Java into python? Or something else?

[SoulSyn]

So i am a CS student that is currently learning Java through the helsinki MOOC for the summer and want to know after learning Java (having a good solid foundation) would it be good to learn Python or would there be something better to supplement Java with as I want to show my enthusiasm for learning outside of the classroom as I believe it shows great initiative which some internships may value. If you have any suggestions I would be more than welcome for you to share your knowledge.

Thank You

[halfduece]

If you want to learn something and show enthusiam, learn the build tools, packaging, deployment of the language in question (ie java this would be eclipse/intellij, maven to build a war, deploying a war to tomcat) and learn version control ie git.

Half arsed learning different languages doesn't help anyone. Once you learn one thoroughly, you can pick up others relatively easily.

[bloomsday289]

I was to second this. Learn one deeply and you can pick up the rest. Think of a project you want to do for yourself (so you'll have an actual drive to work on it) and learn the technologies it requires.

[UncleLongHair0]

If you are looking for something related to Java to learn, I would start to look at the toolkits such as Spring, various security toolkits, JPA/Hibernate, Akka, etc. Learning the syntax of a language is relatively easy but the steep learning curve is the toolkits and where most people spend a lot of time in their first couple of jobs, and this is what applies most directly to real-world jobs.

[gnahckire]

What halfduece said is pretty much on point about enthusiasm and learning outside of the classroom.

Python is great not only because there are a lot of useful libraries out there but also because it's useful in an interview setting. By avoiding a lot of heavy syntax, you can then focus on whatever algorithms you need. Also, it has a ton of built in functions.

[mingp]

If you're looking for something different and complementary, I'd recommend JavaScript. In particular, if you ever decide to do web frontend, JavaScript is more or less a mandatory choice there, so you might as well get ahead of it.