python university search

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  • josh
    #1

    python university search

    [pardon me if this is not the appropriate list]

    hello,

    i am interested in doing an undergraduate major in computer science
    that mainly focuses on python as a programming language..

    i am not a very bright student and neither do i have the money to
    think about universities like caltech, stanford etc. i am looking for
    a university that is easy to get admitted in and yet i can get good
    knowledge and education out of it.

    also english is not my first language and i feel that acts against me,
    but i do have a strong desire to learn.

    i have read the tutorials in python.org and understand the python
    programming syntax but i feel that only a computer science class is
    going to teach me how to program and apply advance concepts. if any
    of you happen to know good video tutorials or self study materials or
    tips that can act as an alternative to going to college, would you
    please mind sharing or selling for something reasonable.

    thanks,
    --josh
    Tags: None
    • Paolo Alexis Falcone
      #2
      Re: python university search

      On Sun, 04 Dec 2005 17:12:45 -0800, josh wrote:
      [color=blue]
      > [pardon me if this is not the appropriate list]
      >
      > hello,
      >
      > i am interested in doing an undergraduate major in computer science
      > that mainly focuses on python as a programming language..
      >
      > i am not a very bright student and neither do i have the money to
      > think about universities like caltech, stanford etc. i am looking for
      > a university that is easy to get admitted in and yet i can get good
      > knowledge and education out of it.
      >
      > also english is not my first language and i feel that acts against me,
      > but i do have a strong desire to learn.
      >
      > i have read the tutorials in python.org and understand the python
      > programming syntax but i feel that only a computer science class is
      > going to teach me how to program and apply advance concepts. if any
      > of you happen to know good video tutorials or self study materials or
      > tips that can act as an alternative to going to college, would you
      > please mind sharing or selling for something reasonable.[/color]

      Try looking for these online references:
      * http://www.aduni.org - website of the defunct ArsDigita University. They
      have a plethora of resources that can be downloaded, or obtained in a
      couple of DVD's
      * http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/thinkCSpy - How to think like a Computer
      Scientist: Learning with Python (checkout their bibliography too.
      * http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/ - Structure and Interpretation of Computer
      Programs. Not Python, but should give you a good material for functional
      programming - which is another paradigm that Python also supports.

      Try reading these (buy/steal :D) from your library:
      * The Art of Computer Programming (D. Knuth). 3 volumes and a fascicle of
      an upcoming volume. Very terse reading, but should you overcome this,
      you're on the way to computing greatness

        Comment

        • Rocco Moretti
          #3
          Re: python university search

          josh wrote:[color=blue]
          >
          > hello,
          >
          > i am interested in doing an undergraduate major in computer science
          > that mainly focuses on python as a programming language..[/color]

          It's your life, so you can live it as you choose, but I think you're
          missing the point of an undergraduate education if you focus too much on
          Python programming at this point.

          Undergraduate education is (should be) about breadth. Python has a place
          there, but it isn't the be-all, end-all. There are some concepts for
          which Python isn't well suited in teaching (functional programing, logic
          programing, operating system programing, etc.). I'd hope that you go to
          a high-quality University that understands this, and teaches *concepts*,
          not programing languages.

          In the long run, it will (likely) be better for you to go to a
          University where they don't even use Python, but solidly teach concepts,
          rather than one that's so into Python that they neglect topics that are
          taught poorly in Python.

          Even if you never use Python as an undergraduate, if you have a good
          grounding in the fundamental concepts, it should be (relatively) easy
          for you to take what you've learned in (scheme/ML/prolog/assembly/forth)
          and apply it to Python. You'll have plenty of time to specialize on
          Python as a graduate student/young professional.

          Just my two cents.

            Comment

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