[modi123_1]

Side tangent because now I am curious.. is this a college or high school level class?

You seem to imply you dig the theory more than the application - does that sound accurate?

[uperkurk]

Yes that's correct. I'm actually doing a Computer network engineering course at university. This is university level stuff believe it or not.

I picked networking because it contains the least amount of programming and my ideal job would be a network engineer.

This post has been edited by uperkurk: 14 May 2012 - 09:16 AM

[modi123_1]

Okay that's what I was gathering. Oddly I was having a conversational with similar undertones this weeekend with a friend of the family. He wasn't too keen on programming, abstract mathy-theory was semi-preferred, but ultimately he was getting some networking bit (which he wasn't overly enthused about) because it didn't require the computer engineering hands on, it wasn't programming, but it did do "something computer ish".

It's like he had this nebulous direction of "I want to work with computers but I don't want to program them, I don't want to solder bits, I don't want to pontificate papers and theory, and so that leaves me with a luke warm feeling about networking (which is better than the throw-up taste I get with the rest)".

Edit: Ah I see you altered your post to include "my ideal job would be a network engineer. ".. neeeeeevermind then

This post has been edited by modi123_1: 14 May 2012 - 09:21 AM

[uperkurk]

lol that's exactly how I feel... I love computers and technology but I don't like programming and I never have. I'd much prefer a job where I'm based in an office but I get called out regularly to deal with server problems, setup and maintain networks etc.

So far I've done Python and Java, but next year I'm learning application programming(Java Extended) and C++.

But I'm also doing database manipulation and retrieval, network security, O/S's and some other cool modules

I just don't have the brain for programming, I get stuck is the simpliest of problems.

[Python_4_President]

Things are always hard, until they're not...

hard<->!hard

What's that <-> represent? Time... Time spent doing Things. It's a variable operator!

[peace_fixation]

Those questions are pretty standard for programming exams. I had to implement a hash table for a C exam last year! I wouldn't worry so much if you don't get it 100% correct - it's easy to be off by 1 in your 'for' loop, or miss a corner case or something, but if you understand your course material, you should be able to get it 90% correct without too much trouble.

Just think it out like you would if you were at your computer. Break it down into steps.

1) get input
2) loop from X to Y and calculate something
3) print output

Whatever it is, this is the standard way to approach a programming problem. Sitting at your computer won't help you, your IDE may catch syntax errors and report missing braces but that's not what your teacher cares about - it's the logic that is important, the syntax is just how you communicate it to the computer. I'm sure you remember most of the syntax anyway, if you know 'if', 'else' and 'for' you are most of the way there.

[Hamdemon]

If you think that's bad my databases final which was 30% of my grade consisted mainly of questions relating to the last two lectures of the class. Thank god I showed up those days...

Aside from that python is a fairly easy to learn language, so just be patient and understand how the language works, and stuff like that won't be too bad. Also most instructors when they do pen and paper code don't expect you to have perfect syntax, they are just looking to see if conceptually you understand everything correct....most of the time.

[atraub]

Those questions aren't so bad... a little silly to be honest, but not overly tough for an intro class. I really can't recall my intro to programming exams so well anymore, but I do remember sometimes needing a couple hours on them.

Even in my Master's program, I'm still writing code by hand during exams (but not as often anymore ). You get use to it and it really does get easier.

[Switters]

atraub, on 31 May 2012 - 08:54 PM, said:

Those questions aren't so bad... a little silly to be honest, but not overly tough for an intro class. I really can't recall my intro to programming exams so well anymore, but I do remember sometimes needing a couple hours on them.

Even in my Master's program, I'm still writing code by hand during exams (but not as often anymore ). You get use to it and it really does get easier.

I'm in Master's program as well, but it's all online which I immensely enjoy--I couldn't imagine writing stuff out by hand and being graded on it. There are some exams and some forum post requirements, but the bulk of the final grade is determined by submitted code. Every 1-2 weeks we get a set of requirements for a program. Code that doesn't compile is not even accepted. From there it's graded by style, elegance, and fulfilling the requirements.

[leontd]

Yeah I think your exam is pretty standard. My college CS exams are all written in pencil/pen. Not being able to write codes on a computer will at first seems rather dreadful, but it will soon get better once you are used to it, like everything else in life.