question for all you computer majors

[Zotron]

hi I'm going to college and I'm going to double major in computer sciences and music theory (and maybe go back and take some classes in linguistics) and I want to know are there like preliminary classes? what languages, if any, do you have to know? More advanced stuff like unix or will languages like Python and JavaScript work?   
thank you

[Ad Bot]

[Placid]

I don't know about other schools, but at mine you can come in with no knowledge whatsoever (if that's what you're asking in regards to "preliminary classes"). Languages of intro classes are:

1. Python/SQL/Lisp
2. Java
3. C

and then everything else is electives for you to choose from.

[Rally]

Make sure you have a firm grasp on Malbolge

[Drydess]

they love it when you can program well in brainforget

[carolcat]

they'll have introductory classes, but it varies from college to college for what language they teach you first. mine started me off in python, my boyfriend started in matlab, and another friend got started in c++.

honestly, there's two types of people in the class: people who eat sleep breathe programming and then people who barely even know how to work a computer.

[TheBlokoMan]

they love it when you can program well in brainforget

My friend made hangman in brainforget.

[Ipquarx]

here's a general outline of what i'm getting so far.

First year:
- Introductory language syntax (read: how to use the basic functions of java)
- Introduction to object orientation (read: basics of classes and slightly more advanced functions of java)

Second year:
- Introduction to data structures & their associated algorithms
- General programming practices (read: how to use git and program in C)
- Discrete math for computer science (read: basics of writing mathematical proofs)
- More advanced object orientation
- Computer systems (Read: low level stuff like assembly)
- brown townysis of Algorithms (intro to data structures the sequel)

[Placid]

my boyfriend started in matlab

lord have mercy

[otto-san]

the only serious languages i've touched so far are C and C++, but i had the opportunity to start with java for my introductory class if i wanted. first year was just basic concepts in C/C++. second year so far i've just done discrete mathematics and data structures, next semester i'll have an object-oriented programming class

if you're going in with any kind of programming knowledge you're likely already way ahead of the curve

[Zotron]

thank you all
I already have a basic knowledge of syntax from my experiences with Torque and my knowledge in Python and JavaScript, but I don't have enough knowledge to say make a full-length game.

[Headcrab Zombie]

It really depends on your school and program.

When I went for college I had a good amount of programming skills already, So I went for a kind of broad IT/comp sci degree which touched a lot of things I didn't know much about (Windows server admin, Linux server admin, networking, database management, security, etc) with a bit more of emphasis on web app dev, which took me in to C#, but could just as easily have went to PHP or any other widely used server-side web programming language

what languages, if any, do you have to know?

A good degree program shouldn't require you to have to know the language to start, they should become starting you at the basics.

That said, learning a language ahead of time can give you a headstart on your courses, either breezing through the first few classes, or, if your school allows it, testing out of them so you don't have to take them, and thus save some money.

If you choose to learn a language ahead of time, it doesn't really matter which, as the skills and concepts are all the same and transferable between languages, you just have to learn the syntax and quirks of the new language

[carolcat]

lord have mercy

i hear matlab is stuff so i really don't look forward to doing it this upcoming semester, i've heard that a lot of the people in the course that uses it just gave up on the homework

[Placid]

i hear matlab is stuff so i really don't look forward to doing it this upcoming semester, i've heard that a lot of the people in the course that uses it just gave up on the homework

1   I N D E X I N G

my supervisor for a research lab i work in was very good with matlab and tried to get me to work with it and i just had to tell him that i just didn't want to deal with it and we all ended up moving to numpy/scipy/pandas lol

[Aide33]

1   I N D E X I N G

my supervisor for a research lab i work in was very good with matlab and tried to get me to work with it and i just had to tell him that i just didn't want to deal with it and we all ended up moving to numpy/scipy/pandas lol

matplotlib is my favorite thing ever

but to address the OP:

I'm majoring in Software Engineering, so it's quite different than CS but similar if you want some electrical engineering alongside your CS.

My "intro" class was in C for the first term, it was an algorithms/general programming course + I had a bunch of circuits and physics classes and calculus.
Second term was C++, object oriented programming, discrete math, more calculus and circuits.

This term, I was doing compilers in Scala and ARM assembly programming + program correctness proofs.

Most of the courses have a main language, but for most you need to still be proficient in using UNIX environments + anything else that can help your assignments (unit testing your code, writing bash scripts, etc.)

A good degree program shouldn't require you to have to know the language to start, they should become starting you at the basics.

this really depends on your degree and school

for example my school requires previous programming experience + links to personal projects for admissions into software engineering.

for computer science though, most universities assume the person knows nothing besides what highschool taught them

[OrangeMan³]

thank you all
I already have a basic knowledge of syntax from my experiences with Torque and my knowledge in Python and JacaScript, but I don't have enough knowledge to say make a full-length game.

well you're probably more competent than 99% of people getting cs majors anyways