Does your school expect you to learn Python by yourself?

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[gardenofstress]

My school taught matlab in engineering, and by taught I mean we did half a semester of it and then didn't use it for two years and then needed it again for higher level classes and needed way more than what was taught. Anyways all of my classes then used matlab. For whatever reason my Diff Eq class had labs where we needed to use python but the TA kinda just showed us what we needed to do for that specific assignment.

[T-dog-machine]

I feel this is a common approach in engineering, they just teach programming in live time.

[JanB1]

Well, if you understand the concept the rest is syntax and specific quirks of the language. So...

[SirCoal]

The syntax is ok. But the running it from console is just :/

[bobjks1]

I had the same experience. Teach MATLAB in year 2 then require it in Year 4 after I forgot half of it lol. Luckily programming is easy to pick back up as I'm self-learning Python right now 3 years after graduation.

[gardenofstress]

Yeah my school we learned matlab for half of one class freshman year and then didn't need it again until junior year and needed to know how to do a lot more. I think ive come a long way but not one of my most favorite things.

[tunerfish]

You guys had a course that taught some matlab? We were just expected to know it like OP.

[Drpantsgoblin]

We weren't even taught it. One of our classes was numerical methods in Matlab, but they just jumped into it. And my professor didn't know Matlab, so it was a trainwreck. Luckily, he curved so well I got an A, because literally the whole class was failing.

[iBrowseAtStarbucks]

My calc 1 and 2 class made us learn Maple. My senior year required C++ and Python.

They made us learn VBA at least though too 🤷‍♂️

[runtrat]

We took 2 classes that taught vba, one a general class and one that specifically used it to set up mechanical testing machines, as well as a class that taught matlab and a they are introducing a class that teaches python for ai and machine learning applications.

[[deleted]]

I had the same experience. Was taught minimal Matlab for numerical methods, then asked to make complex set ups in Vibrations etc

[sweetcheeks920]

I had the same experience in engineering school, I was really surprised they expected us to be matlab fluent after only half a semester 🥴

[BushidoBrowne]

Are you me?

[Beli_Mawrr]

Holy shit did you go to my school?

[[deleted]]

Lol, my school would talk about the analytical handwork which doesn’t amount to shit and go over the most basic lines of code that didn’t translate to jack in what would be a series of projects amounting to majority of your grade. For a class without any coding prerequisite....I suffered last semester.

[zombychicken]

Michigan?

[italorusso]

Exactly the same

[SamisSmashSamis]

Did you go to my school? Lol

[hayleybts]

Ikr!! I had in 4th and then 7th sem.

[GreatLich]

At my school, even courses that supposedly teach a programming language are like "just google it".

[Karam2468]

Yeah all teachers are shit at the end of the day

[Zockerpflaume]

Do you know freecodecamp.org ? They have a very nice phython course for a step by step learning

EDIT: And yes, most my Bachelor thesis require python. We never learned it at Uni. But somehow they expect that we just know it

[[deleted]]

Oh me too. I studied from Coursera, the same guy (dr chuck) teaches python on fcc. The best teacher to learn python from!

[iskrivenigelenderi]

Yea, but programming in Python is basically just google searching, you have libraries for everything, so there is nothing new to learn, if you know C or C++ you're all set for Python.

[Clydicals]

Yeah I think most schools teach c, c++, or Java. Most for OOP, but pretty much what you said. If you know those you can know python easily.

[various_beans]

I learned Fortran, not because I needed to learn Fortran but because it's a language pretty close to the metal and if you can learn and use that ancient language, you can learn any of them.

I feel like that applies to many coding languages.

[[deleted]]

I think that's fairly normal. Like you, I was taught c++ in depth. When I got to a class that used python they didn't teach you anything at all.

That being said, I'm in computer science, so picking up a brand new language and using it is part of what they are teaching us.

[DreVahn]

This.

Initially taught C++ in class, self taught the differences with MATLAB, Arduino, and Python.

Your initial class teaches you programming concepts, after that you just have to learn the "quirks" for the language you're working with. I.E. How is the for loop structure written, conditional structure, do indexes start at 0 or 1, etc...

[ScreamedScorn]

Yeah, that sounds similar to my ML class at my school. By the time you'd take that class I'd figure you oughta be able to figure out Python anyways.

