash University looks really good,
since they do a lot of research in computer science education - and other countries.
I'm sure there are plenty of options that I might have missed, so I'd love hearing
about any little bit that might help.
I'm aware of that, and I've also been reading about US workers' rather
hostile reactions to people on H1B visas. I'm concerned about the
exploitation and discrimination that could occur, especially since most
people still stereotype Asian females. That's why I'd like to get in touch
with employees who had gone through much the same process and can tell me
what the environment is really like.
The opportunities are fantastic, although not absolutely terrific, as much
hype would have me believe. I'm trying to find alternative ways to get the interaction
with highly-skilled techies - open-source projects look promising - but I know that
the industry experience would greatly help me. And besides, working abroad - in the US
or in another country - will help me get closer to projects that might really make a
difference, instead of just the repackaging-and-customizing operations that seem to
characterize software development in the Philippines. I'd love to be proven wrong,
though - I wish that a Philippine company could step forward and prove that it was
really innovating and changing the way people use computers.
That's really it, I guess.. If I worked here in the Philippines on the outsourced projects that we get from other countries, I'll be working on something for the present instead of helping to shape the future. We're.. adapters, not innovators, and that bothers me. =) I want to help change the world.
If I went into education, on the other hand, I could have a shot at improving the way that people learn and use computers, and maybe they'll make much more of a difference in their own ways. I won't ever be as famous as, say, Linus Torvalds or Bill Gates (<impish grin> might be a good thing), but I'll be contributing invisibly - backend stuff, like what I like to do when programming.
Besides, the industry gets a heck of a lot of great people already. Someone's got to look out for the next generation of whiz kids. =)
Goodness. That was certainly strange. What do you think of that? On one hand, companies save on wages by hiring cheap foreign labor. On the other hand, people who lose their jobs because they've been replaced by cheap foreign labor. And said cheap foreign labor accepts the opportunity anyway, since it's much better than anything that they could get in their own country, but they're still exploited.
<sigh> It's really messy. Will that happen to me when I finally get out into the workforce?
No intentions of getting married any time soon, and possibly ever - it's hard enough to be a girl in computer science.
Yes, Microsoft has a Philippines division, but if I recall correctly, it does mostly sales and marketing. I'd like to do programming and project management, which means I really need to go to Redmond or the other US or Beijing campuses (campi?;) ).
Our family isn't rich, and the plunging peso-dollar rate is definitely eating into my plans. Foreign workers generally aren't paid as much as US employees are (you probably know of the huge disparity - goodness!), which means it'll still be difficult. But I know I should be able to find a way. =)
I have no intentions of ever finishing learning - or working, for that matter. In our college they encourage the faculty to do industry work every so often. Alternating between working and teaching looks like a good idea - what do you think?
I admire the work they're doing at the Microsoft research labs, and I'm sure that some other companies also have that commitment to research. They actually work on things like programmer productivity - another area that I'm interested in.
I'd like to do a lot of research in the future, but I want that research to always have a practical application for the industry. I'm interested in computer science education - finding better ways to help people learn how to program and develop great systems. I'm also interested in programmer productivity - how software developers can be more effective and productive. Can this be useful? What other options should I consider?
I know, Microsoft is one of the companies that I'd really like to do an internship at - but I'm concerned that since I usually Java/PHP/Perl/Linux/whatever, I don't really have much experience in their (somewhat expensive) systems and tools... =) I'm willing to learn, though!
But I'd really like an opportunity to work there. I've read much about their culture and environment, and they attract a lot of great people.
I'm also looking for other companies with a vision and with that commitment to excellence. (Much as I sometimes don't want to admit it, Microsoft _does_ make pretty good products. I just don't like their heavy-handed marketing tactics sometimes.) Do you know of any other companies that might be able to use someone like me?
Now how to make myself useful enough that companies would reach across the ocean...
I'll try to be on the winning team of the ACM ICPC too - it's really hard, but we're working on it.
