Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with computerscience

Uh...hang on, just give me a minute.

Demogorgon — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:34:31 -0800

What is the most important scientific question of our time? I volunteer at an observatory for a local amateur astronomers' society and one of the guests at a recent star party came up and asked, "What do you think is the most important question science has to answer right now?" Obviously, there is no right or wrong answer, but after the party was over a lot of us were still talking about this question and I ended up learning a great deal from my fellow club members that I might otherwise not have.
The next time this question gets asked I want to be prepared to offer a variety of answers from differing fields and opinions. I don't expect to represent every answer as an expert, but I'd like to be able to give a few more examples than I was able to, and then correlate them to some book recommendations from the answers in this thread about introductions to your field.
I also think it is important to frame the question in a way that can be meaningfully answered, i.e. "What is the most important scientific discovery about to be made?" or something like that.
Of course, I had my own answer in mind, but as a relative layperson to that branch of study I had a really hard time articulating why it was so important to "science." Therefore, if you are uniquely affiliated with a specific field that you think will produce a game-changer, feel free to get as technical as you're comfortable doing.

Thanks!

Your favorite interesting, specific question in philosophy

k. — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:54:11 -0800

Philosophy Filter: What are some fresh and interesting questions or topics in philosophy? I don't know if there are many philosophy nerds on MetaFilter (at least relative to other kinds of nerds), but I thought I'd give this a shot. I'm looking for topics that you wouldn't necessarily learn about in the usual undergraduate philosophy courses. I'd prefer these to be pretty specific, like these examples:

1. The "philosophy of information", which covers both the application of methods and ideas from computer science to philosophy and philosophical issues about what information is (especially in the work of Luciano Floridi)

2. Attacks on virtue ethics based on psychologists' claims that human character traits are much less stable than we think (summarized in e.g. the recent popular book Experiments in Ethics by K. Anthony Appiah)

More like these please! Really, any issue in philosophy that you find interesting would help. Bonus points for relevance to any timely issues outside of philosophy (in politics/society, science, etc).

I will be the supreme ambassador between the humans and the machines!

SinisterPurpose — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:05:21 -0800

What are the possible pitfalls of my new life plan? Okay, I've been accepted back into my alma mater (UWGB) with plans to pursue a second B.S. in Computer Science. My B.A. ended in 2002 with a double major in Humanistic Studies and English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. It has been a struggle to find employment in which my education is viewed as an asset. It's been a struggle to find work in which these skills are even relevant. In short, it's been a struggle.

I have four strong reasons for choosing to do this now. 1) The economy. Unemployment in my area is right around 10 percent and I am included in that number. Rather than hustling around trying to scrounge another unsatisfying job, I'd like to use this time to learn a new skill set. 2) Interest. I have always had interest in technology and programming, but never pursued it at any length because I had decided that I was terrible at math. I no longer think this is the case and have decided to stop limiting myself. 3) Weariness. I am just plain sick and tired of the the constant attempts to legitimize my previous coursework to employers. 4) Self-Actualization. I don't have any regrets and I don't wish to change the past. The pursuit of my B.A. and the places and friendships it has brought me have enriched my personal life in ways impossible to enumerate. But I feel a strong desire to study this field and am actively excited to overcome the obstacles which it presents.

Also, I have strong reason to believe that my previous degree will mesh well with my proposed degree. I see a very distinct and discernable value in the ability to communicate aspects of computer science in the layperson's tongue.

The pursuit of my prospective degree will not be anything like the pursuit of my first degree. There will be no general education classes. There will be no electives. I will be immersed in Comp Sci and supporting Math classes non-stop for approximately two and a half years. It will be intense. But that's kind of what's exciting me about it.

So now to the primary questions: What am I missing? Are there fundamental aspects of programming and computer science which I am not fully appreciating which should further inform this decision? Am I mistaken in my thoughts that the two degrees will combine well together? Do any of you have experience with a radical career course correction?

I look forward to any information you see fit to share with me. Please don't feel hemmed in by the specifics of this question. If you have information, anecdotal or otherwise, which you believe would inform this decision, please share it. If you require further information from me I will be actively monitoring this thread. Also, feel free to use the email in my profile to contact me if you prefer.

