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Struggle as a Beginner

Bach Nguyen

Joined
11/8/23
Messages
8
Points
3
I'm having a difficult time studying C++ because the assignment is relatively difficult, and the notes and video help, but not completely. Like question 1.4.4, it asks, "Print degrees Celsius with 1 position behind the comma (use "%10.1f" as format specifier). This was not addressed in the video or notes on how to complete it. Are there any additional materials that could be useful? Do you have any recommendations? Thank you.
 
Bach Nguyen said:
I'm having a difficult time studying C++ because the assignment is relatively difficult, and the notes and video help, but not completely. Like question 1.4.4, it asks, "Print degrees Celsius with 1 position behind the comma (use "%10.1f" as format specifier). This was not addressed in the video or notes on how to complete it. Are there any additional materials that could be useful? Do you have any recommendations? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Use the resources outlined here to supplement: FAQ: C++ for Financial Engineering Online Course
 
I completely understand your difficulties.

I am a finance undergraduate, and our curriculum does not include any programming components. Graduates from our program typically go into IPOs or industry research. So during my exchange semester at Berkeley in my sophomore year, I opted for four high-level courses whose prerequisites included proficiency in Python/R/Matlab in the fields of Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, and Statistics. Initially, it was tough, but I persevered by actively participating in labs and office hours. I engaged in discussions on class forums with teaching assistants and classmates, ultimately achieving A-level grades for all courses.

The next semester, I directly chose the most challenging deep learning course within Berkeley's Computer Science program. Not only did I secure an A, but I also ventured into research. And currently, I am immersed in learning C++.

The last year marked a significant learning curve for my programming skills as a beginner. Despite the immense difficulty, my takeaway is that with a strong determination, sufficient effort, and a willingness to seek help and collaborate (as it is a teamwork-oriented discipline), one can undoubtedly reach their goals.

Baruch's C++ course offers abundant and high-quality teaching resources, with approachable and patient teaching assistants and friendly classmates. You can definitely succeed – keep going!
 
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Bach Nguyen said:
Thank you guys, this is really helpful.
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Hang in there and don't give up. As soon as you get past the first two levels of hurdles, things will get better as you become familiar with the workflow. Once you finish the course, you will be so glad and proud of what you have accomplished.
I have seen this from thousands of successful alumni of the course.
 
Bach Nguyen said:
I'm having a difficult time studying C++ because the assignment is relatively difficult, and the notes and video help, but not completely. Like question 1.4.4, it asks, "Print degrees Celsius with 1 position behind the comma (use "%10.1f" as format specifier). This was not addressed in the video or notes on how to complete it. Are there any additional materials that could be useful? Do you have any recommendations? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Having started this course a few months back with minimal programming experience, I can definitely sympathize...

It's exactly like @Andy Nguyen stated, the first 2 levels are a bit of a challenge, but they are quite important in setting up your thinking with regards to problem solving going forward. What I mean by this is that having to come up with solutions to questions with different potential implementations from the get go is a really nice exercise for getting you in the mindset of adapting an open-ended problem to code. From what I understand, a lot of coding interviews are also structured this way, where the interviewee is presented with a general question and is expected to design in their unique way from scratch. Moreover, this is a great foundation if you want to do solo projects in the future where you decide what you'd like your code to do.

I'd personally suggest students avoid stackoverflow and other similar sources to find "quick fix" solutions to these first 2 levels if they can (a regret of mine). A lot better to spend your time on these fundamentals and not get in the habit of hunting for pre-prepared code to try to fit the problem, studying it, and then trying to adjust it.

Also, I believe this is a tagged thread and is mentioned in the webinar but I'd also recommend students with no programming experience should 100% do these first 2 levels prior to enrolling at a calm pace. This also gives you time to figure out whatever operating system, compiler, code editor, etc.., you plan to use. If you're like me and enroll first, figure things out later, you'll also be ok by staying consistent and with the TA's guidance.

Best of luck!
 
The first 2 modules are difficult indeed because it's C and a kind of survival guide to be honest.
In the past (and courses) people tried to learn C++ w/o C savvy. That does not work.

Like learning to fall before the real work.



and then the next steps (do each step 3 times). I reckon Ruska threw me 2000 times.

in my own words

get it working

then

get it right

then and only then


get it optimised
 
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