Languages taught in average Computer Science Degree?

Hi there!

They've changed over time. It used to be that you started with something like assembly language, then went on to C then on to C++, etc. These days there are as many different approaches as there are universities offering courses lol, but there are trends. Generally you start with the low level basics - what are bytes, what is logic, etc. Then move on to the same stuff covered in most online courses. After that come specific modules on topics - object oriented programming, functional programming, cyptology, security, machine learning, etc, etc. Often different languages are used in different classes, so you don't actually become proficient in a language so to speak, but you understand the theory being taught.

For example, Harvard's CS50 course, is their introduction to computer science taken in your first year. I think it's been updated to python looking at the syllabus, so It goes like this: C, python, SQL, HTML/CSS JavaScript In just 12 weeks lol. Of course you aren't proficient in any of those technologies at the end, but, again, you know the basics of the theory to move forward to the next module.

The point is to give you a foundation in the theory, and that's a very common approach to computer science education.

Treehouse and co, are really about getting job ready. Think of it more like a vocational course Vs an academic course. Many employers complain that university leavers are unprepared for the reality of coding jobs, and other employers complain online course graduates lack things like algorithms and data structure theory. So it's good to get a balance of both. Treehouse is definitely geared at web and mobile development, though the C#, java, SQL and mobile tracks would still be useful experience to your goals - even desktop and command line apps these days frequently involve servers, API's and databases :)

Treehouse aside, most of what you seek is available on the university course websites. To get a really detailed idea of what to expect at university, have a look on:

• edx.org
• coursera.org

As 10's of top (usually american) universities put some or more of their computer science classes up there. You'll see most courses charge $$ for certificates (thus is the motivation for them to put their courses up outside of campus), but so long as you keep all your coursework on github, no need to pay for that lol. Also as a high school student you should be able to apply for financial assistance (read free) on both platforms if you wish.

The fore mentioned CS50x course is available from edx for free here:

• https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x And is highly recommended.

IF you're not sure what courses to look at, this github is an amazing resource put together by learners all over the world of the best university level courses you can study for free online:

• https://github.com/open-source-society/computer-science

Hope it helps, Jon