Since I dont have a myspace or a blog anandtechs gonna have to handle this one.
So I am in my first programing course. It is a C++ course and it focuses mainly on debugging. They teach you the code and the proper syntax but focus on debugging and trouble shooting.
Over the summer I picked up a $10 book titled "C++ in easy steps" or something like that. I went through it in about 3 nights and fealt pretty comfortable with it. Of course I ddint memorize the syntax or every way to do stuff but I had the basic idea of how everything worked. I did it all in windows using DevC++. I have never even seen a linux machine before so this was all I had to work with.
Once the course starts up I am told we have to use a command line interface. I used dos back in the day but hell I was like 9. So that was pretty new to me. All of our projects are to be done on the school server in either emacs or vi. Now I loved DevC++s interface. Eventhough I hadnt used it all that long using emacs or vi after that was like going back 10 years. Atleast it fealt that way. I assume most programing is done on those two programs and almost none of it is done in windows but still. It was very hard for me to get used to.
The way the projects are supposed to be summitted is through something called subversion. I have never heard of it and still dont really know what the F it is. Well I fallow the steps on the website (which are increadibly hard to fallow as it is) and I get the first lab and project turned in. Or so I thought. I checked my grades and I got a 0 for the fist project and lab. The first quiz we took in class I got a 100% on. I was kind of confused. I guess I never really turned in the projects correctly? Well I figured out how, I thought, and resubmitted them. The Lab TA was pretty cool about it and understood. He took off a few points but accepted it. The prof on the other hand refused to accept it and told me I was to learn how to use subversion on my own and that he was not my tutor.
Well fast forward to last sunday. There was a project due today (Wednesday) by 11:59pm. So I started working on it and was having a hell of a time with the interface. I sucked it up and put 8 hours straight into it sunday. Monday came and I put another 5 hrs into it. Tuesday came and I worked from 3pm-9pm took a 1 hour break then worked untill 5am. I was 3/4 done. Wed came and I worked on it from 3pm-9pm took a 1 hr break then worked on it untill 11:30 when I finished.
I tested the program and it worked. I figured out all the bugs allong the way so I was finally finished. It fealt pretty good to have accomplished that. Its a neat feeling to actually fix all those problems and make something that works like it is supposed to.
Well it is now 11:45 and I try to commit the changes in the file to the repository. I think thats what I am supposed to do anyway. It doesnt work. It gives me some error and then disconnects from the server. (I was using SSH) Luckely I saved all my work and went back and tried to commit it again. It still didnt work. It is now 11:59 and I am franticly trying to get this submitted because I dont want to lose half the credit when it was done on time.
The clock ticks to 12am and I just sit there. I dont go nuts or anything. Just kind of calm. That was probaly the biggest letdown ever. I have never spend that much time or worked that hard on something to have it fail like that. I didnt have dinner for 2 nights trying to get it to work right. I even started early to get it done so I wouldnt have to think about it. I had no idea what the hell to do. I just closed my laptop and sat there kind of dumfounded.
Its been an hour and im still kinda lost. If I drop this class then I am not a full time student. I dont know if I can keep my RA job if that happens. If I dont have the RA job then I cant afford to go to school. (It gives me free room and board and a small salary).
If I take the F its a 4 credit F and that hurts my already "not what I want it to be" GPA. The thing that gets me the most is I can kind of program. I am still learning but I am doing a pretty damn good job I think. I am putting in the hours and studying. What the hell do I do though when I cant turn in a fvcking project. Why even do em.
I have gone online and tried to figure out how to submit things and it hasnt helped much. I have asked other people in the class but they dont want to take the time to help me (not saying they should its not their problem). I have gone to the prof and he has been no help. He actually refuses to help.
So I guess what would you do in my situation?
CLIFFS:
- In first programing class
- Prof refuses to help on stuff other than lecture topics
- Using linux for the first time and having trouble with the CLI
- Using subversion and dont know how the hell to do it
- Worked ass off for 4 days to do a project
- Couldnt submit the project even though it was due on time
- Will either get half credit or no credit for 33 hours of work in 4 days
So I am in my first programing course. It is a C++ course and it focuses mainly on debugging. They teach you the code and the proper syntax but focus on debugging and trouble shooting.