Thanks to all in advance.

Looking for a challenge, somethign easier than P ?= NP

b1tr0t — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:17:32 -0800

I'd like to find a good online resource that poses interesting computer science problems. I've been digging through some of the modern classics papers of computer science research. Some are easy enough to understand with a little effort, others are pretty difficult to penetrate. I find that most of them are fairly difficult to find practical applications for.

I'd like to find a list of computer science problems, maybe medium to difficult homework problems for CS grad students. I'm not yet looking for grand challenges or problems big enough for a thesis. I don't want to do your homework, and I don't want to do your contract work either. I also don't want interview questions.

Regex Help for Adding +14 to a Series

pinto — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:47:47 -0800

I'm trying to use Regular Expressions in Textmate to do a Find/Replace. The goal: Find id="1", id="2", id="3", etc. and Replace with a value of +14, so that I replace yields id="15", id="16", id="17" etc. Thank you! I don't mind doing the Finds/Replaces one at a time, so I'm not worried about greedy/reluctant, whatever. I just want a bit of an easier way to add +14 to a value.

So far I've been able to Find using id="*[0-9], but no luck for the Replace. Thanks mucho for any help!

Help me decide what to learn!

pwicks — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:56:03 -0800

I have an empty space in the upcoming semester, my last as an undergrad (CS Major), and I am thinking about doing some sort of independant study/research, I just don't know what! I need ideas/inspiration! Help! I have a professor who is willing to oversee something of this sort lined up already, but I am on my own as to coming up with what to do. I'm definitely interested in possibly branching out a little bit from what I have been doing for most of my college career (java, ruby/rails, more java) and working with an area where I am less familiar. Working with some sort of functional language, like Erlang or Haskell, sounds pretty cool. Also, the professor has a PS3 with linux installed on it that is currently acting as a 300 dollar paper weight in his office, so it could be fun to do something with that. I'm also interested in genetic algorithms, image processing, photography and the internet/large datasets.

So, if you've done something like this (independent study and/or research) before, how did you design the course for your self? How did you come up with the content of the course? What resources did you find useful? What would you do differently if you had to do it over again? What else should I think about?

Sorry if this question rambles a bit.

Canadaian Computer College Classifications?

mjewkes — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:42:32 -0800

Where should a Canadian 1.5st year student transfer to, in order to complete a computer science degree? Canadian Computer Science transfer student.

I am a 22 year old Canadian university student with a year of arts credits under my belt. I am currently attending Dalhousie University in Halifax, where I've been taking computer science for the past term, and have decided that that is how I'm going to finish my degree.

Everyone who talks about computer science degrees on the internet seems to place a real emphasis on the quality of the school you get your diploma from. I somehow doubt Dalhousie is in the upper echelons of such school.

My marks are pretty good, both in university and high school courses. Would it be best if I transfered to a better Comp Sci school? If so, what are the best options in Canada?

What are the most promising industries for a software engineer?

[user was fined for this post] — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:07:18 -0800

CareerFilter: I will be finishing my BS in Computer Science in 2-3 years. What industries will likely offer the best earnings potential and interesting work to a software engineer, and how do I improve my attractiveness as a potential hire to those industries? My question is similar to this one, but I'm specifically interested in identifying industries that are desirable to software engineers in terms of pay, growth potential, and challenging work. I don't have a fixed definition of "interesting," but at a minimum it would mean solving problems more complicated than connecting web forms to databases. (I find games programming interesting as a hobby, but as a career I can't reconcile the long hours and the low pay.)

1) What industries should I consider? At this point I'm open to pretty much anything: finance, defense, health care, anything else I may not have considered.

2) For a given industry, what minor and/or electives should I consider to be a strong candidate? Statistics, economics, systems design, information security, Standard Chinese, _________? If it's not premature, what should I be thinking about in terms of my Master's?

3) Possible complication: I would like to spend a few years working in East Asia, most likely China or Japan. I would be willing to accept reduced earnings for a few years as a fair trade-off for this type of opportunity, as long as I would be gaining relevant experience that would make me a strong candidate for higher-paying positions when I return to the states. What would be the best way to prepare for this, and how would this affect answers to the above questions?

