I Am Going Back To School
Every big idea I have is a web application. There is no question, web programming is what I should go back to school for. Web programming, not desktop programming, is the clear choice. I don't care about the desktop. With hard work (and a bit of the luck the market), I will find a way to get an income directly from users and not have to use these skills in service of a boring and pointless project for an employer.
I am seeking the Web Database Developer Advanced Certificate: "Java Server Programming", "Relational Database Concepts and Application", and the holy grail, "Web Programming Using Apache, MySQL, and PHP", from Washtenaw Community College.
As a prerequisite to those courses, I am now registered for a Monday-Wednesday class next semester, "Introduction to Programming with Java". They felt that they could safely dispense with the level 4 math and the computer literacy prerequisites in my case. Jen gave me an impromptu algebra test last night, and she thinks I'm going to be just fine.
Even if I am never issued an actual certificate, the knowledge is the key to my projects. For too long, I've depended on self-teaching that has failed in my busy life. I feel that I need the structure, assignments and deadlines of a class to get a thorough first-hand understanding in a reasonable time.
Comments
zifferent on Nov. 20, 2008 3:06 PM
Wow, good for you!
matt-arnold on Nov. 20, 2008 7:15 PM
Thanks!
ellalthea on Nov. 20, 2008 3:23 PM
Good for you! I think that this is a great idea, Matt.
matt-arnold on Nov. 20, 2008 7:16 PM
Thank you!
Anonymous on Nov. 20, 2008 5:37 PM — Technology Choices?
It's great that you're committing to learning like this. The only potential negative I see is that Java web programming is a great skill if you want to work for the man, but not a very efficient one if you want to get stuff done as lone programmer. It seems like all of the independent developers are moving to Web Frameworks based on dynamic languages, like Ruby on Rails and Django. It's going to be hard to find a class in those technologies that isn't crazy expensive, though. And on the bright side, learning Java will make it an order of magnitude easier to learn Ruby, Python, PHP, or whatever language you end up programming in.
matt-arnold on Nov. 20, 2008 5:52 PM — Re: Technology Choices?
I hope you check back again, because I wish I knew who you were so I could reply. Thanks for your comment.
Classes in non-corporate languages are, as you say, thin on the ground. My objective is to use formal classes to learn how to program at all. I don't intend to stick with Java. But the upside is, Jen knows Java. Once I have expanded my knowledge of programming beyond my book knowledge and into real assignment experience, I'm confident I can transition into Python with the help of many friends. So basically you are exactly right.
crywolf on Nov. 20, 2008 6:08 PM
The biggest caveat, of course, is knowing the difference between knowing a programming language and knowing how to program. You probably already know this, but it's important enough to restate.
matt-arnold on Nov. 20, 2008 6:34 PM
Yes. For decades, I've been examining principles like variables, data structures, for loops, recursion, object-orientation with functions/methods/classes, and so forth. But it's still all book knowledge. That's why I need to pay a teacher to show up at a scheduled time to answer my questions and give me specific assignments to build first-hand experience.
It's kind of like the difference between being good at foreign-language flashcards, and actually thinking in that language.
rachelann1977 on Nov. 21, 2008 2:28 AM
So, are you auditing this course, or are you going to apply for aid and do the whole deal? Either way, I think it's a great idea, I wish you the best of luck, and if there's any way I could possibly be of any help to you, I'm there.
matt-arnold on Nov. 21, 2008 3:03 AM
I'm not auditing. I have a source of funding for the one 4-credit class I'll take this upcoming semester. I currently am not sure how many classes the funds will support. I also don't know whether the college will not give me the certificate unless I pay for pre-requisite classes that they waived this morning. I do not intend to go into debt, so I may end up without the actual certificate, but I'll have the knowledge of how to program, that will kick-start it into something I turn on and do habitually, similar to my design software skills. That's what's important.
loop-bell on Nov. 21, 2008 2:34 PM
Good for you!
I'm actually taking a databases course right now, and it's fascinating. Rather less applicable than your, as the material focuses more heavily on how databases work than how to use them, but the point is that understanding how something works tends to help you use it more efficiently. I do have to admit that I didn't much care for Java when I had to use it for the first assignment; it felt like a slightly retarded version of Objective-C which I used this summer that picked up OCD error handling. But that's just me -- I know there are lots of folk out there who really do like Java.
There is much to be said for the value of deadlines and paying for classes in actually getting things done. I manage to teach myself some things like SQL queries and document formatting with LaTeX pretty well, but there's a wide variety of other "teach yourself" books on my shelf (from Biblical Hebrew to perl and AppleScript) that are quite under-read.
Speaking of my bookshelf reminds me that I still have to give to you "Spiritual Machines". Where are you living these days? I seem to remember you moved to Ann Arbor area, sort of near Whole Foods, which would put you on the way from my apartment to Meijer.
matt-arnold on Nov. 22, 2008 4:52 AM
That's right, I live on Golfside by Washtenaw Ave. in Ypsilanti.
tjulian on Nov. 23, 2008 2:43 PM
hi matt!
i just went to corning in new york to learn glassblowing, for ongoing art projects. as an employer, i generally regard diplomas as a sign of competence in staying focused on a learning job, rather than a sign of usable knowledge in prospective minions. i'm a 2 time dropout myself, and often say an arts degree isn't even useful as toilet paper, due to its low absorbency.
oh the ironies of life.
temujin9 on Nov. 25, 2008 8:12 AM
I'm glad to hear this: you've got all the makings of a great programmer. Welcome to the mess, already in progress, and let me know if/when you're comfortable with having low-level Drupal, etc. web work sent your way.
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