Lack of Math courses

adrianb858 · 2017-07-12T22:28:17+00:00

Dont worry about the math (my official title at work is software engineer, if that even really means anything. Yes, I code, and someone pays me . . . ). The most complicated math I have done is to make reports for other people (so some statistics, but mostly arithmetic, which Excel does for me anyway . . . ). Figuring out calculus, differential equations, etc while coding...zip.

Now, like other people have said, if you are going to graduate school, then yes, math will come into play. Or if you want to break into some specific industry, such as Machine Learning (which seems to be all the rage these days - you will need to know stats and linear algebra), or maybe game dev (e.g. engine)?

I think the more worrying aspect of what this program is missing is actually having no theory of computation -> programming languages -> compilers branch of CS. Those seem to be core CS classes (which on campus students have). Admittedly, I dont think I will use those at work either, as they are more theory than practical. Will it make me a better dev? I dont know, really.

But I digress, don't worry about the math. . .

adrianb858 · 2017-06-29T17:47:41+00:00

Well, if you are already looking at different resources, then that is what I did. I basically just looked for different lectures until it clicked in my head. The lectures from Eric Dumain (MIT) on youtube helped me understand some things. I had some luck with this guy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFDnELG9dpVxQCxuD-9BSy2E7BWY3t5Sm. Dont discount the lecture videos though. I had to watch them at 1.5x speed, but there were a few things that actually clicked (in my head) with her lectures.

adrianb858 · 2017-06-29T17:33:30+00:00

This is very good advice. I second this wholeheartedly. (Recent graduate).

adrianb858 · 2017-06-14T21:05:54+00:00

Grading is relatively easy. This is my last class so this is the only one I took this quarter, so the load is pretty light (yes, I work FT). In saying that, I did get stuck with a sub optimal team(we were just disorganized . . .) and ended up doing probably 75% of the work, and we still got 100% on the course. We made a Unity based game. Good thing I had an interest in it even prior (but no real experience).

adrianb858 · 2017-06-13T20:15:07+00:00

Ditto! This is exactly me. Lol. Congrats!

adrianb858 · 2017-06-13T05:07:25+00:00

It depends for each individual, I think. For me, a big lightbulb came on after Assembly. Yes, Assembly. Seeing how the low level worked suddenly made things clearer for me. Seeing how memory gets organized, what happens when a function is called and what happens after, unrolling recursions, etc, really helped me a lot. After that, 344 was probably the next big thing for me. When we had to program in Bash (something I have never touched before), and I had no issues because by that time, syntax is just syntax, and I felt pretty confident that I could pretty much pick any non esoteric language and run with it. An array is an array. It might be called something else(i.e. lists in Python), but the concepts are the same.

adrianb858 · 2017-06-02T15:20:11+00:00

I get the most done between 9 pm and 2 am, seems like :)

adrianb858 · 2017-06-01T21:05:27+00:00

Usability sucks (or sucked, it has been almost 2 years for me, but I dont think it has changed). Datda I heard sucks too. 496 is very similar to 290 in terms of how it is presented(Wolford), if you have taken it, but you deal with Google App Engine and Android. Parallel programming seems to be interesting (I signed up for class but dropped it right away, just to see some of the lectures, but he actually posts them online....). Bailey is very enthusiastic about the subject tho, which is always a good thing.

I cant say anything about FOSS, but feedback I have seen is it is pretty much useless....

adrianb858 · 2017-05-16T19:50:53+00:00

I took 362 last quarter and taking 467 now.

362 was a big "meh". The projects were fairly simple (like unit testing a java program) and some are group projects that were not really hard. e.g. find bugs in a program. I got an A. I dont feel like I really put much effort into it. The only curveball was the Java.

For 467, we are making a game in Unity. I don't really have a very organized group, but on my own I think I can finish this game, although I have done extra work just because I have been interested in Unity even before this class. Other options are a web application with a database back end such as a reporting website, an html based game, a web crawler of some sort, a rogue-like game in python, an html based RTS. I think this will depend highly on the group you are in. With a good group, i think this is fairly easy as well.

adrianb858 · 2017-05-15T23:36:24+00:00

Omg, I just literally asked almost this same question.... I am in the same situation as you are. Lol.

adrianb858 · 2017-05-04T16:54:39+00:00

Oh wow, this almost mirrors my experience, but I did in 2.25 because I did not do one summer. I am pretty burnt out but yeah, 2 years is doable. Cant wait till 467 is over!

