Thoughts for Freshmen In CCIS

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Thoughts for FreshmenIn CCIS
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The Goal Empowerment

• Acquire powerful patterns of thinking
• Gain knowledge perspective
• Experience personal growth maturity
• Learn to balance work play
• Solve the problems that show up
• Be self actualizing
• ... Avoid sadness and regrets

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What about Fundamentals I?

• Fundamentals I is all about the development of
  powerful patterns of thinking
• What is data?
• What is behavior?
• Why the structure of behavior must parallel the
  structure of the data on which it operates
• Designing programs to be clean and elegant

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Reading How to Design Programs

• Technical books such as HtDP must be read at
  least 3 times
• Step 1 Read a chapter quickly to seek out the
  key words and ideas that occur repeatedly. Note
  these ideas either by highlighting or by making
  notes on paper.
• Step 2 Reread the chapter to examine the
  examples in depth. Type the examples into Scheme
  and see that the examples behave as advertised.
• Step 3 Reread the chapter again to try problems
  of your own design or homework problems assigned
• The aim Nail down each chapter ASAP

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It is easier to get an A than a C

• If you act as an A student, you nail down each
  chapter as you go, and the next chapter is far
  easier because you have a firm foundation. You
  know exactly what principles you can trust.
• If you act as a C student, every chapter is only
  partially learned. Your brain is in a constant
  fog. You are confused by more advanced concepts
  since you dont have a firm grasp on the basics.
  This is frustrating and emotionally painful.

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What if I dont like programming?

• Is this a decision to make in 4 weeks?
• Computers software pervade the entire world of
  business and many personal activities as well.
  You will be living in a software world.
• The IT (information technology) field is vast and
  only a subset of people write substantial code.
  There is plenty of work to do besides coding.
• However, if you dont know the fundamentals of
  programming, you cant join the conversation in
  any IT field and you are left on the outside.

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Is Scheme important?

• Why dont we just learn the language of the day?
  ... C, C, Java, C, Perl, Python, Ruby, XML?
• Because the goodies these languages provide come
  mixed up with complexity and mess.
• Scheme has a powerful language paradigm and
  minimal syntax. Knowledge of Scheme helps to
  make someone a better programmer in other less
  expressive languages.
• Listen to the words of Microsofts Don Box ...

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Extract of Don Box Comments

• Learn Lisp or Scheme Way ahead of their time
• Learn Lisp or Scheme. I would prefer Scheme but
  Common Lisp would be OK too. Those guys figured
  it all out. Back in the 70s ... If you go back
  and read Lambda the Ultimate papers, you really
  see that WOW they really figured out all of this
  meta-programming, data-driven-ness, code and data
  being the same. All these ideas that you are
  seeing people discover in this generation was
  actually already done. So you can kind of short
  cut in figuring out where we are going by reading
  about where those guys were back then. from
  TechEd 2005, Talk CSI 356
• Don Box is a world famous guru of web standards
  and XML who currently works for Microsoft.

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Will I learn other languages?

• Yes
• Java in Fundamentals 2 and OO Design
• Later courses will use other languages but will
  expect you to pick them up quickly.
• C in Computer Organization and Systems Networks
• C in the Web Development elective
• You will also learn languages on co-op and by
  taking on special projects.
• Nevertheless the real learning is how to think
  and how to solve problems.

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What about Discrete Structures?

• Mathematics is fundamental to all scientific and
  technical work on this planet.
• Mathematics is the science of symbols.
• Without symbols, there is no CS and no IS.
• Mathematics is also a hard won set of theories,
  results, formulas, and processes that make it
  possible to understand and work with many
  different things in many different activities.
• Dont leave home without mathematics! ?

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The Mathematical Progression

• Discrete Structures The discrete foundation.
• Symbolic Logic Systematic logical reasoning.
• Computer Organization Logic as applied to the
  design of a machine capable of computing and
  manipulating symbols.
• Calculus Continuity, curve tangents, curve area.
• Probability Statistics Applications of
  discrete and continuous thinking to computing
  probability or estimating probability from
  statistical data.

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R. W. Hamming onMathematics Computing

• The purpose of computing is insight,
  not numbers
• Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers,
  1973
• Amusing variant
• The purpose of computing numbers is not yet in
  sight

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What about English?

• English is not only the language of the US, it is
  also the most common language spoken
  internationally.
• Mastery of English, both spoken and written, is
  essential for success in the business world.
• To be blunt If you cannot write, you cannot get
  any project funded. If you cannot speak, you
  cannot defend that project to others later on.
• Dont leave home without English! ?

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Solving the problems that show up

• Problems will show up.
• When a problem shows up, admit it.
• Dont use a problem to beat yourself up. That
  is not an effective strategy.
• A problem is an opportunity for personal growth
  so take advantage.
• Assess all your options for solving a problem and
  choose the ones that you honestly feel will work
  the best. Why fool yourself?

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Not so good problem strategies

• Pretend it doesnt exist. ?
• Sleep in and miss classes. ? ?
• Hand in homework late or not at all. ? ?
• Blame someone (mom, dad, friend, teacher). ?
• Talk to nobody. ? ? ?
• Pretend it doesnt exist. ?
• You notice that the strategy program has now gone
  into an infinite loop. ? ? ? ?

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Better strategies

• Come talk to someone if
• You are reading but do not understand the
  material.
• You are not getting started on homework.
• Your homework is taking way too many hours.
• People to see
• The professors Felleisen, Shivers, Fell, Aslam
• The teaching assistants
• The undergraduate tutors
• Rasala, 202A WVH, Pat Hinds, 202 WVH
• Mark Erickson, Nora Jemison, Lindsey Darin 302
  WVH

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Also ...

• Come to talk to someone if
• There are personal issues that are messing up
  your work or your life
• People to see
• Rasala, 202A WVH, Pat Hinds, 202 WVH
• Mark Erickson, Nora Jemison, Lindsey Darin 302
  WVH
• We can if need be refer you to counseling
  services at the university

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Please ...

• Be empowered and self acutalized.
• Fix problems as they show up.
• Balance work with play and physical exercise.
• Make friends and join student activities such as
  the ACM chapter.
• Get everything you can out of CCIS and the NU
  experience.