What was your school's Computer Science program like?

[berderder]

Hey everybody,

 

I'm almost done with my Computer Science Bachelor's.

 

Honestly, I'm kind of disappointed. It was super focused on programming and not very holistic at all.

 

I think a good Computer Science program should set you up for the various popular certifications out there like CompTIA, CCNA, MCSA, etc.

 

I had like one class on Networking!

 

I had one class on Basic Hardware!

 

I had like 13 classes on Programming!

 

It had such a narrow focus. Really annoying. I'm more interested in being a Systems Administrator or a Network Engineer.

 

What was your Computer Science program like?

 

 

[Ophidio]

It was shit. I quit school because of it. Walked in and first thing I heard was "Okay class, today we are going to learn how to build and maintain a computer". The networking class was literally just learning how to set up your basic network at home. It was all bullshit. I quit school after 2 weeks. Good thing school was free. 

[DebatED Nothing]

Almost the entire point of computer science degrees *is* programming. If you want to specialise into networking then you should probably have taken a networking degree.

[berderder]

1 minute ago, DebatED Nothing said:

Almost the entire point of computer science degrees *is* programming. If you want to specialise into networking then you should probably have taken a networking degree.

You're right, Computer Science degrees are generally supposed to be programming oriented, but I just think that's sort of weird. Such a narrow focus. And my school didn't have a Computer Networking degree unfortunately. I wonder what Computer Engineering would have been like, because they did have that option.

 

In my mind, a Computer Science degree should be very general systems hardware and networking, and set you up for the different certs.

 

A programming degree should be called Computer Programming.

 

A networking degree should be called Computer Networking, etc....

[berderder]

Also, even if you are getting a Systems Admin job or a Network Engineer job, they like that you have a Computer Science degree.

[79wjd]

Hard.....very hard. 

 

As for the specific courses: 

 

• Intro to Progamming (Java) 
• Discrete Structures (graphs, proofs, etc...) 
• Data Structures (C++ and learning to code graphs, trees, Hashing, etc...) 
• Computer Architecture (C/MIPS/Verilog, learning the construction of a basic cpu) 
• System Programming (C, coding Malloc, multi threaded codes, some very basic networking coding)
• Numerical Methods 
• Algorithms 
• Compilers
• Numerical Analysis 
• And a bunch of electives (networking, AI, VR, computer graphics, parallel programming, wireless networks, networks, data foresnics, and a whole bunch of others)

I can't really comment on the last four since I haven't taken them yet. 

[EunSoo]

I had a similar experience in every class I took that covered Computer Science. Apparently the only thing that my teachers deemed important was the ubuntu command line. Even though I am not interested at all in software but in hardware. I think that is the reason that many people give up on computer science

[berderder]

4 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Hard.....very hard. 

 

As for the specific courses: 

 

• Intro to Progamming (Java) 
• Discrete Structures (graphs, proofs, etc...) 
• Data Structures (C++ and learning to code graphs, trees, Hashing, etc...) 
• Computer Architecture (C/MIPS/Verilog, learning the construction of a basic cpu) 
• System Programming (C, coding Malloc, multi threaded codes, some very basic networking coding)
• Numerical Methods 
• Algorithms 
• Compilers
• Numerical Analysis 
• And a bunch of electives (networking, AI, VR, computer graphics, parallel programming, wireless networks, networks, data foresnics, and a whole bunch of others)

I can't really comment on the last four since I haven't taken them yet. 

Yeah, that's what my degree was like. It is very hard. It was a pain in the ass. I just have a couple of Database classes left and one Programming class left

[Unhelpful]

17 minutes ago, berderder said:

 

Computer Science is just code for programming. That's how it is everywhere, as far as I can tell.

[berderder]

2 minutes ago, JaredM54 said:

My high school has a very limited selection of computer related courses:

• Intro to Programming (BASIC)
• Intermediate Programming (-> Java)
• AP Computer Science (Java)
• IT Essentials (segway to Cisco)
• Cisco I
• Cisco II (CCENT certification)

And that's it, ignoring the one class just for Microsoft Office.

I think it's great they do CCENT. I think that's a great cert. 

[berderder]

3 minutes ago, SCGazelle said:

I had a similar experience in every class I took that covered Computer Science. Apparently the only thing that my teachers deemed important was the ubuntu command line. Even though I am not interested at all in software but in hardware. I think that is the reason that many people give up on computer science

Maybe so. And every school is going to have their own subtle focus on something. Mine focused on a couple of older languages for some reason. And yeah, it was just a pain in the ass. I am more interested in Hardware as well.

 

My preferences are like this:

1.Hardware (and general software troubleshooting)

2. Networking

3. Databases

4. Programming

 

 

 

 

[Unhelpful]

1 minute ago, berderder said:

I think it's great they do CCENT. I think that's a great cert. 

It's absolutely great for a highschool. It's just basic enough to help kids figure out whether or not networking, or specifically cisco stuff, is for them.

[berderder]

3 minutes ago, JoeyDM said:

Computer Science is just code for programming. That's how it is everywhere, as far as I can tell.

I don't disagree, I just wish it wasn't like that.

 

Computer Science is really such a vast, vast field that goes way beyond just programming

[Hackentosher]

It's non existent. Teachers refer to computers, document cameras, phones, tablets, etc, "technology." Granted, they're not wrong, but everything? really? cmon... Hell, most people here (including students) don't know how to type properly or do basic trouble shooting when our shotty ass network throws us curve balls (today the school's DNS just completely derped and didn't let anyone go to any google website or service). Getting back on topic, yeah, there isn't any programming classes. 

