<p>I am a senior in Aerospace Engineering at UIUC. I have pretty decent grades. However, I can't code to save my life. I got through CS 101 by copying all my program assignments and bsed the tests. I just hate programming but a lot of people tell me that if I cant' code there's no point being an engineer. I have very good theoretical knowledge and understanding especially in Dynamics and Aerodynamics but somehow i just really can't get into the whole programming mode. I am taking a required numerical methods class this semester and it is kicking my ass. It doesn't help that it's considered the toughest class in the department. Are there any jobs in the Aerospace Industry where you don't have to code very much simply use "black box" packages?</p>
<p>take the summer out to learn to code quietly at your own pace, it's not hard.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about it except that it isn't that hard - it is hard to fathom why you can't do it.</p>
<p>You have people that code and people that use the codes and the majority of engineers are the former.</p>
<p>Besides which, as time goes on, more and more of the coding is done by comp sci undergrads.</p>
<p>Even if you were hired into a coding group, there are non-programming people. Project leads, requirements writers, test engineers.</p>
<p>beprepn</p>
<p>what programs would be a good idea to learn before enterting freshman year as a civ engineering major?</p>
<p>Coding is the easiest part of CS, as my professor says "coding is easy, your moma can do it, they dont pay you big bucks to code...they pay you big money for algorithms and data structures."</p>
<p>I don't think you're screwed because you can't code, but rather, I think you're screwed because you cheated.</p>
<p>Take the fail next time.</p>
<p>"Coding is the easiest part of CS, as my professor says "coding is easy, your moma can do it, they dont pay you big bucks to code...they pay you big money for algorithms and data structures."</p>
<p>If this was true than they could hire math majors who focused on mathematical algorithms to do the jobs of CS, even if they only took basic programing classes.</p>
<p>Coding is a royal pain in the rear end - debugging can take a crapload of time.</p>
<p>
[quote]
"Coding is the easiest part of CS, as my professor says "coding is easy, your moma can do it, they dont pay you big bucks to code...they pay you big money for algorithms and data structures."</p>
<p>If this was true than they could hire math majors who focused on mathematical algorithms to do the jobs of CS, even if they only took basic programing classes.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not all "algorithms" are mathematical ones. A computer program is a process, and while there are many ways to achieve a result, only a few are the "best" way given a set of constraints.</p>
<p>Where I work, we have a team of PhD "scientists" that develop the mathematical algorithms, but the company relies on the developers to make the math work efficiently within the process of the software application and with the vast amounts of data involved (>1 TB).</p>
<p>I'm an AE major, and the only coding related class I had was a matlab class, and we didn't do any real coding--it was all theory sort of stuff. We didn't do any CS related stuff. I don't have any other CS classes scheduled that I need to take....hmm. Hate that kind of stuff too.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't think you're screwed because you can't code, but rather, I think you're screwed because you cheated.</p>
<p>Take the fail next time.
[/quote]
Yes. Because engineering students never look at a solution manual.</p>
<p>"Yes. Because engineering students never look at a solution manual."</p>
<p>Just because people do it, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. If you're prof doesn't want you to look at the solutions until you've turned it in (which I expect most profs don't), then you simply don't do it. Take the fail.</p>
<p>crossover9789... the programming you'll learn is pretty limited. Most of what I've done is math related. Like matlab, mathematica, maple and then I had to take C and C++ classes. I had taken extensive programming courses in high school but I wasn't too great at it. I did really well in the programming courses in college because I knew the foundations of programming and just had to learn the language. Programming is easy if you think a certain way... I guess that I do. Some people had a really hard time in the class... an 81 was an A after the curve in the class. Crazy curve for an intro level course.</p>
<p>Matlab sucks. I hate programming.</p>
<p>Matlab is a very narrow view by which to judge programming...</p>
<p>... and though it's very good at what it does, and there are those who really do need it, I personally side with you on the whole "Matlab sucks" part.</p>
<p>I hate that POS MATLAB! It is a useless piece of ****!</p>
<p>Every freshman/sophomore hates MATLAB and thinks it's useless. I thought it was useless, too.</p>
<p>Let me assure you now that it's not useless, and that a lot of engineers, while we find it aggravating to deal with, now appreciate MATLAB's power, and that ultimately it makes our lives easier. It's incredibly useful, though completely aggravating.</p>
<p>I think Matlab is badass.</p>
<p>I <3 matlab. No, seriously. Toolboxes that compress hundreds of lines of codes into a single statement? You can't not like that power. It's not the most efficient thing out there in terms of memory usage and the like, but it gets the job done quickly.</p>
<p>The origins of Matlab - <a href="http://www.mathworks.com/company/aboutus/founders/clevemoler.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.mathworks.com/company/aboutus/founders/clevemoler.html</a></p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>I'll 325353243rd that. MatLab is very versatile. Just try dealing with a lot of matrix operations in C++. Part of a convo I was having with a friend over AIM maybe a yr back:</p>
<p>morfinx: matrix manipulation in matlab is sweet tho
morfinx: i can't believe i just said that, how nerdy was that</p>