If you're thinking of doing a STEM degree at uni, prepare to learn how to code. I remember when I went to the Imperial open day two years ago; when I found out we were going to learn how to code, I was excited. That was actually one of the things that swayed me towards applying there, and even if I've since realised Imperial aren't unique in that aspect - every STEM degree forces you to do some coding - I'm not complaining.
I've had several labs this year orientated around coding with Python. I actually like Python a lot, it definitely looks the nicest out of all the programming languages I've seen. I think it's mostly because when I look at C or Java, I get flustered because I have absolutely no idea how to interpret whatever they're saying, it just looks so needlessly complicated. Python, on the other hand, is far nicer, the code almost reads like proper sentences at times.
Now, to be fair, that hasn't made using Python any easier. I'd argue that's because whilst Python is a programming language, it's still a language. I've probably not put enough hours outside of uni to actually get anywhere with getting to grips with Python, instead I just try and get all the work done in the labs, and leave it at that. I have actually tried using Python before to program a fizzbuzz game for a given range of numbers, but that was years ago, and even then I needed to ask my far brighter computing friends to get anywhere. It doesn't help I've never studied computing, so I went into this year almost blind.
I guess I'm also not suited to the uni style of learning. That surprises me, because I always thought I was a great independent learner. Sometimes I was told off for speeding ahead and working whilst the teacher was still explaining the material back in school. Maybe I am very independent, the material's just more abstract and difficult, so I need to spend longer learning it, I'm not sure. But studying Python from a series of notes with a few exercises at the end isn't my cup of tea, especially when it becomes something I need to submit, or else I fail the year. Then I just turn to asking someone how they did it, and pray I manage to get most of it done soon.
That said, it's not like I've learnt nothing, it's more like it's not been stored in my long-term memory yet. Maybe I have the impression that the top programmers just memorise all the commands, and can create a program out of thin air because they're that clever, and to get to that stage, I'll need to start working eight days a week. I am planning to have fun with Python over the summer, I might even blog about it. I will also be reading about Python, too. I just hope I'll know how to do more than print("Hello World!") by then.
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