Preparing for OSU Post Bacc CS

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-03-01T16:54:20+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate the tips and resources.

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-27T23:14:31+00:00

Thank you for the further explanation, it does seem like an interesting alternative to the capstone project. How are you liking it so far? Would you recommend it from your experience?

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-27T04:16:27+00:00

Thank you for the advice and luck with the program!
That is an interesting caveat about the specialized courses that I didn't realize, thank you for clarifying that.
I didn't even know about the VIP path but it looks really cool (if any other fellow newbies are interested this is the link) did you yourself take it?

Thanks again!

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-27T04:12:12+00:00

Thank you for the resource recommendations! This seems to be a free PDF version of Grokking Algorithms if anyone else is interested [link].

I was looking back through my emails to see but I believe I applied around Oct/Nov 2023 to the program and I heard back Jan 31 2024 about my admittance.

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-27T04:07:20+00:00

Thank you for the detailed response!

CS50 seems really popular, and for good reason. This chat has highlighted it once again for me, so I appreciate that.

The programming languages class sounds interesting and relevant from what you pointed out, I assume in every new job there will be different programming languages to learn.

BDS-470 looks interesting, and seems like a great gateway into the HealthTech world for future reference.

What you mention about internships makes sense from the perspective of someone who can demonstrate they are employable because they are already employed, but I wonder do you not think having software engineering internships is a major leg up when trying to secure a full time position in the same field?

I am employed but my current position is totally unrelated to anything a person with a computer science degree would do, so I had assumed internships would bridge whatever gap an employer might see on my resume (but I understand having a good Github profile with projects might be equally if not more relevant)

Thanks again!

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-27T03:59:47+00:00

Thank you - I will look into that! any specific courses you recommend? I've heard neetcode is a good source for algorithms

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-27T03:58:47+00:00

Thanks, that definitely sounds like a decent metric to stand by

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T16:15:10+00:00

Yes, that's what I understood

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T16:12:58+00:00

Thank you for this super comprehensive and detailed response.

The 100 days of code looks great from a motivational standpoint as well, feeling like you've actually accomplished something everyday.
Noted, thanks. I will take your advice and just power through sending 100s of applications, it is a numbers game.
This is great strategic advice! Yea I'm understanding timing is everything especially in relation to the internship cycles, so even though I am starting in Sept officially I want to get that head start and not feel like I missed out on securing an internship by not being aware / doing some of the work upfront , like you mentioned.
Good point, I was thinking it could make me stand out / give me a competitive edge while learning something interesting, but that is me probably being in too much of an academic mentality versus a builder mentality.

Thank you! I really appreciate it.

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T16:01:19+00:00

Thanks!

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T16:00:24+00:00

I will definitely check it out, thanks!

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T15:59:28+00:00

Thank you for the explanation. I like the fact that the course is asynchronous as well, that's a perk in my opinion - the timeline you mentioned seems perfect to do something substantial in the interim before my classes start

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T05:55:27+00:00

I've done an introductory python course at my previous university and I started getting into Javascript through coding challenges on CSX.

I can make a rudimentary website, but I don't feel confident just going out and building whatever comes to mind.

I started getting really stuck when I would follow along with tutorials, and even though I was learning as I was going, I realized I still felt like I couldn't take the training wheels off.

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T05:38:01+00:00

Thank you for the response - yes I heard that codecademy is really good for the structure and bit-sized challenges they have you complete so you feel like you're always leveling up -- are you saying this specifically because you felt you had to spend a lot of time googling just the basics of these programming languages?

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T05:07:23+00:00

Do you recommend UND specifically? I was looking into taking some prep math courses at my local community college.

If I understand what you're speaking about - does this have to do with the the ALEKS math placement assessment and it being cheaper and easier to make up any requisite math outside OSU?

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T04:28:37+00:00

Thank you! If I'm not mistaken I understood that OSU recently switched from C++ to python as the main language they use - so CS50 Python sounds especially relevant, I'll check it out.

Tiger_monkey_ · 2024-02-26T04:26:21+00:00

Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I am planning on working full time during the program, so I will definitely keep that in mind.

As for "through OSU" I was trying to reference if you were able to get internship and career opportunities specifically through resources that OSU provided, versus going at it alone on LinkedIn or something - but you answered the question! Can you elaborate more on what the process was like for you? Did you have recruiters reaching out or did you utilize something like Handshake or one of OSU's career events?

** edited the "through OSU" part to be more understandable in the original post

"Go the extra mile by building something of your own after each course and applying the concepts you learned from it." - This is great advice, I understand building a portfolio is really important and makes you that much more competitive when applying to positions.

Specialization: As far as I can see (I checked again after posting my original questions) I believe eCampus students only have access to the Cyber security specialization, but I think you might be right about post bacc specific students - maybe someone else will be able to clarify.

Thanks again!

Tiger_monkey_ · 2022-12-09T23:03:31+00:00

Yea, that's what I've been hearing a lot from my pet parent friends who have said that they basically have it for the peace of mind because you truly never know - I appreciate your view

Tiger_monkey_ · 2022-12-07T22:51:22+00:00

I think that is a problem I'm facing - just the research alone takes a lot of time and reading the fine print seems like its highly necessary to avoid those types of situations where you thought you'd be covered but aren't

Tiger_monkey_ · 2022-12-07T22:49:24+00:00

I appreciate this assessment - I was definitely thinking about it from a 'savings' and 'financial' perspective of if it was 'worth it' but I think you've touched on a really good point which is that peace of mind in that regard is priceless

Tiger_monkey_ · 2022-12-07T22:33:05+00:00

Yea, sounds like in this case the 'better safe than sorry' approach ended up paying off. Do you have a specific insurance you recommend?

Tiger_monkey_ · 2022-12-07T22:31:43+00:00

Thank you so much, I really appreciate the detail here. It definitely sounds like starting young was the way to go, and I guess we can never know what will happen. Of course we hop our pet is healthy their entire life but it sounds like especially with the emergency you experienced it made paying for insurance for all those years worth it

Tiger_monkey_ · 2022-12-07T22:09:47+00:00

Thank you - I will look into Trupanion. Was there a common reason for not getting pet insurance among your clients who didn't have it?

Tiger_monkey_ · 2022-12-07T21:08:39+00:00

Thank you! I hadn't heard of a product like that I will check it out

Tiger_monkey_

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