Some possibly relevant details: I'm 29 and going back to school after several years away. I have a junior degree in liberal arts (oops). I've done programming as a hobby most of my life, but I work in an unrelated field. I am willing to work long hours as long as I'm well compensated for it (exception for opportunities in East Asia, as noted). I do well in high-stress environments but don't need pressure to feel satisfied as long as I find my work interesting. I'm willing to relocate to pretty much anywhere but will not be able to do so for about three years (hopefully by the time I graduate). I have some experience in corporate training and technical writing but have no formal education in those areas.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice!

Computer Science and Foreign Languages, what is the best mix?

JoeXIII007 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:40:13 -0800

I am trying to make a preliminary (or maybe final) decision on what foreign language I should study with respect to a computer science major after transferring to the University of Michigan. Any pointers??? Previously.

I am more or less looking for a foreign language that would be most compatible with my career path and would most likely use after spending 4 semesters learning it.

I have heavily considered Japanese to be a good choice for a long while, but Chinese and Arabic seem interesting as well.

If there is something outside of those three that I should consider, please let me know.

Thanks!

Zero to Caltech in four years

McBearclaw — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:55:03 -0800

Today, I have an MS in sociology from a state school. Four years from now, I'd like to be starting at a high-quality social science PhD program. How do I get there? I am living in Denver for the duration of my girlfriend's Master's program - which is going to take about four years, courtesy of Colorado's crazy requirements for school counselors. At the end of those four years, I would really like to get into a great grad program - right now, the Brain, Mind and Society program at Caltech, the Human Complex Systems program-to-be at UCLA, the new Economic Sociology Program at MIT-Sloan, or the CASOS program at Carnegie Mellon are the ones that make me starry-eyed. If you poke through my profile, you might find a question from me from earlier this year saying that I didn't want to do research. I do, now - I really do - in large part because I have discovered programs like these that combine disciplines and skills. To me, a social science that draws on neuroscience and complexity, backed with some strong computational skills, would have the ability to do amazing things.

Granted, all of those programs are far out of my reach right now. Maybe they always will be. But I have four years in which to make some kind of a play for interdisciplinary social science glory. The best route to this, I suspect, is by proving that I am both interested and capable of research. No problem there: I've got a couple of publications out for review right now, many ideas in the works. The problem is, I need time to work on these things. And I also need to eat.

I basically see four options here, aside from giving up:

1. A grant/lottery/free money. "Matt, you're a genius/lucky/dead sexy! Here's money to research!"
2. A job that lets me work on research while I'm there, like working in a security kiosk or at a slow hotel.
3. A freelance job. I have yet to see any evidence that people do social research on a contract basis, which seems weird to me.
4. Another grad program. As I mentioned, I'm very interested in neuroscience and computer science - I definitely wouldn't mind learning more about either. Some obvious problems there (e.g. it has to be at a Denver university), but not a terrible choice.

Mini-résumé: many kinds of regression, multilevel, spatial stats, path analysis, qualitative research. Familiar with economics, organizations, criminology, and have BS in political science. Program in R, SPSS, and Visual Basic .NET.

The questions, then: Is this possible? Can somebody with a 700V/750Q GRE, a middling undergrad and MS background, and a fistful of publications break into a program like these? If so, which of the above routes would you recommend?

Of course, I am open to suggestions on both programs and tactics to get into them, and basically anything else you might want to add. I will be watching this question closely and will try to answer questions as quickly as possible.

Crazy bonus points if you have gone through something similar, have been on an admissions committee, have Denver-specific advice, or otherwise know the score.

I know this might not result in much - but I would really appreciate whatever advice you have to offer. Thanks in advance.

How can I get a programming job abroad?

Cogito — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:21:42 -0800

Help a computer scientist find an interesting job abroad, preferably in Japan I have an MSE in CS and 5 years professional experience and I'm interested in living someplace new before I get too old. I'm open to working most anywhere, as long as the work is computer science and interesting. I'd most like to work in Japan, as I've done an internship there before and have several years of Japanese study that I'd like to hone into real fluency.

