I was a TA for a CS program that taught C-with-classes C++, and I have to disagree. C was far too low-level for the students. In a course where you're just tryi

I was a TA for a CS program that taught C-with-classes C++, and I have to disagree. C was far too low-level for the students. In a course where you're just trying to teach the basics of flow control and translating a program into code, the foibles of C — from what a segfault is to trying to explain why you must read past the end of the file to get an EOF — just get in the way. Since someone always brings it up — I do believe as some point students should be exposed to a low-level language that doesn't to GC to expose them to memory management. Just not as a first language. I'd rather give them Python to start, let them get their feet on the ground and somewhat comfortable with it — give them success to start and hook their interest. C just tended to defeat the students, and needlessly. I spent so much time explaining things that to them must have felt like a rocket scientist telling them why their water bottle rocket exploded into flames on the pad.