3 ms·

Grinnell alum here - our first CS class is in Scheme. I expected the class would be a breeze because I already had a few years of programming experience in Java

Grinnell alum here - our first CS class is in Scheme. I expected the class would be a breeze because I already had a few years of programming experience in Java/Python in highschool. Turns out that lisp is way different, and I was about as challenged as people with 0 programming experience. At first most of us were annoyed at having to learn an esoteric language without real 'industry' use, but by end of semester we all were super into it. It helped that our curriculum focused on fun problems like using recursion to draw things using a faculty/student developed scriptable gimp library.

bb88 4y ago
I remember a talk from a Michigan State professor at one Pycon a ways back that taught Python for their intro to CS. What I remember is that for the first time ever, he had people call him after the class and wanted to switch majors. I think Scheme is awesome as long as it's not your first language, but I think if Scheme is your first introduction to CS particularly in college, it can be pretty brutal depending upon the instructor. I think a lot of higher learning institutions were trying to copy MIT's use of SICP for their intro courses.
- kazinator 4y ago
  > wanted to switch majors To what, Art History? Poli Sci?