4 Year degree in Computer Science?

[eedmond]

I was working once with a lady who graduated from a Major 4 year college with a degree in Computer Science. I had been programming since I was in 5th grade. So I decide to talk to her about programming. This was a few years ago when Java first came out.


I kid you not this was my actual conversation with her!

Here is my conversation with her:
"So I heard you graduated from college in Computer Science as your major?"

"Yep"

"So what programming languages did you learn? C++, Delphi, Pascal?"

"No, never heard of any of those."

"You never heard of any of those programming languages?"

"Nope."

"How about Visual Basic, Visual C++, Foxpro, Excel, Access, HTML, Java, Javascript?"

"Hmmm...no... none of those sound familiar either"

"Okay, Do you know what language you did learn?"

"No, I don't remember it's name."

"And you graduated when?"

"a couple of months ago"

"Okay. So do you have a computer that you practice on?"

"Yes"

"What type is it? AMD, Intel, Mac?"

"I dunno."

"<nod> Any idea how fast it is?"

"hmmm.... No.... I don't really like computers so I don't pay attention to them"

At this point I figured that she just showed up and slept through class and ended the conversation as I was getting nowhere fast. I felt sorry for her boss who wanted her to do some programming for him. I talked to him and she finally ended up learning Access to do what he wanted about a year and a half later. She was his secretary while she attended school, so I assume she continued to be a secretary during this time. I personally hope she never get's into the programming field. Well maybe for a shovelware company but she might be too good.

Laugh my head off everytime I remember this.

-eedmond

[confus-ed]

You can have a computer science degree without doing any programming at all, there's plenty of other stuff to study that doesn't necessarily involve any code whatsoever, already having a fair grounding in programming I deliberatley choose a degree like that & its a real BSc

I too have a 'noncey' degree, one with lots of accademic virtue, but no real world applications, if they did that we'd just have a collection of little pre-drilled microsoft clones who all 'knew' jack !

Just because you can/cannot program doesn't mean you do/don't deserve a degree in computer science, doctors for instance aren't microbiologists, but they can still recognise a cold !, would a microbiologist be able to fix a broken leg ? ... maybe she just thought you had a very narrow outlook !

[Outcoded]

Hehehe - she sounds like me

[Cleetus]

What I can't stand are these people that go out and get liberal arts degrees with some uselsess majors and then decide they can become a tech.

[CeeBee]

Some people get a Computer Science degree just because they know some people make big $$$ out of that. Fortunately life does sepparate people according to their knowledge within few years. After all when you have to do something it's not your degree that matters, it's your knowledge level.

[mattyx]

i hate to burst your bubble, but life doesn't usually seperate people according to their knowledge. you usually get seperated out by who you know how well you are networked. if you don't know how to do something and you know the right people, you can get yourself in a position to manage some people who do know what they are doing.

sorry to be a downer, but that is really how it works. hard work will get you places, but in corporate america it will only take you so far.

Some people get a Computer Science degree just because they know some people make big $$$ out of that. Fortunately life does sepparate people according to their knowledge within few years. After all when you have to do something it's not your degree that matters, it's your knowledge level.

[BlahBlahBlah]

Me thinks your logic regarding CS Degrees may be flawed. I graduated from a very large midsouth university with a degree in Computer Science. At the time of my graduation (1990) most of the languages you mentioned were not being taught, and they had not been developed. Basic, Assembler, and COBOL were the languages of the day. My degree was with an emphasis on hardware design. BAsed on that the only programming requirement was Assembler on IBM mainframes.

My point is: just because someone doesn't know about programming or specifics about desktop computers doesn't necessarily mean that they have a meaningless degree.

How much do you know about mainframe computers?

[NooNoo]

Welcome to Windrivers Blah, I guess you feel pretty strongly about this to make your first post.

However, Eedmond does point out that java had been released so there were a shedload of programming languages around. I find it particularly hard to believe that a Computer Science degree in this day and age does not include some programming or scripting of some kind. Besides which he was pointing out that this lady had done a programming language but didn't know which one.

That tells me they kinda coasted through those classes.

[eedmond]

Me thinks your logic regarding CS Degrees may be flawed. I graduated from a very large midsouth university with a degree in Computer Science. At the time of my graduation (1990) most of the languages you mentioned were not being taught, and they had not been developed. Basic, Assembler, and COBOL were the languages of the day. My degree was with an emphasis on hardware design. BAsed on that the only programming requirement was Assembler on IBM mainframes.