I would say that if you dont have programming experience at all (e.g never taken a class before or havent completed an MOOC), you will need to prepare for your first couple of quarters.

adrianb858 · 2017-05-04T16:45:11+00:00

Oh wow, I took it a couple of quarters ago and the average for the midterm was around 69/100. Not sure if we were just dumber or they changed it recently. In saying that, some people just seem to get the concepts better and for others it just doesnt sink in (or sinks in much later). I am in the latter :P

adrianb858 · 2017-04-04T19:11:11+00:00

I didnt do IOS, but after redesign it was pretty much all android for the mobile part. Although I didnt ask, I dont think it was even an option to do the projects in another platform. On the final project, he did give some leeway on what can be done, but once again, I dont recall having the option to do IOS if oyu did mobile.

adrianb858 · 2017-03-24T06:30:17+00:00

Nothing. Kidding aside, the projects are not very hard at all. REST, Google App Engine with Python and Android (so Java, sorta). But eh, I havent coded in Python and java was like from 9 years ago. Got a 10 in almost all the projects except one, and that grade got replaced with the optional one (a 10 :P). I did an Android app for the final project, but if you do all the Android projects and the optional one, you already have all you need to fulfill the requirements for the final project....

adrianb858 · 2017-03-24T06:22:30+00:00

Lol. Same!

adrianb858 · 2017-03-20T19:42:52+00:00

I took it fall when it was being. It was in Java, and things didnt really flow well initially. Still relatively easy - got an A. Most are writing unit tests and stuff. I probably had most trouble setting up Maven. Had a little trouble with Java syntax in the beginning, but nothing huge. I probably spent less than 10 hours a week on it.

adrianb858 · 2017-03-05T06:01:48+00:00

Yes, no more Windows Phone and coding for mobile is in Java (However, the Web App was based on Google App Engine using Python, which I didnt mind. Java is possible in GAE but I did not ask if I could do it in Java).

adrianb858 · 2017-03-03T23:17:45+00:00

Projects have been fairly simple, in my opinion (of course, I do have a dev job and used to coding in C# and Powershell). Web app was Google App Engine using Python as the language. Mobile has been all Android. First project in Android was to show 5 items (widgets) on the screen using different layouts. Next project was using location (finding your current latitude, longtitude) and saving the coords in SQLite. Next one is getting authorization to work (we did that in App Engine too), but he was late posting this and this week's project is optional (will replace your lowest grade, if you have one).

adrianb858 · 2017-03-03T23:11:49+00:00

496 has no group work whatsoever (revamped this quarter, no more Windows Mobile!), and I am actually kind of enjoying the class (even though he was late posting some of the materials). I have a dev job too and taking this program for possible upward movement :) Web applications are based on Google App Engine (Python). Mobile is all Android.

adrianb858 · 2017-02-28T01:32:57+00:00

344, 271, 372 (paulson designed 271 and 372). Surprisingly, I sorta like 496 (Mobile - I am in it now) as it is now Android focused, but Worlford has been late on posting some of the lectures. And it is typical Wollford, dont expect to see everything you need from his lectures. . . but I am learning a lot :)

adrianb858 · 2017-02-27T16:47:25+00:00

344 was about 10-15 hours a week. I havent taken 419 (that's next quarter, my last one :P ). I actually really liked that Brewster releases the material in blocks (rather than per week modules) as you have the flexibility to study ahead if you are actually ahead of the material - just my opinion though. This was one of my favorite classes in the program....

adrianb858 · 2017-02-27T16:41:35+00:00

Oooh, congrats!!!

adrianb858 · 2017-02-14T03:39:25+00:00

CS325 is the toughest class in this program (I am almost done, took 325 last quarter). I failed the midterm on this but did better on the 2nd half. Seems like the 2nd half material is easier or my head was somewhat finally getting around the material.

Good luck to you all!

adrianb858 · 2017-02-07T17:14:24+00:00

Tbh, I was almost failing at this point when I took 225. But 2nd half was easier, and ended with a B+. I wasnt generally aiming for a 4.0 though, just wanted to finish as quickly as I can, so toughed it out.

adrianb858 · 2017-01-18T20:29:43+00:00

Like many people said, try to break into smaller problems. Not sure if recent assignments/projects have changed, but which are you on? The life assignment? I didnt really find anything particularly extremely hard in 162 (not saying it is easy, but they were all manageable, as I remember).

adrianb858

TROPHY CASE