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Most thinks at the University level require a passion. Some people are naturally gifted. I was not one of them. In order to be "successful" in the university experience you kind of have to have the mindset of "what's in this for me"? What I am going to do with this and how can I apply it to achieve the goals the Lord Jesus has set for me. Sadly, I wondered though college without focusing on Christ but I did have goals. I started in Industrial Electronics and Electrical Engineering and had trouble. I did okay for a while but I could see how to apply the topics to anything useful in my life. I felt the Lord possibly drawing me to music and I tried that for a while but I was too lazy and didn't seek the Lord enough. I found music seemed just as hard as Electrical Engineering (take Aural Perception for Example and how fast those kiddos rattle out their major/minor and other scales), but that I wasn't ready to put in the work at that stage of my life. I eventually got my BS in Computer Science because it came easier for me than the other diciplines.
Why did CS come easier for me? Because I already liked Math and Music and I already had programming as a hobby. That was enough to get me through some of of the material with less effort. I wanted to create my own code and release it to the public. I had a "passion" for programming and it didn't conflict too much with what the professors were teaching. When you find your "passion" and the "why" the how will come. I haven't completed an Ironman yet, but if you have the time or money you might consider training for an ultra-endurance event some suffer. Take some challenge that seems impossible like an Ironman and go for it with some strong committed Christian friends that will hold you accountable. If I keep doing it and don't quit, you will be surprised at the barriers you overcome. As I said, I have yet to finish an Ironman, but I have overcome some hurdles that I thought very well might stop me in the beginning.
The point is, you have to find a passion. Maybe you want to code Video Games and put them on GitHub this Summer. You can get started with SVG, HTML and WebAudio:
SVG.js v3.0 | Other Elements
Personally, I don't like Java or PhP. I feel both languages have "issues" but they are probably good beginner languages since they don't have a lot of "arbitrary" barriers. My favorite language is Haskell but I/O is a royal pain in Haskell. If you're okay with Java. Maybe you sound augment your learning with C# and XNA over the summer. Maybe your professor will allow you to use C# (or a language of your choice) in some of the classes. Getting to pick your own language makes the CS classes much more fun.
A professor once told me that a numerical analysis class that we could use any language we wanted (that worked on our server) for our assignments. Then he said he didn't like LISP because he thought it was unintuitive. To be a smart aleck, I wrote one of my programs in LISP. I had a hard time with it but I didn't have to deal with floating point error and I had arbitrarily long rational numbers. I had a hard time getting that assignment to work but I got an A and most importantly it was FUN!!!
Find your passion!!! Try to find ways to make CS relevant to you and try to learn the virtue of commitment early in life while you are young. I certainly hope you are able to graduate in 4 years but I think it took me 8 years to graduate from college and 45 years or so to learn the art of commitment.
Pray every day for the Lord Jesus to give you guidance. I'm not saying you need to jump school and go be a minister, but you and honor the Lord Jesus as a programmer, but be humble and give *him* the glory.
I need to go. I have a day job...
Sorry if I rambled and didn't proofread.
May The Lord Bless You,
Shawn
EDIT: I don't care for JavaScript either but it's a decent way to get started with Video games if you combine it with SVG and WebAudio. I think the *best* way to write Video games "might" be C# with XNA or C# with Unity but I haven't personally tried it. Don't even go there with DirectX right now. DirectX is a pain... I would probably save DirectX for when you are highly comfortable with C++, multithreaded programming and GPUs. Sorry if there are errors. I really need to get to my day job. Would love to talk with you.
modified 10-Nov-20 9:17am.
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Hi! Thank you for your great reply. Sorry, that I reply today, but I took a week off just to program and read books on programming games. I didn't even watch my lectures. I started to program a simple strategy game in java on a console (so far). And it's funny because you gave me an advice to do something I'm passionate about, and I actually did and it helped a lot. I learned more than from lectures and from reading usual books so I'm happy and I feel so much better, even if I didn't send my school assignment on time, I gained some confidence.
I would like to thank you for your spiritual support too. I'm an athesit and a former christian, but I appreciate your prayers and kindness 
When it comes to programming languages I like java and object oriented principles, but what I don't like are books on java. I learned some basic syntax and concepts in c++ (I don't program in c++ though.) just to be able to understand the books on c++ because they are way better. There are more books on problem solving and game development written for c++ programmers than for java programmers. Java books tend to focus more on prewitten libraries and bank applications and that's not as fun as learning by making games. When it comes to PHP and SQL, well... I'm not that passionate about it right now, because I still learning java and I feel is too much for me at the moment.
