It depends on the curriculum. At the last place I studied Computer Science, the department was led largely by Matthias Felleisen and Olin Shivers, and the first

It depends on the curriculum. At the last place I studied Computer Science, the department was led largely by Matthias Felleisen and Olin Shivers, and the first book they require reading is How to Design Programs: https://htdp.org/2018-01-06/Book/part_preface.html https://htdp.org/2018-01-06/Book/part_preface.html You could write 100% functional code that handles every edge case you could think of, and you could still get a B- on an exam for not using the 'Design Recipe.' While frustrating, the students do emerge as 'junior SWEs' with a grasp on how to design organized, efficient, and complex programs themselves.