When I did my comp sci undergrad degree, languages per-se was not part of what was taught in the classroom. Whatever language that class was using, be it assemb

When I did my comp sci undergrad degree, languages per-se was not part of what was taught in the classroom. Whatever language that class was using, be it assembler, scheme, C or some other higher level language, it was up to the student to figure out the syntax, how to run the compiler, etc. You got some help and basic examples in the discussion sessions but it was not part of the lectures. And there was no web, no stack overflow, no google at the time. You had a book about the language, some local newsgroups (and the larger USENET) and that was it. If you didn't enjoy reading, puzzling, and banging your head against the wall you would wash out after a couple of classes.