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How will I be able to achieve the skills I need for computer science?
Do I need to learn outside of class or is class lectures sufficient enough? #computer-science #computer #computer-programming
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4 answers
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Maria’s Answer
One of my professors once told me and my class that they will teach us 20% of what we need to know and the other 80% is up to us.
It turned out to be true.
With that being said being in computer science is a lifelong learning career and you will learn most of what you need at work and through side projects.
But in order to get started paying attention in class and working on a side project or two will be incredibly helpful to get your foot in the door. Do you know what area of computer science you are interested in?
Also, if you are interested in software engineering getting started as a fullstack engineer is easier in my experience. So being able to build a web app using your choice of technology, being familiar with APIs, and being able to answer easy Leetcode questions would be helpful to get you through junior level interviews. (unless you want to be in big tech in which case the leetcode questions will be harder).
It turned out to be true.
With that being said being in computer science is a lifelong learning career and you will learn most of what you need at work and through side projects.
But in order to get started paying attention in class and working on a side project or two will be incredibly helpful to get your foot in the door. Do you know what area of computer science you are interested in?
Also, if you are interested in software engineering getting started as a fullstack engineer is easier in my experience. So being able to build a web app using your choice of technology, being familiar with APIs, and being able to answer easy Leetcode questions would be helpful to get you through junior level interviews. (unless you want to be in big tech in which case the leetcode questions will be harder).
Updated
David’s Answer
In my opinion, a combination of lectures and practical application works best. Find a way to apply your lessons in a real world manner to solidify your understanding. Attempt to teach what you've learned amd identify any gaps for further investigation. Your curiosity can be a great fuel for advancement.
Updated
Trajon’s Answer
You absolutely will need to learn technologies outside of class. School will not teach you current skills in your chosen field within computer science, I highly encourage if you can joining electives with other students to build out projects, or taking the time to build projects. The #1 most important thing job wise in this field is having a portfolio with projects that you have built outside of school. I am saying this as someone who has both gone through the grind of getting rejected hundreds of times with a sub par portfolio, and as someone who now grades candidate portfolios at my job, a good 4th of candidates that I grade code wise will turn in code they made in school from over 4 years ago, because people hate doing this stuff outside of their job / school. Even if it's just one really solid project, that will probably be better than a large majority of candidates that go searching for a job.
The problem at least I see with school projects is mainly that these tend to be really hard to read (tabs everywhere, bad naming conventions, etc), and the projects tend to be extremely simple (todo app, blog, etc) with this inconsistency done within a group of 3-6 people where that person can't explain what part they did or how it works. Beyond that, you will also need to know how your tools work for your job along with the algorithm grind. Some basic understanding of things like APIs, Rest protocols, authentication, storage can go a really long way to not only building a more impressive project but also being able to answer questions asked by the job you apply for. Above all, jobs love to see people who want to actually learn, because that's what we do at the end of the day.
The problem at least I see with school projects is mainly that these tend to be really hard to read (tabs everywhere, bad naming conventions, etc), and the projects tend to be extremely simple (todo app, blog, etc) with this inconsistency done within a group of 3-6 people where that person can't explain what part they did or how it works. Beyond that, you will also need to know how your tools work for your job along with the algorithm grind. Some basic understanding of things like APIs, Rest protocols, authentication, storage can go a really long way to not only building a more impressive project but also being able to answer questions asked by the job you apply for. Above all, jobs love to see people who want to actually learn, because that's what we do at the end of the day.
Updated
Shweta’s Answer
-Be clear with the fundamentals (Algorithms, Data Structures, Operating System, Databases, Computer Networks, Compilers, Computer Architecture).
-Do competitive programming.
-Learn new languages and technologies and do some projects.
-Do some research and try to get it published.
-Learn emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, IoT, etc.
-Choose any one particular area and keep learning in that.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
-Do competitive programming.
-Learn new languages and technologies and do some projects.
-Do some research and try to get it published.
-Learn emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, IoT, etc.
-Choose any one particular area and keep learning in that.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!