The professor is pretty cool. He gets so excited about the most mundane details about our computer programming language of choice, Java. He'll say stuff like "With Java you can import a package that already defines all this for you! This is so much better than when I started. Back then, we had to do all of that ourselves; this is so easy!" I, though, am thinking, "What's a package?"
On the first day, the professor asked, "How many students are computer science majors?" About half the class raised their hands. Then he asked, "How many are computer engineering majors?" About a third of the class raised their hands. Then he asked, "How many mathematics or other engineering majors do we have?" The rest of the class (except for me) raised their hands. "Did I miss anybody?" he inquired. I, the lone humanities major in the room, raised my hand. I could tell at that point that it was going to be a long semester.
Our second homework assignment is due on Monday. I couldn't get it to compile (that is, change it from text of the programming language into a program the user can run), so I took my source code to a teaching assistant. She offered me sage advice about what to change about my program. Merrily, I came back to my room, implemented the suggested changes with a giddiness that comes from knowing that your assignment is completed, hit "Compile," and the stupid thing still wouldn't work!
It's times like these that one questions the meaning of life. Questions like "Who am I?" and "What am I doing here?" take on new meaning when the professor has just said something about constructors and initializers, and you didn't know that there was a difference. Why can't we talk about plots and character development?
But a compiler does not understand such things. I shout at it, demanding "Wilt thou flout me thus unto my face being forbid?" and it retorts:
Triangle.java [175:1] cannot resolve symbol
symbol: class IsoscelesTriangle
location: class TestIsoscelesTriangle
And, as we well know, "When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in batallions!"
Triangle.java [196:1] ';' expected
*Sigh*
So, I have to go back later today to get additional help on my program. But right now I'm going to read some Shakespeare. At least he is someone whom normal people can understand!
4 comments:
Congratulations on crossing the bridge between left and right-brained people. In your angst, perhaps you can shout Shakespearean obscenities at the computer, thus educating the surrounding technological nerds on word structure and perhaps even, appreciation. In time, this could blossom into a beautiful friendship of humanities and computer science, where they get increased social ability and you get a pimped-out computer.
Well Jacob, clearly the difficulties you have encountered in this class demonstrate that should never take a class for enrichment purposes. I, for one, never take classes unless I know there is nothing valuable for me to learn from them and thus they will present no threat to my ego or GPA. Honestly, what you at college for, a diploma or an education?
;)
Ben
Ben--
To answer your question: "Yes."
hm. your computer class reminds me of my astronomy class.
"and now, class, we're going to discover the exciting world of the ecliptical zenith altitude!"
be still, my heart.
Post a Comment