What are some resources, or specific companies that I should investigate to help me find work as an expatriate geek? American companies with expatriate programs would be especially good.

What are grad schools looking for?

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:41:55 -0800

I want to get into an excellent CS grad school, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, or what they're looking for. I'm currently a computer science major at UC Berkeley (starting junior year), but I don't know what I need to do to get into grad school. I haven't done much in the past 2 years, unforunately - no jobs, no internships, no interesting projets - and I only have a B average in my technical courses. In fact, I feel my only defining characteristic is that I'm double majoring in music.

Aside from improving my grades (which I'll try to do next semester), what should I do to become a more viable candidate for the top CS grad schools (particularly in England), and where can I find more information on this topic? What else will I have to do to get into grad school? (i.e., letters of rec, etc.)

(I feel one of my main problems is that I only started programming a year ago, so I don't really know how to do much yet.)

Help me relearn mathematics and its practica applications

dcbarker — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:19:32 -0800

Applied Math Filter: Help me use math! I'd like to learn more about mathematics and it's practical applications - particularly in Computer Science I'm a Computer Networking graduate (under 25) who never really done much math at university. My course was somewhere between computer science and communications engineering so maths sort of slipped through the cracks.

Now, I'm looking to re-learn math. I know that a lot of mathematics is abstract but I'm having difficulties seeing practical applications.

Where I'm at:
I took calculus at high school but just scraped through (I spent more time fighting with the teacher than learning). I don't remember a bit of it. I'm pretty much at "square one" so will be learning from the start. I consider myself a quick learner in most areas but had a horrible foundation in math so never picked it back up. I've bought a couple of math books which should teach me the theory I need. I've always thought graphing calculators were pretty interesting but lack the mathematical knowledge to necessitate their use (or purchase). I'm currently in the process of ditching my "college job" to go for a "real job".

What I want:
I want to learn math with a view to using it practically (preferably in computer science).

How you can help:
I'd like suggestions on how I should go about learning mathematics and its practical applications. Which areas should I look at if I want to use mathematics in computing? I think my problem is that I can't see a practical application for math that I'd like to explore but I have a strong urge to develop my mathematics skills.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Party for Women Engineers and Computer Scientists

billy_the_punk — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:22:47 -0800

Help me brainstorm a good social event for women in my Computer Science and Engineering Departments. I am both student and staff at my Universities Faculty of Engineering (which includes the Computer Science Department), and I need to come up with ideas for a rockin' event for this September that is run through our branch of Women in Engineering and Computer Science.

We all have in common the fact that we are involved in Engineering and/or Computer Science, but the group differs in that it is spread across undergraduates, grad students, faculty, and staff.

In an event held this summer, we had some console games (a Wii and Rockband), puzzles spread around the room (rubiks cubes, 16 puzzles, recursive puzzles), and food. We also took a survey from the (relatively small group) to find out what kind of events these women like. All of them reported enjoying social events, and roughly 50% wanted to participate in each of our other events (personal development, overnight retreats, educational lectures by female scholars etc).

The question is what should we do? I hesitate to repeat the console games unless we have something else to include. Basic mixers usually result in people only speaking with people they already know. Although serving alcohol is always a winner, that excludes the under 19 crowd. I don't want to just serve pizza and let people mingle again, but I can't seem to get my brain to work past that.

Our resources include a modest budget, rooms we can book on campus, outdoor green areas, and enthusiastic volunteers.

If it looks and quacks like a CS Degree, then is it a genuine enough CS Degree???

JoeXIII007 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:15:25 -0800

Does it really matter where you get the Computer Science degree from? I am currently going to Washtenaw Community College to (of course) save money while getting the all important education. Currently majoring in Math and Science with a concentration in Computer Science.

At the moment I have pretty much put my future plans on going to the University of Michigan just a little further westward (which, if you have not heard, is a pretty reputable University other than being part of the Big Ten, as far as I have known).

MUCH closer (I live just barely east of downtown Ypsilanti, MI) to home is Eastern Michigan University. Going there would undeniably save money on not only tuition and supplies but also gas using the car. For either university, I would be commuting to them.

