Walter wrote:

>Coming and graduating from the home of P-code and Pascal,
>I can tell you the pseudo code stuff has been ditched!
>It died right along with the Apple IIs it was written on.
>
>What is taught is data structures, compiler design, linear algebra
>and stuff like that.  Programming in the small (PICs) is done in
>a single course using emulators.  The rest is lotta theory.
>I learned to learn.  That really set me back.  Now with many
>years of EXPERIENCE I am finally a valuable engineer.
>
>What is simple and obvious to some ain't to others.
>That's is why we work in teams and bang this stuff out.
>Without the proper tools you have too much risk and
>that's how a project can fail or take too long.
>
>-Walt...:-)
>

<WITTY OPENING REMARK>
Walter, conjecturing that the Apple II's lights went out about
1984, that means your home university was about 16 years ahead
of its time.
</WITTY OPENING REMARK>

<EXAMPLE CITING PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING>
In my dealings with universities in late 80s and again in
mid-90s, pseudo-code was *so* alive and well, that one prof
was on a campaign to "formalize" his particular dialect. So,
the CS100 students got to learn: (a) programming techniques,
(b) newest wizz-bang "formal" pseudocode language, and finally
(c) Pascal syntax, all at the same time.

Kinda like learning both Greek and Latin in the first course
in kindergarten. First you write a novel in Greek (ie, pseudocode),
and then you translate that into a novella in Latin (ie, Pascal),
and that assumes you took the time to figure out how to write
in the first place, since your perfessor spent most of his time
talking in foreign tonques.
</EXAMPLE CITING PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING>

<PONTIFICATION>
But that stuff about data structures/etc you mention is just
details. The "real" meat is the structured, top-down, stuff.
Learn that, so the theory goes, and you got time for a
capuccino in the afternoon. The rest is gravy.
</PONTIFICATION>

<THE UNKNOWN UNIVERSE>
I've often wondered whether CS perfessors ever actually write
any code themselves, or just think about writing code. If I
knew the answer to this, I might understand the educational
system better.
</THE UNKNOWN UNIVERSE>

<ACTUAL POINT>
But you are entirely correct - "learning to learn" is really
what it's all about. The rest is just what it takes to get a
diploma. Good tools help too. Whatever actually works best
for you is what you want to use.
</ACTUAL POINT>

best regards,
- Dan Michaels
==============