Over the summer I picked up a $10 book titled "C++ in easy steps" or something like that. I went through it in about 3 nights and fealt pretty comfortable with it. Of course I ddint memorize the syntax or every way to do stuff but I had the basic idea of how everything worked. I did it all in windows using DevC++. I have never even seen a linux machine before so this was all I had to work with.
Once the course starts up I am told we have to use a command line interface. I used dos back in the day but hell I was like 9. So that was pretty new to me. All of our projects are to be done on the school server in either emacs or vi. Now I loved DevC++s interface. Eventhough I hadnt used it all that long using emacs or vi after that was like going back 10 years. Atleast it fealt that way. I assume most programing is done on those two programs and almost none of it is done in windows but still. It was very hard for me to get used to.
The way the projects are supposed to be summitted is through something called subversion. I have never heard of it and still dont really know what the F it is. Well I fallow the steps on the website (which are increadibly hard to fallow as it is) and I get the first lab and project turned in. Or so I thought. I checked my grades and I got a 0 for the fist project and lab. The first quiz we took in class I got a 100% on. I was kind of confused. I guess I never really turned in the projects correctly? Well I figured out how, I thought, and resubmitted them. The Lab TA was pretty cool about it and understood. He took off a few points but accepted it. The prof on the other hand refused to accept it and told me I was to learn how to use subversion on my own and that he was not my tutor.
Well fast forward to last sunday. There was a project due today (Wednesday) by 11:59pm. So I started working on it and was having a hell of a time with the interface. I sucked it up and put 8 hours straight into it sunday. Monday came and I put another 5 hrs into it. Tuesday came and I worked from 3pm-9pm took a 1 hour break then worked untill 5am. I was 3/4 done. Wed came and I worked on it from 3pm-9pm took a 1 hr break then worked on it untill 11:30 when I finished.
I tested the program and it worked. I figured out all the bugs allong the way so I was finally finished. It fealt pretty good to have accomplished that. Its a neat feeling to actually fix all those problems and make something that works like it is supposed to.
Well it is now 11:45 and I try to commit the changes in the file to the repository. I think thats what I am supposed to do anyway. It doesnt work. It gives me some error and then disconnects from the server. (I was using SSH) Luckely I saved all my work and went back and tried to commit it again. It still didnt work. It is now 11:59 and I am franticly trying to get this submitted because I dont want to lose half the credit when it was done on time.
The clock ticks to 12am and I just sit there. I dont go nuts or anything. Just kind of calm. That was probaly the biggest letdown ever. I have never spend that much time or worked that hard on something to have it fail like that. I didnt have dinner for 2 nights trying to get it to work right. I even started early to get it done so I wouldnt have to think about it. I had no idea what the hell to do. I just closed my laptop and sat there kind of dumfounded.
Its been an hour and im still kinda lost. If I drop this class then I am not a full time student. I dont know if I can keep my RA job if that happens. If I dont have the RA job then I cant afford to go to school. (It gives me free room and board and a small salary).
If I take the F its a 4 credit F and that hurts my already "not what I want it to be" GPA. The thing that gets me the most is I can kind of program. I am still learning but I am doing a pretty damn good job I think. I am putting in the hours and studying. What the hell do I do though when I cant turn in a fvcking project. Why even do em.
I have gone online and tried to figure out how to submit things and it hasnt helped much. I have asked other people in the class but they dont want to take the time to help me (not saying they should its not their problem). I have gone to the prof and he has been no help. He actually refuses to help.
So I guess what would you do in my situation?
CLIFFS:
- In first programing class
- Prof refuses to help on stuff other than lecture topics
- Using linux for the first time and having trouble with the CLI
- Using subversion and dont know how the hell to do it
- Worked ass off for 4 days to do a project
- Couldnt submit the project even though it was due on time
- Will either get half credit or no credit for 33 hours of work in 4 days
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