I never had the chance to really be able to go to college.
I take classes right now and I pay for them,
I also have to work full-time at a mediocre tech job to pay the bills.
If I could give one finger to be able to be like you guys, and actually have theories on all this shit that doesn’t apply to me (or anybody else in the world that doesn’t get to go to college without working) I would be very happy.
I think your blog post was very insightful, and I do agree with it. Maybe I’m just a little nostalgic thinking about how easy it really was for you to be in your position without having to work 10 years to get anywhere..

@ astine:

True but there are many variables here:

– Not everyone can afford to go to a “large university”

For a lot of kids, paying 4 years at a “good” university is simply not affordable. A common strategy for many is to spend 2 years at a community college or a cheaper local uni (if they got some scholarship there) and then transfer to the good university to get a reputable degree. Even a shitty CS program can give them a push in the right direction or at the very least a few credits to start with.

– Not everyone gets into a “large university”

Some kids do not realize the gravity of their choices when they are in high school. They don’t realize that cutting a few classes here, and failing a few tests there, and not studying hard enough for the standardized test du jure can prevent them from being accepted to the “large university” of their choice. They may however get into smaller, less reputable universities and still get a decent education.

– Not all shitty CS departments are equally shitty

Sometimes a small, underfunded CS department may still give students a worthwhile education. Especially since such departments often get more flexibility when structuring their curriculum, as it is not calcified in legacy, tradition and etc.. One of the things McManus railed against was the overly theoretical curriculum at the large, reputable institutions. Well, the smaller colleges is where you often see much more practical approach with more emphasis on building possible job skills – for example electing to teach data structures and algorithms in Java instead of say Scala, figuring the former gives students more direct and applicable knowledge, rather than high-level, conceptual one.

I mean, yes – if a CS department is teaching VB macros to first year students, then perhaps they ought to close. But this is not necessarily a rule.

@ Luke Maciak:
Fair point, but how many students have been turned to math in highschool by shitty teachers? Who’s to say that kids won’t walk into a CS 101 class, learn some VB macros, and decide that CS just isn’t for them? Maybe people who really are just seeking, should make a point to go to a large university just for that purpose?

@ astine:

Well, what about undeclared majors? You know – people who have no clue what to do with their lives, and want to take bunch of courses to figure themselves out. Taking introductory programming courses even at a shitty department such a person may decide this is what they are into. Once they know, they can transfer to a better university if they really want to pursue the subject seriously. If we close the department completely, we take away that choice from prospective new students.

+1 internets for you.

Also, +1 internets for whoever is the first to turn “kidney of the university” into a demotivational poster.

Right on Luke. I agree with nearly everything you say here, especially the parts about the University System and liberal arts. One of my biggest pet-pieves is when people confuse the liberal arts with the humanities. The liberal arts includes the humanities, and also math and science. There is value to a ‘liberal’ education.

However, not every college is a university. I think smaller colleges closing departments which they are bad at and focusing on their strengths might not be a bad thing. Maybe they shouldn’t put that money towards football (seriously? football? are we even pretending to still be a school?) but maybe a strong STEM program is better than a week everything program? I get the impression that a shitty CS program might not be much better than no CS program.

This right here is one of the best blog postings I have seen in a while. I tip my hat to you, sir.