<p>Son has applied online for over a dozen internships and is still waiting to hear.</p>
<p>In perusing the openings, many asked for experience with JAVA.</p>
<p>Son is a mechanical engineering major, just completed his sophomore year, and as part of an honors program, he has learned Fortran, C++, SQL, and Matlab as part of his dif eq course.</p>
<p>So, he's had a lot of exposure to programming, but none in Java.</p>
<p>We've tried to find local and OOS colleges offering JAVA, but not found any yet.</p>
<p>Is there a way to take a JAVA course online, or is there someplace that any of you know of that is offering JAVA this summer?</p>
<p>I even was considering sending him to one of those ID TECH camps, but he's too old, 20.</p>
<p>Any help would be appreciated. With this being a "wasted" summer, I'd like son to at least be able to pick up a course that would help him find a job in the future.</p>
<p>You know, if your kid really has experience with C++ and FORTRAN, he should have no problem transitioning to Java. It’s not really the syntax that matters, it’s how he can think and write algorithms and program structures that matter. All he should need is a book. Most Java classes you might find are taught as if he has had no experience programming, so it will do him no good. The syntax is very similar to C++, no worries. In fact, I see Java as C++ with training wheels since they are so similar, but with Java, it’s easier.</p>
<p>Post #5 is correct in that someone who can handle multiple programming languages including C++ should be able to pick up Java on the job quickly and easily.</p>
<p>The main problem is getting a resume past non-technical recruiters and managers who do not realize that this is the case and are looking for an exact resume match to the Java requirement for the job.</p>
<p>It would be a good idea to go through the MIT OCW Java course to know Java well enough to code simple algorithms in Java on a whiteboard during an interview, as well as being able to truthfully claim some knowledge of Java.</p>
<p>^^^Exactly my concern, UCB. In fact, one of the employers he is applying to online asks intro questions before you can even proceed with the application. There is a disclaimer warning against misrepresenting oneself, so son always has to stop there, even though he knows he can handle the job. So frustrating. Just at home here, I see him debug things that even his father, with 35 years computer experience, can’t solve. He is a natural, and I know he will pick up Java with no problem. It’s getting past the keyword applications that’s going to hurt him. His transcript only shows “computer honors course” with no description that he learned Fortran or C++ or SQL, though he lists them on his resume. Same with the courses where he learned SolidWorks and Matlab. Again, he lists them on his resume. </p>
<p>I just got sent a link to an online course titled Introduction to Java Programming, from a technical community college. It appears to be only $89. Do you think this would be too elementary for him? </p>
<p>With regard to the MIT course, does one receive a certificate at the end of that to prove to a potential employer that they completed the class?</p>
<p>Keep one thing in mind. Programming in FORTRAN (or even “C”) is actually much more different than C++ or Java because FORTRAN and “C” are more procedural in syntax and C++ and Java are more object-oriented in syntax.</p>
<p>Probably why computer honors program taught Fortran one semester and C++ the next, so the kids would be exposed to two different types of programming. In researching colleges, some taught either Java or C++, not both. So, if you went to the wrong college, you won’t qualify for those jobs.</p>
<p>Java/C++/MATLAB are all pretty similar in my book. If you can do one, you can do the other. I had an Intro C++ class a year ago, and last semester I was tasked to build a descent sized GUI in MATLAB for a NASA Instruct research grant. I barely noticed the difference, and what was different, MATLAB corrected or pushed me toward the correct syntax.</p>
<p>You don’t need to take a class to truthfully claim to have experience with Java. You just need to spend some time programming in it. If your son has experience with other programming languages, then that community college class will probably be too elementary. I would advise him to work through that MIT course material and get some experience programming in Java. I would also advise him to take projects he’s done before in Fortran/C++ and rewrite them in Java (this will help to familiarize him with how things are done in Java).</p>
<p>^^^That’s a great idea, sumzup! I will suggest that.</p>
<p>His best friend switched from engineering to accounting this semester and had to take what he called “baby computers”. </p>
<p>I do worry about spending money on a programming course as part of a continuing education program, that it will be useless to him. </p>
<p>Husband is actually a programmer, and he said he wants to pick up a book on Visual Studio to learn with son, as some job openings were even looking for that.</p>
<p>As son is a mech eng major, we’re not finding many internships in that field, but lots of openings for people with programming skills, so he’s hoping to get his foot in the door with a programming job and work his way up to an engineering aide when it comes available. Although he’s had two years mech eng under his belt, he doesn’t have a lot of the coursework many of the mech eng jobs are looking for yet.</p>
Yes, but most if not all the standard libraries for C can be utilized in C++.
Being a master at C is really the key to getting a decent backend programming job.
Java is mostly BS. The demand for programmers with strong C fundamentals is greater than those with Java. Java is very easy to pick up.</p>