[Edu-sig] A fact on the ground

[Deryk Barker]

Thus spake Guido van Rossum (guido@python.org):

> > It doesn't "make sense" to program around math stuff to someone who
> > finds math unpleasant to begin with.  Instead, they associate
> > programming
> > with math and  become convinced that programming is not for them either.
> 
> Let me confirm that there is a difference between aptness for math and
> for programming!  While I have a math degree, it became clear to me
> that I wasn't a math-head about halfway my second year in college.
> Around the same time it was also abundantly clear that I loved
> programming! :-)

Although I hadn't actually discovered an enthusiasm for programming
(punching FORTRAN on cards by hand for an IBM 7094 and waiting 2 weeks
for the output to be mailed back somehow put me off) I too was in my
second year of a maths degree when I realised this was not for me...

-- 
|Deryk Barker, Computer Science Dept. | Music does not have to be understood|
|Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada| It has to be listened to.           |
|email: dbarker@camosun.bc.ca         |                                     |
|phone: +1 250 370 4452               |         Hermann Scherchen.          |