The research component seems to be really important for graduate school, and I'll definitely need that for both the industry and the academe.
I like Java, but I'll need to work on my C++ too - I'll need a lot more experience in it. I've been using Java more than C++ lately, and I don't really have much experience in developing Real Applications with C++..
With, umm, minimal bloodshed and confusion, and no national turmoil - my country has enough problems. Severely off-topic: kinda worried about the bombings around here...
<laugh> So, any companies here that might want to help develop this undergraduate? It requires significant time/money investment, and I'd like to know how I can be useful enough. =)
I think it should be possible to write neat, easy-to-understand, practical code. The Mythical Man Month said something about that. I need to be an 'expert programmer', though, so I'm working on developing myself to that level. Any ideas?
I like reading other people's source code. It's tough when it's messy^H^H^H^H^Hover-optimized, but it's fun to piece together the statements and figure out what's going on.
Definitely, I'll need the contacts and the guidance of people who've been doing Real Programming in the Real World. I need to meet other hackers. (Not crackers, mind you.) And I'd love to work with people who are really good at computers. So, any recommendations? =)
I'm working on some open-source projects - I've been playing around with LearnLoop, which I've found to be pretty useful - and I hope to meet other geeks that way. =)
I still wish I had fast, unlimited Net access, though.. I can't wait to get back to our dorm, which has fast (although limited) Net access.
Anyway, is anyone here up for mentoring this highly-motivated sophomore who could use a lot of guidance? =)
Well, in life it's pretty soon. I'm sure you've noticed that - one day you're a sophomore, then suddenly you're graduating. Whoosh. Time flies. =)
The reason why I have to prepare so early is because there are a lot of things that need to be arranged, especially visas if I'm going to do an internship abroad. In addition, I have to have enough time to correct whatever deficiencies I might have due to a weak computer science curriculum - we don't have as much math or industry experience as other schools might have, and I'd like to address whatever shortcomings that my education might have so that I'm at least at par with all the rest of you. |-)
If I do decide to focus more on research, then I'll start by replicating some studies and surveys now - I've found some I can do this summer. Although my professors don't really do research in computer science education - our school focuses more on multimedia and networks - I've talked to some professors who might be willing to advise me, even if it's just for the conducting-research aspect. I'm also planning to take some psych and education courses to supplement my CS education, in order to gain more background in the field. I have to plan that now, because I need to take the prerequisites for the courses I want to take.
Besides, I like doing long-range plans - it gives my life direction, and I don't get too lost. =)
The exposure would definitely be great. I'm thinking that if I can involve myself more with open-source projects.. I'm working on a collaborative tool called Learnloop (http://www.learnloop.org) - I'm not the official maintainer, but we deployed it over here and I've been tweaking it a little.
I guess it comes down to the difference between the cathedral and the bazaar, and each has lessons that I need to learn.
I will probably need money, though.. <ruefully> if only to get myself to all the conferences and conventions I'd like to attend. I'm a simple person - I don't have expensive tastes, and as long as I've got a computer that can compile and test programs without choking on them (I work on a 300MHz laptop running Linux and Win98) - so I don't really need to make tons and tons of money. =)
"It makes you wonder if the entire Linux movement wasn't just some clever strategy cooked up by the geniuses at IBM to get back at Microsoft for the screwing they took on OS/2 way back at the beginning of the decade."
<laugh> What goes around comes around, I guess. Although I never thought of Linux as an IBM conspiracy, I think it's pretty great that the once-monolithic company with the legendary suits (and the tag line "No one was ever fired for buying IBM") is now supporting something that's almost like the hippie movement. =) And Microsoft, although it still tries to think of itself as a fast, nimble start-up - and perhaps manages to pulls it off in some cases - is now the Bad Guy. Amazing role reversal.