[Unhelpful]

Just now, berderder said:

 

I agree and disagree. I agree that there shouldn't be a degree called computer science that is purely focused on programming... But there shouldn't be a general computer science degree that focuses on everything. The point of a technical degree is to learn a focus, going for a very general one would just ensure that you end up in help desk forever.

[papapoi]

punch cards,  , seriously, then in college they were still teaching about vacuum tubes and other BS, when we finally got into programming, just BASIC, mind you, the professor didn't know WTF he was talking about and we got into an argument and i ended up throwing the textbook at him and got kicked out of college, haha.

[Unhelpful]

2 minutes ago, JaredM54 said:

but surprisingly there doesn't seem to be much interest.

Subnetting washes a lot of people out of networking. As does the idea of subinterfaces. 

[berderder]

2 minutes ago, JoeyDM said:

I agree and disagree. I agree that there shouldn't be a degree called computer science that is purely focused on programming... But there shouldn't be a general computer science degree that focuses on everything. The point of a technical degree is to learn a focus, going for a very general one would just ensure that you end up in help desk forever.

I think that's right. I think that's why it should be divided up a little. 

 

Computer Networking

Computer Programming

Computer Hardware (Maybe this could be Computer Engineering)

etc

[berderder]

However, maybe it's Information Technology that would the be the degree I am trying to describe that provides a general sense of things

[Unhelpful]

1 minute ago, berderder said:

 

Computer hardware could get iffy. You shouldn't learn about specific parts, because they will be 3 generations out of date by the time you graduate. It needs to be about specific engineering, and urge you to pay attention to parts.

[DXMember]

I'd like to start with pointing out that academic degree shouldn't prepare you for certificate examinations, that the interest of your professional career

 

I hope that by classes you mean semesters, and if we're talking only about computer science and information technology focused courses (not taking into account general courses like math, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering and various social courses) then my bachelor was like this (all courses last one semester unless specified otherwise):

• introductory course on computer graphics and image processing
• introductory course on programming
• application software (basically an advanced course on entire MS Office + HTML)
• introductory course on computer architecture
• procedural programming
• data structures
• programming
• system modeling
• discrete structures in computer science
• operating systems
• object oriented programming
• computer networking
• data bases
• introductory course on artificial intelligence (2 semesters)
• adaptive data processing systems
• computer organization and x86 assembly
• application development technologies (2 semesters)
• big data bases
• system theory
• system analysis and knowledge acquisition
• compilers

my whole bachelor was 6 semesters and the first three semesters are basically full time 4 days a week full of general engineering courses like various math, physics and electronics

I'd say my education was very general and broad which is total opposite of your experience, my university aims to give broadest possible knowledge with enough depth in CS and IT to start at something hoping that very specific professional skills will be acquired while working at a company

 

master programs however do dive deep on a couple of topics but still offer enough breath to see a bigger picture

[berderder]

Just now, JoeyDM said:

Computer hardware could get iffy. You shouldn't learn about specific parts, because they will be 3 generations out of date by the time you graduate. It needs to be about specific engineering, and urge you to pay attention to parts.

Yeah, I agree computer hardware would get iffy too which is why it should be an engineering degree that could also prepare you for manufacturing, production, maybe different fields like aerospace, etc. and not just how to put a desktop system together

[berderder]

3 minutes ago, DXMember said:

I'd like to start with pointing out that academic degree shouldn't prepare you for certificate examinations, that the interest of your professional career

 

I hope that by classes you mean semesters, and if we're talking only about computer science and information technology focused courses (not taking into account general courses like math, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering and various social courses) then my bachelor was like this (all courses last one semester unless specified otherwise):

• introductory course on computer graphics and image processing
• introductory course on programming
• application software (basically an advanced course on entire MS Office + HTML)
• introductory course on computer architecture
• procedural programming
• data structures
• programming
• system modeling
• discrete structures in computer science
• operating systems
• object oriented programming
• computer networking
• data bases
• introductory course on artificial intelligence (2 semesters)
• adaptive data processing systems
• computer organization and x86 assembly
• application development technologies (2 semesters)
• big data bases
• system theory
• system analysis and knowledge acquisition
• compilers

my whole bachelor was 6 semesters and the first three semesters are basically full time 4 days a week full of general engineering courses like various math, physics and electronics

I'd say my education was very general and broad which is total opposite of your experience, my university aims to give broadest possible knowledge with enough depth in CS and IT to start at something hoping that very specific professional skills will be acquired while working at a company

 

master programs however do dive deep on a couple of topics but still offer enough breath to see a bigger picture

It sounds like your degree has a little better goal in mind

[berderder]

1 minute ago, JaredM54 said:

That's what I would love to have- a general IT class that isn't basic all stuff like ITE and not 100% Cisco or a programming class.

Yes, I think I probably should have done Information Technology Bachelor's instead. I will be doing my Master's in Information Technology

[Unhelpful]

4 minutes ago, JaredM54 said:

That's what I would love to have- a general IT class that isn't basic all stuff like ITE and not 100% Cisco or a programming class.

That would only work for highschools, imo. A degree like that will have you a notch under people who are specialized, and get you stuck into help desk.