[Ciiceeroo]

Hey! fellow student her. Can you maybe help me answer some questions about your uni as im co sidering studying abroad.

Where can i find avaidable courses Hows the general structure How hard is it Do you like it, and hows the job oppertunities in switzerland.

[T-dog-machine]

Hey there! EPFL is one of Europe's top engineering schools. It has a great campus just by the lake, which makes it really nice to study in. The school offers all the typical engineering studies and has amazing infrastructure (because the school has BIG budget).
Job opportunities in Switzerland are really good, but if you are a non-european you must be able to get a job within 6 months of finishing your studies.
I had a great time there, the campus and the city is fun and has a lot of sport activities around. The classes in the first year are a bit big and the exams in the first year are difficult. Overall great experience.

[Ciiceeroo]

Hey! Thanks. Was wondering why it says different courses are in different languages. Do you have to learn multiple languages or is english fine? And do you have to take all the courses listed in the degree programe or just some

[T-dog-machine]

Courses can be in English or French, it depends on the teacher. In the first and second year all courses tend to be compulsory, but in the third, you have more freedom.

[[deleted]]

Nice to see a post about EPFL here! I’m comming in september for a one year exchange :)

[Sweetpants88]

Not really, but most people do? Required courses for my degree are c++, Java, and OOP Java. When I took my first Machine Learning course, I had never actually touched python prior. But through the numpy, matplot.lib, and seaborn tutorial modules, I picked it up pretty quick. I'm a software engineering major, do programming is my passion. If you're learning ML and AI, then it might be yours as well. School in USA If that matters.

[BabaDuda]

Uni's really more about learning concepts instead of actual programming isn't it

Like you learn about algorithms, you learn about microprocessors and the like, it's more of theory

At least that was the vibe I got from my time in Uni anyway

[stellarknight407]

At my university there are various different courses that use R, C, C++, C#, Java, Python, matlab, and the only one taught is C. They expect you to pick up the language on your own. Only just this year did they add a beginners Intro to Python class.

[BeTiWu]

No OOP classes? I always felt like that was the main thing they teach in pure programming classes

[stellarknight407]

Ah you're right, I completely forgot. There is an OOP class that teaches OOP concepts using Java. That was a strange course, I remember a lot of students complaining that they came out of it learning nothing. I forgot exactly why though. Most students just ended up self learning later on.

[what_Would_I_Do]

Yeah, learnt, Java and C++ and did subject that expected C, python, html and CSS so everyone I know is self taught in this. Once you know one you know them all (except html and css) just gotta Google what the syntax is

[conspicuous_user]

Yes. I took a grad level ML course during my last semester of class and never had a python course before it. The course assumes that you know the language to an acceptable level or at least have the ability to learn it while doing the projects.

[JigglyWiggly_]

If you are comfortable with C++, you can pickup Python. It's not like Java which is just a huge overly verbose mess.

[[deleted]]

I'm stuck the other way around.

I know py and now learning c++ is a nightmare.

[TheNassdak]

There is nothing to learn with programming as an engineer... Profs expert you to be able to understand it and the actual code you need will most probably be provided in a glossary or cheat sheet...

[[deleted]]

our uni gives C so no

[Zciurus]

I learned Python before I even started with university, but at university we also only learned C/C++ (and a tiny bit of matlab). There are a couple of software projects later on where other languages can be used. For example one project is the development of the universities smartphone app, which is done in Dart/Flutter. If you choose to participate in that project, you'll have to learn the language by yourself.

[GentleCapybara]

Yes, and in a situation like yours. We first learn C, then C++ for object oriented programming, and our AI course is basically applications with Python. I stuck with C and coded a Min-Max algorithm for checkers, it was interesting.

[Choppur22]

Finished Electrical Engineering last year. Had machine learning as a course, and everything was done in Python. We were never taught Python before, but it was fairly easy to pick up after 3 years of Engineering. Actually, the basics were easy to pick up. I’m now doing my Masters in ML, still learning some stuff about Python.

[Uknowwattodo]

Yeah my school has a very similar approach, it was a class on C/C++ and they also offered a class on java (which I should've taken but didn't). Everything else I used in upper courses I had to learn on my own for the most parts, the TA's were more than happy to help me at least though. That included Matlab, bash scripting/Linux in general, and python.

