This course is great for someone who is learning programming for the first time and is considering a mathematical finance degree. The material focuses heavily on C++ programming concepts, provides best-practice recommendations, and gives many problems to work on. I found the problems to be my favorite part of the course because they gave me a motivating reason to be learning theory. In contrast with reading a book on programming, I was able to meet a community of individuals interested in quant finance. We learn from each others successes and failures, and can provide help if you ever feel completely stumped.
This course is difficult and will require a commitment from you. But if you decide to stick it out, you will learn a lot over your 16 weeks and become much more confident in programming by the end. I don't know everything about programming, but I now feel confident enough to explore on my own.