BF4MVP's Blog (Yes, I am copying Partial)

[Scott Campbell]

.........just keep a high gpa.

I forgot about that part.

[BF4MVP]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I really appreciate it. I guess I better start takin some of those career tests

First off, what precipitated the heart to heart with the counselor?

I wanted to take Software Design, but I didn't meet the prerequisite..So I had to ask the professor of a lower level class if I could get into his class, even though it was closed at the time. That way if I performed well in that class, I would be able to take Software Design next semester. He said he would let me into the class if it was what I really wanted, but it turns out he had a talk with one of my other Computer Science professors, and that's when he decided to talk to me about this.

You write very well, so you're ahead of the curve already.

Thank you

I want to be Justin Gatlin's massage therapist.

If you want to rub naked juiced-up black guys, then go right ahead, but it sounds pretty gay to me.

[BallHawk]

Yeah, Jack, it can be ruthless. I'd like to target more towards sports journalism, but I don't know if that is something you just fall into, or you target righting soley sports from the beginning.

[MJZiggy]

You target sports. Maybe you do a few features, but you learn the ins and outs of talking to highly paid, highly egoed athletes. If that is what you want to be doing, you should be writing for your local weekly offering to do a kid's perspective on the local high school sports teams. Then when you get to college you have that on your cv already and could likely pick up some games writing for the school paper, then work up from there. That's what I didn't do.

[Scott Campbell]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I really appreciate it. I guess I better start takin some of those career tests

First off, what precipitated the heart to heart with the counselor?

I wanted to take Software Design, but I didn't meet the prerequisite..So I had to ask the professor of a lower level class if I could get into his class, even though it was closed at the time. That way if I performed well in that class, I would be able to take Software Design next semester. He said he would let me into the class if it was what I really wanted, but it turns out he had a talk with one of my other Computer Science professors, and that's when he decided to talk to me about this.

Ahhh. So if I'm reading the situation correctly, they're telling you that you may not have natural aptitude for writing code?

Two things you can do. If you're completely passionate about writing code, then you can commit yourself to working a lot harder than everyone else and go about proving these two guys wrong.

Or you can take their advice and look around some. There is nothing wrong with dabbling in a few things to find out what you like and are good at. And there is value in finding out what you don't like and are not good at.

I've been in your situation, and it was more of a slap to my ego than it was dissapointing because I really wanted to do it.

[FavreChild]

Picking a major is NOT the same as picking a career. Never, never, never pick a major based on the career you *think* you might want. Always pick a major based on classes you like and are interested in. The potential job comes later. Way later.

That is, *if* you like the classes you take and like what you are studying. Don't overthink it.

[justanotherpackfan]

Picking a major is NOT the same as picking a career. Never, never, never pick a major based on the career you *think* you might want. Always pick a major based on classes you like and are interested in. The potential job comes later. Way later.

That is, *if* you like the classes you take and like what you are studying. Don't overthink it.

I want to major in kinesiology which will lead me down the path of becoming a strength and conditioning coach for a major college university and then making my way up the ladder as I move on to the NFL.

[Partial]

Jack, can you explain more about how you say you have to be a somewhat evil person to be a succesful journalist. It's a career I've always considered heavily, and I'm interested why you say what you do.

If you like not having a job, steady hours, or good pay this is the field to go in. I know a UW graduate who barely makes any money and struggles for a job despite being at the top of their class.

[Partial]

Do you write Pseudocode? What prog classes have you taken? In my opinion, start your programs early and work hard, you'll get it. It just takes practice and a lot of repetition.

[BF4MVP]

Do you write Pseudocode? What prog classes have you taken? In my opinion, start your programs early and work hard, you'll get it. It just takes practice and a lot of repetition.

I haven't written pseudocode..Maybe that would've helped..The only programming class I've taken is VisualBasic.Net

[Partial]

Do you write Pseudocode? What prog classes have you taken? In my opinion, start your programs early and work hard, you'll get it. It just takes practice and a lot of repetition.

I haven't written pseudocode..Maybe that would've helped..The only programming class I've taken is VisualBasic.Net

Take C++ or Java. It'll be a fricking hard class. I also don't think too many people are just naturally good at it. It pretty much comes down to your understanding of creating logical arguments. My guess is if you can do discrete (which sucks, its hard and stupid and I suck at it), you will do well in programming. I am by no means a great programmer, but I write psuedocode and an outline of a logical way to approach the problem and then I sit down and I work on it until I am done. I don't do my programs for classes in my room because I just come on here and surf or talk on aim, so I go to a computer lab. Everynight they have student tutors in the main lab who help out the students who are in their working on homework or their programs for free.. LOTS of SE students go there for that. Also, the UW system offers tutoring for 1.50 an hour (they cover the rest of the fees) for any student, or its free to any first-generation college student. I did that for my circuits class for a while last semester and it helped me a lot. I don't know if thats helpful to you at all, but as they say, its better out then in, right?

[BF4MVP]

Do you write Pseudocode? What prog classes have you taken? In my opinion, start your programs early and work hard, you'll get it. It just takes practice and a lot of repetition.

I haven't written pseudocode..Maybe that would've helped..The only programming class I've taken is VisualBasic.Net

Take C++ or Java. It'll be a fricking hard class. I also don't think too many people are just naturally good at it. It pretty much comes down to your understanding of creating logical arguments. My guess is if you can do discrete (which sucks, its hard and stupid and I suck at it), you will do well in programming. I am by no means a great programmer, but I write psuedocode and an outline of a logical way to approach the problem and then I sit down and I work on it until I am done. I don't do my programs for classes in my room because I just come on here and surf or talk on aim, so I go to a computer lab. Everynight they have student tutors in the main lab who help out the students who are in their working on homework or their programs for free.. LOTS of SE students go there for that. Also, the UW system offers tutoring for 1.50 an hour (they cover the rest of the fees) for any student, or its free to any first-generation college student. I did that for my circuits class for a while last semester and it helped me a lot. I don't know if thats helpful to you at all, but as they say, its better out then in, right?

Thanks for the advice.

The thing about discrete math for me when i took it was, the concepts were either painfully easy or impossible. There was no gray area. For instance, adding, subtracting, and multiplying matrices was painfully easy. Encryption was impossible.