I have to take an introduction to programming concepts class. In this class there are only two other students and myself out of thirty who have ever actually programmed anything. The rest are just average people who decided to go for computer programming out of the blue. These people don't even know what computer programming is and their inability to grasp simple concepts like if statements is mind baffling to me. It's as if their brains are simply not wired for any type of critical thinking.
For one of the weekly homework assignments we have to post in a forum and reply to at least two other students' posts. Every week I feel like the posts are troll treads but it makes it worse knowing these people actually have such poor reasoning abilities. I rarely run in to people who I consider to be on an equal level. The huge majority of people practically require me to speak in primitive grunts and can't seem to grasp anything beyond sports or celebrity gossip. Constantly being surrounded by these so called average people makes me feel so disconnected because I simply can't hold any type of meaningful conversation with them.
Am I the only one who feels this way or is this normal?
Is it wrong that I look down on Joe Blow?
February 20, 2012 04:07 PM
February 20, 2012 04:21 PM
You are taking a .....
And you're complaining that these people don't have the aptitude of Bill Gates. And you yourself have said that you already have programming experience unlike the large majority of the students in your class. Who again are taking a .
Are you trolling us?
Seriously though, it's an intro course. If you were taking intro to algorithms or something, I could see your complaints. But those people are doing exactly the same thing that people in the For Beginners forum here do. Ask questions that the more experienced of us already know. Don't look down them. Be their god and enlighten them. (Ok, so I'm saying look down on them. But do it with a positive outlook
)
And as far as the grunts, celebrities, and sports go, I think it just means you need to expand your worldly knowledge. To put it differently, the problem is not them.
introduction to programming concepts class.
And you're complaining that these people don't have the aptitude of Bill Gates. And you yourself have said that you already have programming experience unlike the large majority of the students in your class. Who again are taking a .
.
introduction to programming concepts class.
Are you trolling us?
Seriously though, it's an intro course. If you were taking intro to algorithms or something, I could see your complaints. But those people are doing exactly the same thing that people in the For Beginners forum here do. Ask questions that the more experienced of us already know. Don't look down them. Be their god and enlighten them. (Ok, so I'm saying look down on them. But do it with a positive outlook
)And as far as the grunts, celebrities, and sports go, I think it just means you need to expand your worldly knowledge. To put it differently, the problem is not them.
2,410
February 20, 2012 04:40 PM
Am I the only one who feels this way or is this normal?[/quote]
No, it's typical for programmers in a certain age group.
For two years, those people are top shit, gurus, ninjas, they are enlightened and have to deal with unwashed masses. But that's two years and life goes on. All the while, everyone else is working hard, studying, learning.
And a few years later, those people not assuming they already know everything have climbed step by step. Suddenly, they are experts, part of a team, moving onwards.
And you'll find yourself at same spot. But nobody will come back to mock you or consider you inferior or average. The world simply moves on and forgets about you.
Because world doesn't care. There are no superior or inferior people. Just those that rise to the occasion.
---
2012 is code year. Code tutoring apps are the biggest thing, online learning is the new social.
Paying attention to the struggles non-programmers have with existing curriculum and working with them to see which techniques help them grasp concepts faster is a killer way these days to make headway into those circles.
There's several sites out there that allow anyone to upload tutorials and see how others learn. A great way to help them improve and understand the mind and struggles of beginners.
Because today, those people are grunts. In two years, they will exceed your competence and knowledge. But they won't come back to mock you. Or even think of you as inferior. They'll merely note that you wasted your advantage and talent, fueling ego instead of seizing the opportunity and grow personally by helping others grow. But nobody will lament that. They'll be too busy learning and helping others learn.
February 20, 2012 04:41 PM
You are taking a .....[quote name='SteveDeFacto' timestamp='1329754054' post='4914833']
introduction to programming concepts class.
And you're complaining that these people don't have the aptitude of Bill Gates. And you yourself have said that you already have programming experience unlike the large majority of the students in your class. Who again are taking a .
.
introduction to programming concepts class.
Are you trolling us?