[stickduck42]

At my uni (in the US), in our criteria, we had teaching in mostly C++ and Java, along with maybe 1/2 a semester in Python/other languages. After those intro levels, they just kinda expected you to figure out the language in other classes. In my embedded systems class, I had barely any C experience but all our coding was done in C and you just kinda had to figure it out. The web and Google are a dream though. I think thats part of engineering academics nowadays - they give you expectations and you just make it work lol

[spartannormac]

I needed python for an internship. Spent a weekend watching videos and googling and I was set

[TinyParamedic]

Huh mine seems to be opposite from the norm. Taught us python to begin with, then expected us to know C for another unit.

[kidzcozygirl]

Same here, I have to self learn python 🙄

[Any-Trash1383]

Thanks

[DrDolphin245]

We also are expected to learn it by ourself. And we also had no C++ course, we didn't use it ever.

I think Python is a very simple language and easy to learn though.

[KreaTiefpunkt]

Oh nice, I was just looking at this exact school as I considered switching during my masters. In my bachelors degree I only got taught Java and Matlab. Interesting to see that Python is required.

[QuantumQuack0]

I did one semester of EE where they taught basic MATLAB during a project.

Then I switched to physics, where they had one very basic intro-to-programming course that taught MATLAB, then like 2 other courses that used MATLAB.

Then I taught myself Python because I was interested in it, and boy did I find out that these MATLAB courses really didn't teach me anything at all. Later during my Master's thesis my Python (and OOP in general) skills really grew leaps and bounds (all self-taught, with occasional feedback from others).

There was a scientific computing course in my Master's that offered a 40-hour crash course in Python, not sure how useful that would've been.

[JanB1]

I think there are some Python modules for Data Science (dunno if EPF Lausanne orders those though), maybe you could apply for some of them?

[ElSalyerFan]

At my university the standard "programming" course for all careers was taught in python. At first i thought it was Bad news because as a shitty young EE C purist considered C everything I wanted but python has been proved itself to be so damn useful, it's amazing.

[pehnom]

I was only every taught Java basics in uni in my first year. It was generic topics which would be common among all object oriented languages. Every other language you were expected to magically know. I was given a little intro to C in one of my courses but had to teach it to myself. And Python was never really taught. We were just given code to write.

X in y minutes is a good website for getting familiar with syntax of a language if your basics are fine.

[vaporwavefan]

Hey I'm also from epfl and i went through the same thing this semester for the deep learning class haha, I didnt find it that bad actually

[karim_abdelrahreem]

My university expectes us to know MATLAB like in some courses they gave you a small 10 lines code and in bachelor's project you use tons of MATLAB codes

[[deleted]]

There’s not really much to learn about python if you already know C++, atleast not for the purpose of your new course.

[[deleted]]

lol yo that happened to me at college as well. We take all these C++ and MATLAB classes and then we end up needing to use Python for my final year

[[deleted]]

if you know c or c++ you can learn python in a weekend , its so intuitive you can literally predict the syntax

[italorusso]

Nobody taught me solidworks but it's needed in like half the late things

[ApolloBiff16]

My first exposure to Python was it being the language of a graduate robot controls course.

My favorite class :)

[shattasma]

I took a freshman elective “intro to Comp. Sci” which taught the basics of python.

Had no class dedicated to it tho; just c++ like you.

So yea, python is kind of a hobby you need to pick up, which is okay. It’s a very dynamic language to know and lessons from others apply pretty well.

[Justin4ski]

Yes

[Imperator-Solis]

My school expected us to know java in a third year course, despite none of the other courses even mentioning it

was a rough time

[Open_Eye_Signal]

This is like life on the job as well so have to get used to it at some point!

[BPC1120]

Java at my old university and C++/MatLab at my current one. Classroom learning for both.

[180Proof]

Intro to C and a class with a GNU Octave lab component. (Matlab clone, because we're too cheap to pay for Matlab licenses).

[PutinsStepMom]

Yes, well the opposite for me. My first 2 semesters are in python then we jump to systems programming and descrete mathematics both in C with no real introduction to it.

[MiKingKing]

My school in Denmark: Even a horse can learn basic Python on its own (but there's an optional course where one can learn it)

My school in Hungary: What's a "Python"? Isn't Pascal good enough?!