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For serious students of the subject, kicking off with an unusual language can be helpful. As another noted: if the student hasn't even started programming prior
by ctdonath 13y ago
For serious students of the subject, kicking off with an unusual language can be helpful. As another noted: if the student hasn't even started programming prior to college, s/he is likely not of a succeeding mindset as the bulk of other students already grasp programming.
Starting college, I'd already learned assembler, BASIC, and Pascal - all what Dijkstra was warning against over-ingraining; proceeding to C would have been sensible but entrenching. Fortunately Syracuse University then was starting students on something very strange: APL. That was a mind-opener I needed at the time, and recommend such non-procedural/OOP language very early on for serious students.
- ben336 13y ago"if the student hasn't even started programming prior to college, s/he is likely not of a succeeding mindset" Clearly it couldn't have anything to do with a lack of access to resources, or simply developing an interest in programming later in life than you. Starting later may make them less likely to succeed, but saying that it is probably because they don't have a "succeeding mindset" is quite a privileged sounding generalization.
- ctdonath 13y agoSorry if the "mindset" comment seems offensive. New students unfamiliar with the topic are up against others who have been programming for years already, who (sometimes regardless of opportunity) managed to get programming books from the library/web, found an affordable computer to work on, and despite any/all hinderances made it happen - to wit, a succeeding mindset. It was a casual comment in a casual conversation. Apologies if it rubbed you the wrong way; please focus on the well-meant point.