Seriously though, it's an intro course. If you were taking intro to algorithms or something, I could see your complaints. But those people are doing exactly the same thing that people in the For Beginners forum here do. Ask questions that the more experienced of us already know. Don't look down them. Be their god and enlighten them. (Ok, so I'm saying look down on them. But do it with a positive outlook
)And as far as the grunts, celebrities, and sports go, I think it just means you need to expand your worldly knowledge. To put it differently, the problem is not them.
[/quote]
I don't think I can clearly express just how ridiculous their inability to understand actually is. For example one student seems to think boolean flags have something to do with anti virus software. The statements they are making are extremely absurd.
February 20, 2012 04:46 PM
They're n00bs. n00bs are by nature absurd. It's absurd to not expect absurdity from people who are naturally inclined to be absurd. But here's a question. Why are you taking an Intro class that you obviously don't need?
February 20, 2012 04:51 PM
Am I the only one who feels this way or is this normal?
No, it's typical for programmers in a certain age group.
For two years, those people are top shit, gurus, ninjas, they are enlightened and have to deal with unwashed masses. But that's two years and life goes on. All the while, everyone else is working hard, studying, learning.
And a few years later, those people not assuming they already know everything have climbed step by step. Suddenly, they are experts, part of a team, moving onwards.
And you'll find yourself at same spot. But nobody will come back to mock you or consider you inferior or average. The world simply moves on and forgets about you.
Because world doesn't care. There are no superior or inferior people. Just those that rise to the occasion.
---
2012 is code year. Code tutoring apps are the biggest thing, online learning is the new social.
Paying attention to the struggles non-programmers have with existing curriculum and working with them to see which techniques help them grasp concepts faster is a killer way these days to make headway into those circles.
There's several sites out there that allow anyone to upload tutorials and see how others learn. A great way to help them improve and understand the mind and struggles of beginners.
Because today, those people are grunts. In two years, they will exceed your competence and knowledge. But they won't come back to mock you. Or even think of you as inferior. They'll merely note that you wasted your advantage and talent, fueling ego instead of seizing the opportunity and grow personally by helping others grow. But nobody will lament that. They'll be too busy learning and helping others learn.
[/quote]
You may be right about them eventually surpassing me or at least getting to the point where I can have an intelligent conversation with them. However, I'm not entirely convinced they will get there through community college alone.
February 20, 2012 04:54 PM
They're n00bs. n00bs are by nature absurd. It's absurd to not expect absurdity from people who are naturally inclined to be absurd. But here's a question. Why are you taking an Intro class that you obviously don't need?
The school offers me no option to test out. Last semester I even had to take introduction to computers and also introduction to operating systems...
6,313
February 20, 2012 04:54 PM
Introductory level classes are introductory. People taking them usually have no prior exposure to the content material. If you were dropped into an 'intro to art' course, you'd be a part of the unwashed masses you speak of. Your equivalent would be posting a complaint in an artists forum about how most people in his/her class can't even draw straight lines without a ruler. Some people will never be artists or programmers because they either lack the talent or the interest. Introductory classes expose newbies to the material to help them develop a talent and/or interest in the subject, or just weed them out of the higher level courses.
Eric Nevala
Indie Developer | Spellbound | Dev blog | Twitter | Unreal Engine 4
February 20, 2012 04:59 PM
Introductory level classes are introductory. People taking them usually have no prior exposure to the content material. If you were dropped into an 'intro to art' course, you'd be a part of the unwashed masses you speak of. Your equivalent would be posting a complaint in an artists forum about how most people in his/her class can't even draw straight lines without a ruler. Some people will never be artists or programmers because they either lack the talent or the interest. Introductory classes expose newbies to the material to help them develop a talent and/or interest in the subject, or just weed them out of the higher level courses.
I understand that but I would at least think a normal person should be able to understand a simple if then statement without much effort. However, I appears very difficult if not impossible for most of them.
11,263
February 20, 2012 05:01 PM
It's as if their brains are simply not wired for any type of critical thinking.
I find this amusing because, having seen posts of yours both in this forum and in the technical ones, I've found myself thinking the same thing about you.
Some of your questions have been beyond basic, things which I would sit and work my way though without troubling the forums with yet you have to.
So, congrats, you are a few steps higher up the ladder than those taking an introduction course... now about about instead of bitching about them (or starting one of another of your ultimately pointless and/or misguiding topics) you just get on with your life and try do do something with what little skills you have?
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