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C++ or Python?

Joined
6/27/23
Messages
4
Points
3
Hello Everyone,

I am a incoming MFE student with Bachelor’s in Commerce from India, with no coding experience ,I am interested in learning C++ and python and Before start of the program I am looking to complete a online certification course offered by quantnet, Considering my situation which quantnet course should i start off with Python or C++ ?

My main concern is that If I would jump straight into the C++ course without prior knowledge I might end up struggle to finish the course.

And I am willing to put my undivided attention into the course for atleast the next 2 months

Please provide your thoughts and suggestion on this.

Regards
Aspiring Quant
 
Here is an excerpt from the Python course faq:
Who is this course for?

This course is for anyone, with or without previous programming experience, who wants to learn Python. There are three categories of students who can benefit from this course:
  1. The aspiring quant or data scientist who needs to become proficient in Python for school or to do their job.
  2. The 'casual coder' (i.e. a trader on a desk, an accountant, or hobbyist) who want to learn how to quickly write useful Python scripts to help with their day to day work.
  3. The hardcore programmer who would like to learn Python.
The practical projects, detailed code reviews, and feedback from dedicated TAs provide immense value to those who have previous Python coding experience as well, by instilling best practices, code structure, and techniques grounded in industry standards.

Should I take the Quantnet C++ courses first?

If you fall into category 2 above, then you may enroll in this course without any prior C++ knowledge.

For non-casual Python coders, a solid grounding in a 'hard' programming language is extremely important before learning 'soft' languages such as Python. This is vital to instill proper understanding of lower-level programming concepts and habits. C++ is the ideal language for this. From our experience in the field, coders who do not have a solid grounding in a language such as C++ prior to learning Python have far inferior coding skills (tangible and intangible) compared to those who have a solid C++ (or similar) grounding.

Consequently, if you fall into category 1 or 3 above, then C++ Programming for Financial Engineering must be taken prior to this course, unless you have multiple years of professional experience coding in C++. Advanced C++11/C++14 and Multidisciplinary Applications is not required to be taken before this course.
 
Hello Everyone,

I am a incoming MFE student with Bachelor’s in Commerce from India, with no coding experience ,I am interested in learning C++ and python and Before start of the program I am looking to complete a online certification course offered by quantnet, Considering my situation which quantnet course should i start off with Python or C++ ?

My main concern is that If I would jump straight into the C++ course without prior knowledge I might end up struggle to finish the course.

And I am willing to put my undivided attention into the course for atleast the next 2 months

Please provide your thoughts and suggestion on this.

Regards
Aspiring Quant
I jumped straight into the C++ course and its going pretty smoothly all things considered. People get it done in 6-8 weeks (half time) if they focus mostly on that without a job or anything over the summer. I've got a job most of this summer and I still should have it done before school starts (admittedly relying heavily on the couple weeks between internship end and school start, but still).
 
Python meets Excel

I've been waiting this feature for sooo long time. Many banks still relies heavy on spreadsheets these days. And this is a great news for those who are reluctant to learn VBA :)
 
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