>I'm a senior GVPT major graduating this Spring, but I've always been >interested in computers and electronics. I have a lot of practical experience >with the two; I've held progamming jobs where I worked in Perl and VBA, I once >wrote a driver in C for a magstripe card reader connected via the parallel >port, I'm decent with a soldering iron, familiar with Linux, etc. My problem >is that I don't really understand any of the theory behind the projects I play >with, so I'd like to maybe audit a CMSC or ENEE course for the hell of it. Any >suggestions? Keep in mind that I've only taken up to MATH 141, and I've neven >taken a formal programming course (unless you count Pascal in high school...) > >I see there is CMSC 198A, "Special Topics in Computer Science for Non-Majors" >- anyone know anything about that?
Gabe, it sounds like you are in almost exactly my situation! I'm a big Linux dork and have had several programming jobs, built electronics, etc., but had never taken any kind of CompSci class until last year. I am a physics grad student and last year decided to take one as an elective. I ended up taking graduate-level Machine Learning (CMSC 726) which was a really awesome class and made me realize how much understanding the theory can help you be an efficient and creative programmer. It was quite easy for me, overall, though I've had vector calculus and some number theory class in college, which definitely helped for that class. Anyway, it's a great idea to take a CMSC class... I didn't know what I was missing! Dan
