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What is the hardest thing about computer science and who can I do to overcome those things?
What is the most challenging thing about computer science and what should I do to overcome those things.
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Dana’s Answer
Here are some things that were hard for me at first and then I discovered that they don't have to be:
1. Algorithms and problem-solving
This is a big chapter of computer science learning and it helps you form your way of thinking and it also helps get through interview processes and getting into internships/starting a new job.
It seemed very hard for me at first, because every problem seemed out of my reach. The thing is: you don't have to think about it this way!
What helps:
- taking it step by step. Start with understanding what an algorithm is, work with a single, simple data structure (like an array), understand what happens behind the lines of code you write.
- read a book on it/watch a course. Let me know if you want more book/courses recommendations. An example would be https://techdevguide.withgoogle.com/resources/topics/algorithms/?no-filter=true (Google Tech Dev Guide)
- Practice! There are multiple sites to do this on. Try Hackerrank, CodeWars, LeetCode (my personal favourite, because there are discussions on every problem and you can find solutions from others)
2. Debugging and finding a solution to a complex problem
There is a time when you are working on a project, and you encounter a bug/a problem and you just have no idea how to handle it. That's ok. That doesn't make you a "bad programmer". It happens to everyone once in a while and it happens a lot especially when you have little experience, because every situation is a new one.
In order to overcome this, try to get a bigger picture of what is happening. Ask yourself "WHY" questions. Check method definitions if you're calling a method. Look the problem up on Google (yes, that is a normal thing to do :) ). If you still can't figure it out, take a small break from it. Sometimes the solution or a new thing to try comes when you're during the break.
Let me know if you have other questions :)
1. Algorithms and problem-solving
This is a big chapter of computer science learning and it helps you form your way of thinking and it also helps get through interview processes and getting into internships/starting a new job.
It seemed very hard for me at first, because every problem seemed out of my reach. The thing is: you don't have to think about it this way!
What helps:
- taking it step by step. Start with understanding what an algorithm is, work with a single, simple data structure (like an array), understand what happens behind the lines of code you write.
- read a book on it/watch a course. Let me know if you want more book/courses recommendations. An example would be https://techdevguide.withgoogle.com/resources/topics/algorithms/?no-filter=true (Google Tech Dev Guide)
- Practice! There are multiple sites to do this on. Try Hackerrank, CodeWars, LeetCode (my personal favourite, because there are discussions on every problem and you can find solutions from others)
2. Debugging and finding a solution to a complex problem
There is a time when you are working on a project, and you encounter a bug/a problem and you just have no idea how to handle it. That's ok. That doesn't make you a "bad programmer". It happens to everyone once in a while and it happens a lot especially when you have little experience, because every situation is a new one.
In order to overcome this, try to get a bigger picture of what is happening. Ask yourself "WHY" questions. Check method definitions if you're calling a method. Look the problem up on Google (yes, that is a normal thing to do :) ). If you still can't figure it out, take a small break from it. Sometimes the solution or a new thing to try comes when you're during the break.
Let me know if you have other questions :)
Updated
Jason’s Answer
Personally, what I find to be the most difficult about programming, is testing and debugging your code. It's one thing to write a piece of code that you think works, but most of the time it tends to break until you test and debug it. This can be incredibly time consuming and requires a lot of attention to detail, and often times, different languages will have different testing frameworks that aren't necessarily easy to translate from language to language. My suggestion is if you are planning on taking computer science courses in college or doing personal coding projects, make sure to write test cases and test your code! Not only will you get good practice with testing, it will also build up good coding habits for the future if you decide to pursue a software programming job.
Updated
Dinesh’s Answer
I believe one of the most difficult fields of computer science is probably machine learning and artificial intelligence, probably moreso the latter. I think trying to produce human-like results out of a program or system is extremely difficult and goes across a boundary separating machine and human. To make that jump is difficult, because the thinking of a human being is more complex and unpredictable than the “thinking” of a computer. At the end of the day, a computer boils down to algorithms, as does a human, but emotion is something which is very difficult and creepy to force out of a machine. I also believe the math needed for these fields is pretty complex, as it requires advanced probability and statistics. This is just my take on it though.
https://www.computerscience.org/resources/computer-science-before-college/
https://simpleprogrammer.com/prepare-computer-science-university/
https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/careers-advice/7-ways-prepare-computer-science-careers
Dinesh recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Dominic’s Answer
David, difficulty in computer science or anything else for that matter mostly depends on what interests you and what you are passionate about. If you love programming, debugging, or solving challenging problems in computer science, it will seem like fun to you. On the other hand, if your heart and mind are not on what you are working on, you will always struggle. I would recommend that you find fun ways of learning about concepts that seem to be difficult and over time they will appear to be simpler, even enjoyable!
Good luck!
Good luck!