Now I make the following realizations no matter what the decision:
- The CS biz changes practically daily, so I know I will have to constantly learn new stuff.
- As far as I know, computer scientists are in high demand (at least according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- The education I get at college lays a foundation more than anything (doing a pretty deep google search confirmed this) and anything in industry will have to be picked up along the way.
- Having noted that, I already know people without CS degrees already in the industry (particularly with .NET).

Therefore, it really comes down to the money, quality of college education and risk with sacrificing either, and thus why I ask MeFi: does it really matter where I get the CS degree from??? I have done a lot of research into this decision and I am more than anything looking for the final factor (which I cannot seem to grasp) that will set the decision in stone.

Trivia: Currently 19 years old, holding a 3.97 GPA (only shy of a 4 thanks to an A- for some reason), and have put myself through two semesters (Fall 07/Winter 08) of 18 credit hour loads (for a total of 36 in the college career).

Games Programming vs Software Engineering

hgws — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:51:46 -0800

Help me pick a second major for my computer science degree. Background: I am a 30 y.o. undergrad Bachelor of Comp Sci student in Western Australia. Everything in my early life pointed to a career in computing; I remember being fascinated the first time I encountered a computer (a BBC Acorn), and although my family was too poor to afford any kind of computer I spent hours on the Mac Plus in the local library & would also borrow books on programming & write out programs & go through them in my head. Naturally I excelled in high school computing, & went straight into a CS degree. However life got in the way & I managed to get kicked out of my degree after second year. (Ironically despite failing most of my units in royal fashion I also scored 86% in my HCI unit.)

In the ten years or so between my first attempt at a CS degree & a second one, I discovered a strong interest in research & academic writing & graduated with a first class honours degree in history. I began a Ph.D. with a view for the traditional teaching/research pathway common to humanities graduates, but left after I got distracted by a full-time job & earning a real wage for the first time in my life. During this time I'd always retained a strong interest in computing, getting into HTML & web design in the late '90s, starting a collection of vintage Macs, spending most of my free time on the net/IFOC etc. The job I left my Ph.D. for also requires I spend 90% of my time IFOC, although it begain as data entry & has since evolved into Excel spreadsheets & if I'm lucky, an Access database. Frankly though it's dull work & it prompted me to think that if I was going to spend my working life IFOC I might as well learn to do it in a way that interested me, so I decided to return to a CS degree.

I'm now just starting my second year of this degree & it is going very well - I have gone part-time at work so I can study full time. So far I have straight HDs (A's) & I love what I am studying. I've become an incredibly anal overachiever, in fact, compared to the CS student I was when I left high school. I began my degree with a fairly vague idea of what I wanted to do at the end - something to score me a job in IT - but my life goals have changed, particularly since I've gone from a FT salary to a PT one & realised that I don't actually want or need much more than enough to get by, financially, and have zero interest in business and "getting ahead." In fact I am now eyeing honours and then PG studies in CS after I graduate.

To get to my question: there is no doubt that I should major in CS. I love programming & I find the theory side nifty too. But my degree requires that I either pick a second major or a bunch of electives. I think that a second major will give me more options and I have narrowed it down to two choices: Software Engineering or Games Programming. I assumed from the start of my degree that software engineering was right for me, admittedly without really knowing the contents of the units or what it exactly entails. (I assumed it was sort of an extension of programming.) I also ruled out games programming as I am not a gamer - I mean, really not a gamer! (For one thing I only own Macs, haha...) Well I have a weakness for Tetris & The Sims, and that's it. I would just rather do other things than play games and so have never payed much attention to the whole gaming area (aside from reading Ctrl-Alt-Delete).

But on futher examination of the units involved in games programming & software engineering, I'm starting to waver. Firstly, I emailed a student advisor for ideas & was advised that given my stated interest in programming, AI and HCI, Games Programming was the better fit. Secondly, I did a closer inspection of software engineering & became somewhat suspiscious that it might entail management and business along with the actual software design. In the gap between CS degrees I took an accounting diploma at vocational college & I've had my fill of management theory & commerce. In fact my least-liked unit so far has been first year systems analysis. However, I do see that most of games programming is mostly programming & not so much games: a lot of units on computer graphics, only 2 really specific to gaming.

