3 ms·

MIT Intro to CS Course: 20 Videos and Free Textbook (and Intro to Lisp)

13 points by vlad 19y ago

staunch 19y ago
FYI: Most or all of these are available for easy streaming on Google Video with the tag "sicp". Not all of you have vdsl to download a gigabyte file in 5 minutes with :-) http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=label%3Asicp http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=label%3Asicp
imp 19y ago
I've just started going through this course, and I found that in addition to the video lectures and book there is a tutorial on the MIT OCW website: OCW website: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-001Spring-2005/CourseHome/index.htm http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-001Spring-2005/CourseHome/index.htm Tutorial: http://icampus.mit.edu/xTutor/content/?more6001 http://icampus.mit.edu/xTutor/content/?more6001 The tutorial provides sample problems and will grade them on-line to give you instant feedback. They also give an estimate for when the assignments should be due, which is helpful if you're attempting to go through the material as if you were taking the class.
omouse 19y ago
Which Lisp?
- brlewis 19y ago
  It uses MIT Scheme. There are important differences between CL and Scheme, but IMO those are much less important than their similarities as compared to non-Lisp languages.
  - papersmith 19y ago
    It doesn't have to be MIT scheme. I'd recommend Dr. Scheme for ease of learning.
- ecuzzillo 19y ago
  The point isn't which Lisp. It teaches all the concepts common to both Lisps; of the ones from CL, it only misses the idea of a generic function model of OO, and macros. And honestly, once you've had your mind expanded enough by SICP, learning the rest of CL is a snap. (I know; it took me only a couple weeks to become proficient at CL after taking Berkeley's SICP-based course. I wasn't blindingly amazing at macros, but there's On Lisp for that.)
vlad 19y ago
DISCLAIMER: THE VIDEOS WILL TAKE TIME AWAY FROM CREATING SOMETHING PEOPLE WANT. This is something I would have found very interesting when I was 17 years old, but I decided I am not going to let a 20 hour long video Introduction to CS course, no matter how free, keep me from programming my startups, not even if it's from MIT. Plus it'll still be around for me to watch it in another 22 years. I've tried leaving it running in the background so I could listen to the audio, but it's just so distracting and the presentation is so interesting, that I had to leave the room before I could decide to come back, close it, and write this. :) It was kind of like the video course "Physics for Presidents" from Berkley. Although it's very interesting, and the professors are so very smart, I had to shut it down because it's a time sink.
- aston 19y ago
  Disclaimer! Eating will take time away from creating something people want! I think if the value you gain from doing something outweighs the opportunity cost paid for not working on your startup, you ought to go ahead and do that thing. Whether these videos are worth your time is your opinion. But they are excellent resources, and others might find them worthwhile.
  - jamesbritt 19y ago
    I think if the value you gain from doing something outweighs the opportunity cost paid for not working on your startup, you ought to go ahead and do that thing. Quite true. Ive been going through the videos, an SICP (albeit slowly). Yes, I sometimes feel that I could be writing production code instead of getting an education. I believe, though, that having some additional insights on software development will pay off quite well in the future. Plus it's fun. :)
    - vlad 19y ago
      I respectfully disagree, because the video is something one can watch at any time, but releasing a web service to the public is something that should be done as soon as possible. But you made me reconsider. I guess I can probably put it on my phone and watch it at the gym when I'm doing some stretches or warming up! I'm glad you enjoyed my link, and I hope I have some time to watch more of it myself. Thanks for your reply!
nickb 19y ago
What a great course. BTW, MIT recently decided to retire 6.001 course. :( :(
- bootload 19y ago
  There is always cs426, "Death Graphics" with Funkhouser at Princeton ~ http://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall00/cs426/ http://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall00/cs426/
- vlad 19y ago
  Happy you liked the link. Did you take that course?

13 points by vlad 19y ago

FYI: Most or all of these are available for easy streaming on Google Video with the tag "sicp". Not all of you have vdsl to download a gigabyte file in 5 minutes with :-) http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=label%3Asicp http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=label%3Asicp

imp 19y ago

I've just started going through this course, and I found that in addition to the video lectures and book there is a tutorial on the MIT OCW website: OCW website: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-001Spring-2005/CourseHome/index.htm http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-001Spring-2005/CourseHome/index.htm Tutorial: http://icampus.mit.edu/xTutor/content/?more6001 http://icampus.mit.edu/xTutor/content/?more6001 The tutorial provides sample problems and will grade them on-line to give you instant feedback. They also give an estimate for when the assignments should be due, which is helpful if you're attempting to go through the material as if you were taking the class.

omouse 19y ago

Which Lisp?

brlewis 19y ago
It uses MIT Scheme. There are important differences between CL and Scheme, but IMO those are much less important than their similarities as compared to non-Lisp languages.
- papersmith 19y ago
  It doesn't have to be MIT scheme. I'd recommend Dr. Scheme for ease of learning.
ecuzzillo 19y ago
The point isn't which Lisp. It teaches all the concepts common to both Lisps; of the ones from CL, it only misses the idea of a generic function model of OO, and macros. And honestly, once you've had your mind expanded enough by SICP, learning the rest of CL is a snap. (I know; it took me only a couple weeks to become proficient at CL after taking Berkeley's SICP-based course. I wasn't blindingly amazing at macros, but there's On Lisp for that.)

vlad 19y ago

DISCLAIMER: THE VIDEOS WILL TAKE TIME AWAY FROM CREATING SOMETHING PEOPLE WANT. This is something I would have found very interesting when I was 17 years old, but I decided I am not going to let a 20 hour long video Introduction to CS course, no matter how free, keep me from programming my startups, not even if it's from MIT. Plus it'll still be around for me to watch it in another 22 years. I've tried leaving it running in the background so I could listen to the audio, but it's just so distracting and the presentation is so interesting, that I had to leave the room before I could decide to come back, close it, and write this. :) It was kind of like the video course "Physics for Presidents" from Berkley. Although it's very interesting, and the professors are so very smart, I had to shut it down because it's a time sink.

aston 19y ago
Disclaimer! Eating will take time away from creating something people want! I think if the value you gain from doing something outweighs the opportunity cost paid for not working on your startup, you ought to go ahead and do that thing. Whether these videos are worth your time is your opinion. But they are excellent resources, and others might find them worthwhile.
- jamesbritt 19y ago
  I think if the value you gain from doing something outweighs the opportunity cost paid for not working on your startup, you ought to go ahead and do that thing. Quite true. Ive been going through the videos, an SICP (albeit slowly). Yes, I sometimes feel that I could be writing production code instead of getting an education. I believe, though, that having some additional insights on software development will pay off quite well in the future. Plus it's fun. :)
  - vlad 19y ago
    I respectfully disagree, because the video is something one can watch at any time, but releasing a web service to the public is something that should be done as soon as possible. But you made me reconsider. I guess I can probably put it on my phone and watch it at the gym when I'm doing some stretches or warming up! I'm glad you enjoyed my link, and I hope I have some time to watch more of it myself. Thanks for your reply!

nickb 19y ago

What a great course. BTW, MIT recently decided to retire 6.001 course. :( :(

bootload 19y ago
There is always cs426, "Death Graphics" with Funkhouser at Princeton ~ http://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall00/cs426/ http://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall00/cs426/
vlad 19y ago
Happy you liked the link. Did you take that course?