Computer Science

[Amanda Lee]

Great as this is how Conputer Sciences should be taught but unfortuneately,
many well-known universities have cut corners.  I know that the foundation
of knowledge and skills you are receiving will serve you well.

I recently went to a presentation about a Masters Degree program in
Telecommunications Engineering  offered from George Washington University,
Washington, DC.

I cringed when the Department Chair who presented the particulars of this
Degree program said that for a program taught to Verizon, that they would
basically water down the math content.  I couldn't believe what I was
hearing as even so, some of the younger attendees started to groan about
college-level calculous and Statistics as being a
pre-requisite math requirement.  Good grief! and this indicates that the
non-engineering-based CS and IT programs have weakened.  I'm older than the
majority of these kids and I sure don't mind brushing up on Calculous and
Statistics as I was a good math student.  But these folks couldn't even
accept it that all one really needs to do is to obtain some Pschalms
Outlines, etc. and do some studying.

Amanda Lee


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ameenah Ghoston" <ghoston at students.uiuc.edu>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 11:22 PM
Subject: Computer Science


Hi, everyone!  I have been watching the newsgroup for a while, and the
computer science topic grabbed my attention.  I am at the University of
Illinois, and the computer science department teaches you theory along with
programming.  In fact, the first CS. course you take, you are using Java to
learn concepts such as recursion, and other basic concepts.  The next
course, you are using C++ to learn data structures such as link lists,
AVLTrees, and so on.  After that, you can pick 300 level courses to try and
focus on a certain aspect of the Cs. field such compilers and programming
languages, operating systems, and the list goes on.  There is a hardware
component to being a CS. major where you are using UNIX based program
to  design circuits, and you even get to do some assembly programming.  If
you want to be strictly hardware, then, you just major in engineering.  You
have the choice of being a CS major which is very rigorous, and is similar
to the engineering program.  The other option is to be a CS-statistics or
CS-mathematics major.  All of the option depends on what you want to do,
and also, how good your grades.  The standards here are very high.  The
difficult part is trying to stay in the program.

  What makes this school so great in the field of CS is that you learn more
theory then anything else.  You may leave this place not knowing how to
program the best in the world but you will know the theory behind all the
concepts.  No class is taught with specific focus on a operating system or
programming language.  You get a very broad education when it comes to
CS.  Our program is equivalent to MIT but a little cheaper.
   There have been a number of blind students who have gone through the
department, and are doing very well for themselves.  While accessibility is
an  issue, the professors here are willing to work with you.
Furthermore,  since the programs we use are all UNIX, then, you do not have
to worry about screwing with windows and JAWS.       I am actually a
computer science minor and my major is history.  I have taken all the
courses that every CS. major has to take.  I am not trying to force my
school upon any one who is considering college, but nevertheless, I
strongly recommend that you consider this university.
Well, that is all I have to say.  If you further wish to check out the CS.
department go to
http://www.cs.uiuc.edu


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