Given that in many ways I just want to do a double major in CS, but that's not possible, what is the best choice?

PS. I have to confess that some of my aversion to games programming is that the majority of students are 18-20 y.o. males & stereotypical gamers. Not that it should bother me as I'm doing most of my units online at home.

Balancing work experience and college?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:58:59 -0800

I am switching from full-time college with a part-time job to part-time college with a full-time job to gain more experience. I'm in the Web software development industry. How do I keep motivated and not get discouraged? I have had a part-time/full-time job since I was 15 developing a niche Web application. I've since graduated from high school and completed my freshman year at a nearby university working 30+ hrs/wk with classes 15 hrs/wk (not including studying) with a 3.5 GPA. The job is going downhill quickly with new management and many of my smart coworkers leaving for bigger out-of-state companies. If I could, I'd work somewhere else, but there isn't a lot of companies doing what I do in this area.

That's why, a few months ago, I resolved to quit the job by the end of summer to focus on getting my degree in Computer Science while living with my parents to cut expenses. I planned on doing some consulting type work, not for the money per se, but to keep my current skills.

A month ago, an ex-coworker called me asking if I'd be interested in joining their team at a company I always dreamed of working for. It's at a relatively large company in California. I decided that I should give it a shot because I have noting to lose-- and got the offer. It's definitely not over my head but it'll give me a new challenge. The job will start out using the skills I developed at my present job and I'll have the opportunity to learn more as I continue to work there. I'll get paid a lot of money and can live on my own. The people are great, I feel wanted, and the environment rocks.

The only problem is that I'm not through school yet! My friends and family think that this is a non-issue because I'm getting relevant job experience and the company will pay for school. My parents argue that continuing with school here will leave me without relevant experience when I graduate. Indeed, many of my coworkers are working below market to gain Web app experience-- and they have CS degrees from the university I have attended.

At the same time, I recognize the need for a good education. I know that the "CS theory" & math skills I have must be improved on if I want to continue a career in this field because the Web isn't going to be using my current skills forever. I plan on going to a local community college part-time with this full-time job. There is a university nearby but, of course, my admission there isn't guaranteed.

I'm concerned that I'll be a greater risk of getting discouraged with school. I'm concerned that I should be focusing on school to potentially transfer into a better school. (Basicially, that I should be a "traditional student" and not going part-time.) I'm concerned that if I don't take this job opportunity doing what I love, I'm going to regret it forever. However, I could leave this job after a year and return to the same university.

I'm looking for advice. I'm pretty much committed to taking the job right now but I'd like to get some perspective from others who have more experience than I do.

Here are a few starting points:

How do I transfer from a community college to a university as a part-time student? Should I look into online or distance education? Any gotchas? Should I be concerned about 7-10 year time limits on undergrad degrees?

Any wise words to keep me motivated to get through school and work? Will this job be an asset or a liability to applying for a university in a couple of years (think application essay and/or my knowledge gained on the job)?

Thanks everyone! You may contact me here: workingstudent@rocketmail.com

Where should a geek go to grad school to study urban planning?

zvs — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:20:10 -0800

Where should a computer science geek go to grad school to study urban planning? I've just graduated with a BS in computer science, but realized not so long ago that it wasn't really where I wanted to be in five years. What I really want to do is study urban planning, a pretty radical departure from my past academic career. That said, computer science is still where most of my skills lie, and I'd like to pursue a path that merges the two interests. I'll probably never escape technical work entirely.

Aside from MIT and Berkeley, I'd love to know if anybody has hints on where I could find a fairly nerd-oriented course of study in planning. I've heard good things about Waterloo, but I'm mostly working blind at the present time. My grades as an undergraduate engineer were OK (not good enough to guarantee MIT/Berkeley or anything), and at a well-regarded institution.

Thanks in advance!

[P.S.: I'm an American who also holds Schengen citizenship, so schools within either the US or the EU are definitely within the realm of possibility -- if they're taught in English, Spanish or Dutch.]