Although CBCP does censor, people always have a choice - they can get some other Internet prepaid or plan, and there are quite a few alternatives. It's within their right, after all, since they are offering the service. In fact, it could be a boon for parents who can't find a crack-proof way to porn-proof their computer - ISP filtering means that the kids can't fiddle with the settings, so it makes sense.
If they're filtering out Slashdot, that's weird, though. =) I like Slashdot. *grin*
Other than the fact that Knuth presents his examples in MIX (so much for structured programming), the sheer number and detail of algorithms really makes it more of an encyclopedic reference - as Knuth intended it to be. Sedgewick would give a better overview of the different kinds of algorithms. That could serve as a great starting point for anyone who'd like to read about data structures and algorithms. You could then go to Knuth for more detail, but at least you've seen the bigger picture.
Hmm. Other than failed dot-coms giving up their domain names, that'd leave the big-name companies who might accidentally forget to renew their domain name. Wouldn't we see a lot more lawsuits then?
Actually, no. I happen to _like_ Chinese martial arts movies, especially compared to Western action movies - American movies tend to go too heavy on the guns and brawls, while the fine choreography of Chinese martial arts is really fascinating. And it bears more watching - I watched Matrix around four times, and after a while the sleeping-beauty thing really gets on one's nerves. Although I've only watched Crouching Tiger twice, I wouldn't mind watching it again.
I watched it on the first day it opened here in the Philippines - I'd been waiting for it forever. I didn't want to wait for my friends to invite me out, so I -ahem- dragged my family along..
So, cool movie, although it ends a bit abruptly after reaaallly developing the little love story there. I like it. Don't have to be a guy to like these martial arts films, I guess. =)
Considering that Knuth presented his examples in MIX, which resembles assembly more than, say, structured or OOP - maybe the Knuth books might not be the best thing to give the child right away. It's not exactly the sort of material that gets people excited. Granted, the kid might be a super-genius, but delving right into the details of algorithms without seeing the bigger picture could unnecessarily limit the child. Besides, it's not fun. 8)
'We said, 'Oh, my God, this is exactly why it's needed. Because high
tech seems as if it's just about business, not about society. Darn it, it
is about society,'' she says. ''Most of our students are going to go off
and be business lawyers. This program will allow them to become
activists, to realize they can make a difference in the world.'
You know, she has a point there. And taking it further - not only lawyers should care about the high tech and society, but geeks should also. =)
One of the things that I really like about my electronics class now is that my teacher told me that I could basically do anything I wanted - if there was a pet project that I wanted to do, he'll find out how to wrap our lessons around it. Although I'm a CS geek by nature, having that kind of an open environment - compared to traditional cookbook-type electronics classes - has really encouraged me to look up stuff on electronics.
We don't have much to do with robots yet, since our lab isn't equipped with BASIC stamps. However, I'm planning to do one of those quizbee systems that are perpetually needed but never seem to be available - not just your typical buzzer system, but maybe something wireless, with microphones and who knows what else I might dream up.. =)
It's so much more fun than the old make-an-amplifier-circuit projects we had in high school, and I always look forward to my lab sessions. =)
Slashdot Mirror
The industry has its own lessons. I'd also need to carefully plan my career, since doing pretty much the same thing as just a coder for four years is likely not going to help me very much, but progressing from coding to designing bigger systems and applying whatever I learned from the best practices promulgated in programming books would really help.
I'm working on my self-confidence and communication skills - it's been pretty hard, especially for a self-confessed geek, but I make myself do presentations and talk in front of a lot of people, and I'm slowly getting used to it. I want to be exposed to different teaching styles so I can look for best practices to use, and I've been reading the ACM SIGCSE papers to see what other people's research reveals. I can't wait for next year. Hopefully our department chair will let me hold tutorial sessions for the freshmen, and that will help me gain a little more experience.
I like explaining things to people and getting them to understand, and that will be useful whether I teach or work in the industry.
I'll need to find an educational exchange program here, then, that wil allow me to pursue that kind of path. Although our university has ties to Jesuit universities in Japan, and perhaps some ties to schools in the US, it's usually humanities-related majors that get the international exposure.