Okay, so that was it Thanks again.
modified 3-Jun-21 21:01pm.
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I'm glad to hear you are doing better. Hopefully, you will be able to use your passion in a Special Problems or capstone class someday. The foundational knowledge you are learning now is important, but as you go higher up in your learning, you may find out that the ability to creatively apply your foundational skills is more important than merely being able to reiterate the material. I'm just a staff programmer, but I believe creativity and passion are the key components for successful graduate students and the future leaders in the IT industry.
I'm confident in your effort and pursuit.
Please remember to find ways to keep Computer Science study relevant to you. I understand CS can be unnecessarily theoretical at times but appropriate coordination with your advisor and professors should allow you to find a learning path that both meets university requirements and allows you to flourish.
modified 16-Nov-20 9:13am.
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Probably in these days, college CS programs assume you know how to use a computer and have some programming skills. In my days, it wasn’t the case. We started with basic and wrote for a command line interface. The command line was all they had then. Now, the classes may expect you to write for a windows type user interface and that will demotivate a beginner quickly. And, that’s wrong. Too much catch up.
My daughter faced the same when she had her first class in programming where the expectation is that the class would go immediately into programming for Mac and IOS operating systems (windowed experience) using swift. She and the rest of the students in the class were miserable. Now, she is taking a python class and they are teaching her to program to a command line window (the old-fashioned UI). It is much easier and not overwhelming.
For you, what ever class you are taking is wrong and the expectations are too high (assuming you are new to programming). Take a single language (basic, python, C) to learn the basics of programming. Then try another language. Then take some classes that focus on program/structural design. Get the basics under you. With a class on one language, it should build on itself. First, you discover the I/O functions so you can communicate with the program and see its behavior. Then you learn more concepts, variables, arrays, functions, other structures. After a couple of programming classes, you can take the class you’re taking now.
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Well I learned some basics in java before I started my studying CS but it helped me to survive but still isn't enough because everything is going so fast 
modified 3-Jun-21 21:01pm.
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I'm planing a small family gathering for the weekend in my house.Shh don't say anything about COVID. It appears that my Toastmaster has a wiring issues and need a replacemwnt. Is there anyone that recommends other brands?
The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.
Paul Valery
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Maybe you can lend Griff's sous vide 
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I don't know about brands... but one advice... take a long one where both toasts are in serie not in parallel.
If you need to do only one toast and you have a double place (parallel) then one side of the toast will get half burned because it gets overheat from the other empty toast place. In the long toaster you put it in the middle and it is perfect.
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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I like my Dualit - it is made of real metal, held together with screws, and has a clockwork timer and a manual eject lever. So there is little to go wrong, and when it does you can buy all the spares on fleabay and fit them with just a screwdriver ...
They make one that does bagels, which would be nice. But mine just does bread*
* VB code comes out the bottom into a little metal tray for disposal.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: held together with screws
as opposed to the all too common "plastic rivet". Good for you. 
Metal anything is always nice.
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Did the catastrophic Shakespeare Convention suddenly go from bard to verse?
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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As I Lear at your post and started to mumble and then, as it became rhythmical I though of gondolas and realized we needed more chant's Venice is through, or at least a haiku.
"Alas, poor Yorik . . .", I knew him when he wasn't short of cash.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Yep. The worst Els-in-our days.
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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Probably, according to the Stranglers:
Quote: Whatever happened to all the heroes?
All the Shakespearoes?
...
No more heroes anymore
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The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers actors.
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
-- 6079 Smith W.
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Ode ar. 
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I'm just glad my articles get traction with someone - especially that he or she seems excited to read them.
As an amatuer author I get really pumped to hear that.
Real programmers use butterflies
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Neat! Thanks.
Real programmers use butterflies
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honey the codewitch wrote: Someone told me they come here just to see if I wrote anything new.
They were only hoping to be able to start the day without more nonsense.  
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Nonsense is my speciality!
Real programmers use butterflies
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honey the codewitch wrote: Nonsense is my speciality!
Oh my! Another of my oops readings.
I initially read nonsense as Nun Scents and had a ton of comments to make about "Eau de Musty".
Well, once again, never mind.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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I hope you wont be making a habit of comments like that...
If you can't laugh at yourself - ask me and I will do it for you.
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