[P.P.S.: This is my first try at Ask, so if I'm breaking protocol please feel free to abuse me appropriately.]

Learning Programming/Logic/Algorithms by Yourself (preferably practice programs to write)?

Javed_Ahamed — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:34:56 -0800

Im a Freshman Computer Engin. Major and I want to learn more programming/logic by myself. Any books/Resources/Sample Projects you might recommend? In class we have projects/homeworks we do (Im doing Java now btw) and that helps us learn how to actually program instead of reading a book and letting the syntax/logic pass over our head. However i feel like I want to learn some languages by myself and everytime i try to do this I always end up giving up or just not learning anything much useful in the end to actually program. So this is kind of a multi part question:

1. Are there any resources out there that give sample projects with answers or suggested solutions out there? I don't mind paying for anything.
2. Any resources to help build programming logic? Or theory? (Maybe things like Djkstras algorithm nicely explained comes to mind)
3. Also what languages might you recommend to learn myself? I want to learn something that is actually useful, and might help my resume. (not something like pascal :D). This also fits into what resources can help me learn these languages.

Thank you!
(btw this is my first MeFi question and Im not sure if its good enough. I am glad to be part of the Hive Mind at Last!)

Summer classes on differential equations for an LA resident?

fermion — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:59:03 -0800

Looking for summer courses in differential equations, online or in the Los Angeles area. Since I got my bachelor's four years ago, I haven't had a lot of opportunities to use my skills in mathematics. I'm starting a Ph.D. program in the fall, which will involve some computational modeling of physical processes, and I would really like to brush up on the rustier bits.

It is proving difficult to find summer courses in differential equations, since it's not a tremendously popular subject. Can someone recommend a school--preferably within a half-hour drive of Santa Monica or Long Beach--that might have such a thing? I've checked UCLA and USC with limited success. Extra bonus points if the same institution has courses in programming (C++ or Java, for preference.)

Online courses would be excellent too, even preferable, but I'm even less sure where to start with those. I'd prefer something with a human instructor, rather than an entirely self-directed option like MIT's OpenCourseWare. Are there any distance learning programs with solid advanced mathematics classes?

Help me converse intelligently with computer guys at cocktail parties.

Enroute — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:09:58 -0800

Help me converse intelligently with computer guys at cocktail parties. I recently moved to Seattle, where it seems that two out of every three people I meet at parties work in computer science in some capacity. When these people tell me what they do, I would like to be able to have more than a ten-second conversation about it, which is all I can sustain right now due to my painful ignorance. I am so lost that I don't even know how to phrase my queston to MeFi, but basically I am looking for Computer Science Careers for Dummies. What are the various jobs in computer science and how do they fit together? What are some reasonable questions that I might ask in talking to people about their jobs? I'm not trying to act like I know more than I do--that's hopeless. I'm just trying to learn enough to be a decent conversationalist.

How to teach myself computer science?

petah — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:41:54 -0800

I want to teach myself computer science. I know that teaching myself is far from a university education on the subject, but I'd like to try. How can I teach myself? What are books/lectures/tools/websites/anything that I could use to do this? Covering everything from the programming languages themselves, to algorithms, software development, and the mathematics background necessary for this. Starting with freshman year from college, I always considered changing my major to Computer Science but I never acted on it, and now it's a bit too late for me. I took C classes when I was younger, but it was mainly as a hobby.

If you're self-taught in the field of computer science, I'd love to hear from you. If you're university trained, even better. I'm relatively self-motivated (I know it's not easy to teach yourself these concepts), and have 2 semesters of experience in Java. (I know, I know.) I want to learn it all.

How technical/specific should my grad school personal statement be?

christy — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:10:46 -0800

Grad School Filter: How technical and specific should my statement of purpose for my Computer Science PhD application be? I'm applying to PhD programs in computer science. The prompts for the statement or purpose say include things like:

- How I became interested in doing cs research
- Current projects or experience that demonstrate I know what I'm doing
- Future plans

My question is:

Given that I don't have a huge amount of space for all this (usually between 1 and 2 thousand words), how technical and department specific should I make my essay?

