<p>If he knows which language the class will use (most people do know this ahead of time…) then your last objection doesn’t really hold water. I remember when I was taking the intro programming classes, you knew well ahead of time what language would be used. Also, C++ and Java have such a similar syntax, knowing one will make the other a little easier. The OOP principles and procedural style also carry over.</p>
<p>I, like Posh Girl, usually do a little light study ahead of time for classes. Nothing strenuous, mind you. But knowing how to write, compile, and execute a “Hello World” style application in the language … and knowing it well … is a fundamental part of actual programming. After you’ve got that down, it’s all just adding some I/O, loops, and if statements.</p>