My advanced standing for my two Philosophy units was granted yesterday, so they’re now counting towards my Bachelor of Computer Science degree. This means, then, that I’ve completed the following units in service of my CS degree:
- Introduction to Computer Science
- Internet Publishing
- Discrete Mathematics
- Mathematical Modelling
- Algebra and Differential Calculus
- Integral Calculus, Differential Equations and Introductory Statistics
- Critical Reasoning
- Superstition, Science and Scepticism
- Computer Architecture and Assembler
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Operating Systems
- Multivariable Calculus
- Linear Algebra
- Abstract Algebra
(Electives are in italics.)
This semester, I’m studying…
- The UNIX/Linux Programming Environment
- Object-Oriented Programming in Java
- Web and Internet Programming
Still on the agenda:
- Software Engineering (next semester)
- Internet Security (next semester)
- Parallel and Distributed Computing
- Computer Networks
- Advanced Web Technologies
…plus one other 300-level Computer Science unit. Hey, at this rate I’ll have graduated by the time I’m… 31!
Depending on your point of view, these 23 units read like either the study programme of a genius or a complete loser. Considering that my major (Web and Networks) doesn’t even require most of those maths units, a compelling argument could indeed be made for the “loser” label.
(We won’t even discuss the Communication Studies unit “Popular Television Drama” — which had me watching The Bold and the Beautiful, Neighbours, The Biggest Loser and Big Brother — since it now won’t count towards my degree anyway…)
In any case, it feels great to be back in the swing of things. I may be an artiste, a philosopher, a pontificator par excellence, but at heart I’m a geek and (more importantly) a craftsman, and Computer Science is where I belong. Sometimes it just takes a little while to figure out who you are.