I could easily spend 1000 words explaining how I became interested in the field, but I also have like 1500 in my technical current experience document. I'm trying to pull it all together and I don't know how much of each flavor to mix in.

Thanks for any and all help!

If you had your druthers, what IT career would you recommend?

iamisaid — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:23:26 -0800

If you could recommend any career within the computer/IT field, what would it be? The primary factors I'm considering are salary and job security. As I mentioned in a previous question, I'm two years into school at a large public university. At the moment my major is undeclared. Although I had considered either journalism or something related to writing, I'm now looking at other options that might make more sense financially. Considering my experience with computers, I'm thinking something in the IT field might be a better choice in terms of getting the bills paid. I do intend to get a bachelors degree in something, whether it be related to IT or not. From what I understand, my school does have a respected computer science program, so that may or may not be a good option.

I've been using computers and the Internet since age 12, primarily on Windows, although I've had some experience with Unix and OSX. I'm great at troubleshooting and I enjoy learning about the underpinnings of an OS. I have a pretty thorough knowledge of HTML and a smattering of PHP, but I have no programming experience beyond that. I am pretty terrible at math and would prefer to avoid anything that requires advanced knowledge thereof. In all other areas, I am a fast learner. I am comfortable installing hardware and have built a couple of PCs. Essentially, I am the lucky person who gets called by friends and family any time someone has a computer problem. And I'm OK with that.

Taking all that into account, what would be a good IT career for me? I'm interested in recommendations that would maximize my earnings potential and be as future-proof as possible. Whether it requires a degree, certification(s), etc., I'm open to any possibility. Having said that, I'm also not a big fan of 80-hour workweeks.

Thanks!

GradSchoolFilter: How bad did I screw up, and can it be fixed?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:14:26 -0800

I'm trying to get a M.S. in Computer Science, I already have a B.S. in Computer Science. Started last year as a full time student, took a semester off, and now trying to take classes while holding a full time job. My horrible time management skills combined with not knowing how crazy my job gets in August has caused me to do poorly in class. So poorly, that I may be "ineligible to continue graduate study". I'm very de-motivated by the whole situation and wondering what my options are, so I have a couple of questions :

Is it possible to "switch majors" in Graduate School?
Is a second undergad degree regarded at as highly as a master's degree? I'm considering going back for a second undergrad if I can't continue with Graduate study.
If I go to another school for a totally different program, is it okay not to mention my current school when I apply? I don't want to have what happened at this school weigh negatively on me getting in somewhere else.
I'm working as a Programmer/Analyst. I was going for the Master's to get better job prospects. Would it be a better use of my time to get training on specific technologies rather than an advanced degree?

This deals with career info, so I don't want it tied to my name, hence anon post.

Started last year as a full-time grad student on an assistantship. I later realized that I was burnt out from getting my undergrad and that I needed time off of school. Got a job and decided to give school a break.

There is a 5 year limit on me completing the degree, and it started last August (2006). I figured if I did at least one class a semester, I could get extremely close to that limit. I also planned to increase my course load as I went further along. Given that, I started again this past August in a class that I thought I needed to complete to be able to take other courses. I had reservations about not being ready to go back yet, but I thought that taking it slow and easy would have worked.

My job is full time, and gets extremely busy around August. I hadn't taken that into account when I decided to go back to school. It offers no tuition assistance for what I do, but my manager has been flexible with letting me take time off. I'm the only person in the office that can do integration between different systems, and I have never-ending list of pending projects.

I'm not doing well in the class because I can't seem to unplug myself from my job long enough to do the homework and study. I'm to the point of being apathetic about the whole situation. I'm even doubting whether this is the degree I want.

The only other degrees (undergrad or graduate) I would be content in pursuing are ones that wouldn't help me in job advancement or I don't have enough background in (philosophy, psychology, [a particular language] studies, cognitive science). I'm aware that getting some business knowledge under my belt would make me the ever so desirable "techy w/ business experience", but I have no interest in that.

So, I'm confused and trying to figure out where to go from here. All advice is appreciated.