I'll look around our school to see if there's a way. Although computer science generally isn't seen to be one of the majors that could really use international exchange, I'm certain that the exposure to different cultures, working environments and people will be really helpful.
I'm also looking at the Fulbright scholarships - that might help. Most financial aid in the US is meant for US citizens - understandably - but there are a few that international students might be eligible for. I'm also considering Australia - Monash University looks really good, since they do a lot of research in computer science education - and other countries.
I'm sure there are plenty of options that I might have missed, so I'd love hearing about any little bit that might help.
The opportunities are fantastic, although not absolutely terrific, as much hype would have me believe. I'm trying to find alternative ways to get the interaction with highly-skilled techies - open-source projects look promising - but I know that the industry experience would greatly help me. And besides, working abroad - in the US or in another country - will help me get closer to projects that might really make a difference, instead of just the repackaging-and-customizing operations that seem to characterize software development in the Philippines. I'd love to be proven wrong, though - I wish that a Philippine company could step forward and prove that it was really innovating and changing the way people use computers.
If I went into education, on the other hand, I could have a shot at improving the way that people learn and use computers, and maybe they'll make much more of a difference in their own ways. I won't ever be as famous as, say, Linus Torvalds or Bill Gates (<impish grin> might be a good thing), but I'll be contributing invisibly - backend stuff, like what I like to do when programming.
Besides, the industry gets a heck of a lot of great people already. Someone's got to look out for the next generation of whiz kids. =)
<sigh> It's really messy. Will that happen to me when I finally get out into the workforce?
Yes, Microsoft has a Philippines division, but if I recall correctly, it does mostly sales and marketing. I'd like to do programming and project management, which means I really need to go to Redmond or the other US or Beijing campuses (campi? ;) ).
Our family isn't rich, and the plunging peso-dollar rate is definitely eating into my plans. Foreign workers generally aren't paid as much as US employees are (you probably know of the huge disparity - goodness!), which means it'll still be difficult. But I know I should be able to find a way. =)
I have no intentions of ever finishing learning - or working, for that matter. In our college they encourage the faculty to do industry work every so often. Alternating between working and teaching looks like a good idea - what do you think?
I'd like to do a lot of research in the future, but I want that research to always have a practical application for the industry. I'm interested in computer science education - finding better ways to help people learn how to program and develop great systems. I'm also interested in programmer productivity - how software developers can be more effective and productive. Can this be useful? What other options should I consider?
But I'd really like an opportunity to work there. I've read much about their culture and environment, and they attract a lot of great people.
I'm also looking for other companies with a vision and with that commitment to excellence. (Much as I sometimes don't want to admit it, Microsoft _does_ make pretty good products. I just don't like their heavy-handed marketing tactics sometimes.) Do you know of any other companies that might be able to use someone like me?
Now how to make myself useful enough that companies would reach across the ocean...
The research component seems to be really important for graduate school, and I'll definitely need that for both the industry and the academe.
I like Java, but I'll need to work on my C++ too - I'll need a lot more experience in it. I've been using Java more than C++ lately, and I don't really have much experience in developing Real Applications with C++..
With, umm, minimal bloodshed and confusion, and no national turmoil - my country has enough problems. Severely off-topic: kinda worried about the bombings around here...
<laugh> So, any companies here that might want to help develop this undergraduate? It requires significant time/money investment, and I'd like to know how I can be useful enough. =)
I think it should be possible to write neat, easy-to-understand, practical code. The Mythical Man Month said something about that. I need to be an 'expert programmer', though, so I'm working on developing myself to that level. Any ideas?
I like reading other people's source code. It's tough when it's messy^H^H^H^H^Hover-optimized, but it's fun to piece together the statements and figure out what's going on.