My point is: just because someone doesn't know about programming or specifics about desktop computers doesn't necessarily mean that they have a meaningless degree.

How much do you know about mainframe computers?

To answer your question I know absolutley NOTHING about mainframe computers, other than they are big and expensive and where I used to work we had a black one named Darth Vader.

And you are incorrect in your statement that no programming languages existed in 1990 except Basic, Assembler and COBOL. I have programming books for Turbo Pascal Version 6.0 printed in 1991. I started Turbo Pascal programming myself in 1992 as a freshman in highschool. I also started programming in C++ in 1994 in high school. I started programming HTML in 1993, and Javascript and Java in 1995 to 96 timeframe all in high school. I also have a college level Turbo Pascal programming book that was printed in 1989. I have a Visual C++ 1.5 book printed in 1993. By the time I graduated from High School in 1996 C++ was becoming the dominate programming language over Basic and Pascal. About 1996 Borland introduced Delphi which was basically Visual Turbo Pascal.

Admittedly most colleges in that time period probably stuck to the languages you mentioned but as the 90's progressed many colleges switched to Pascal and C++ and many I have inquired about enrolling in state they teach Java currently. This lady graduated with a programming degree in 2001. She should have learned at least one of those languages unless there is a new super uber programming language that I have not heard about.

-Eedmond

[TripleRLtd]

At the time of my graduation (1990) most of the languages you mentioned were not being taught, and they had not been developed.
My point is: just because someone doesn't know about programming or specifics about desktop computers doesn't necessarily mean that they have a meaningless degree.

Well, blah, do you really want to defend someone who graduated while Java was being taught as your first post?
Myself, having worked at a college at the time Java was developed, I can not for the life of me understand what you defend.
The antiques you mention were just that, other than Cobol.
Eedmond mentions some "old" ones as well, such as Pascal, Delphi, and Foxpro.
This Computer Programming Speciallist, did not know ANYTHING about ANY of them!!!
So...since you do feel so strongly about this, what, in fact, do you feel so strongly about???
This was NOT a condemnation of ALL Computer Science degree earners, but only this one in particular.
This, in fact, goes back to the general disregard that MOST field techs, who learned on their own, feel towards the page turners.
And, there is MUCH to this argument and debate.
Books DO NOT give you tech ability, they only enhance it.
Please do not take this personally, because it wasn't meant to be aimed at ALL Computer Science degree holders...many of whom are truly good and gifted at what they do.
But, this one wasn't!!!
Just goes to show....

[FatalException0E]

hmm......when was it that FORTRAN 77 was released?
That was a fun language.

[confus-ed]

If you want to learn about programing do a software engineering degree ... - 'computer science' can be about anything from circitry design & microelectronics, Cod's rules on hierachical databases, Von whathisfaces architecture vs RISK, to User Interface or network design, even ancilary services like systems analysis don't really necessarily require much code ability, just the general idea, do network systems engineers need to knock up cobol apps in their tea breaks ? ... millions of folk work in various parts of the IT Industry, almost every one isn't a programmer

[TripleRLtd]

.. millions of folk work in various parts of the IT Industry, almost every one isn't a programmer

[eedmond]

If you want to learn about programing do a software engineering degree ... - 'computer science' can be about anything from circitry design & microelectronics, Cod's rules on hierachical databases, Von whathisfaces architecture vs RISK, to User Interface or network design, even ancilary services like systems analysis don't really necessarily require much code ability, just the general idea, do network systems engineers need to knock up cobol apps in their tea breaks ? ... millions of folk work in various parts of the IT Industry, almost every one isn't a programmer

Ok. I used the incorrect term. I apologize for my stupidity and promise it will happen again.

-eedmond

[TripleRLtd]

Ok. I used the incorrect term. I apologize for my stupidity and promise it will happen again.

-eedmond

No, you didn't use an incorrect term, whether or not you do do it again.
Anyone taking CS as a major, at the time of Jave, should have and would have known at least what a few of them were.
No.CS is not a programming major but look at -ed and his non-technical major.
Or mine (History).
But, we do know at least what these "things" were!!!
Not only heard of them, but are familiar with their history.again.
How could we not be if we were really serious about what we do?
This one was...well I don't kmow, but I surely (yes, shirley) hope that that is not the future of tech.again