I'm working on some open-source projects - I've been playing around with LearnLoop, which I've found to be pretty useful - and I hope to meet other geeks that way. =)
I still wish I had fast, unlimited Net access, though.. I can't wait to get back to our dorm, which has fast (although limited) Net access.
Anyway, is anyone here up for mentoring this highly-motivated sophomore who could use a lot of guidance? =)
The reason why I have to prepare so early is because there are a lot of things that need to be arranged, especially visas if I'm going to do an internship abroad. In addition, I have to have enough time to correct whatever deficiencies I might have due to a weak computer science curriculum - we don't have as much math or industry experience as other schools might have, and I'd like to address whatever shortcomings that my education might have so that I'm at least at par with all the rest of you. |-)
If I do decide to focus more on research, then I'll start by replicating some studies and surveys now - I've found some I can do this summer. Although my professors don't really do research in computer science education - our school focuses more on multimedia and networks - I've talked to some professors who might be willing to advise me, even if it's just for the conducting-research aspect. I'm also planning to take some psych and education courses to supplement my CS education, in order to gain more background in the field. I have to plan that now, because I need to take the prerequisites for the courses I want to take.
Besides, I like doing long-range plans - it gives my life direction, and I don't get too lost. =)
I guess it comes down to the difference between the cathedral and the bazaar, and each has lessons that I need to learn.
I will probably need money, though.. <ruefully> if only to get myself to all the conferences and conventions I'd like to attend. I'm a simple person - I don't have expensive tastes, and as long as I've got a computer that can compile and test programs without choking on them (I work on a 300MHz laptop running Linux and Win98) - so I don't really need to make tons and tons of money. =)
They usually *hic* go away after a while... when you've stopped *hic* thinking about hiccups while reading a *hic* Slashdot post.
<laugh> What goes around comes around, I guess. Although I never thought of Linux as an IBM conspiracy, I think it's pretty great that the once-monolithic company with the legendary suits (and the tag line "No one was ever fired for buying IBM") is now supporting something that's almost like the hippie movement. =) And Microsoft, although it still tries to think of itself as a fast, nimble start-up - and perhaps manages to pulls it off in some cases - is now the Bad Guy. Amazing role reversal.
If they're filtering out Slashdot, that's weird, though. =) I like Slashdot. *grin*
Of course, just my thoughts. =)
Hmm. Other than failed dot-coms giving up their domain names, that'd leave the big-name companies who might accidentally forget to renew their domain name. Wouldn't we see a lot more lawsuits then?
Actually, no. I happen to _like_ Chinese martial arts movies, especially compared to Western action movies - American movies tend to go too heavy on the guns and brawls, while the fine choreography of Chinese martial arts is really fascinating. And it bears more watching - I watched Matrix around four times, and after a while the sleeping-beauty thing really gets on one's nerves. Although I've only watched Crouching Tiger twice, I wouldn't mind watching it again. I watched it on the first day it opened here in the Philippines - I'd been waiting for it forever. I didn't want to wait for my friends to invite me out, so I -ahem- dragged my family along.. So, cool movie, although it ends a bit abruptly after reaaallly developing the little love story there. I like it. Don't have to be a guy to like these martial arts films, I guess. =)
Considering that Knuth presented his examples in MIX, which resembles assembly more than, say, structured or OOP - maybe the Knuth books might not be the best thing to give the child right away. It's not exactly the sort of material that gets people excited. Granted, the kid might be a super-genius, but delving right into the details of algorithms without seeing the bigger picture could unnecessarily limit the child. Besides, it's not fun. 8)
You know, she has a point there. And taking it further - not only lawyers should care about the high tech and society, but geeks should also. =)
We don't have much to do with robots yet, since our lab isn't equipped with BASIC stamps. However, I'm planning to do one of those quizbee systems that are perpetually needed but never seem to be available - not just your typical buzzer system, but maybe something wireless, with microphones and who knows what else I might dream up.. =)
It's so much more fun than the old make-an-amplifier-circuit projects we had in high school, and I always look forward to my lab sessions. =)