<p>ng MATLAB? I am thinking of taking an intro to comp sci course next semester and I was wondering if anyone could give me a little advice on which one to take. Here are somre relevant info:</p>
<p>I am not an engineer but I am focusing on more business related/economic things. I am not sure if comp sci is applicable at all in the business field and if it is, whether or not JAVA or Matlab is more useful?</p>
<p>I have never taken a comp sci course before but I am pretty good in math (especially calc based thing and pretty good in algebra.) So will it be difficult for me to do well in this class (possibly even an A) with studying or is it more of an intuitive class where you either get it or dont?</p>
<p>I took computer science AP immediately with not intro course. After a grueling first semester with a lot of before/after school tutoring, I came out with an A and A+ averages. Therefore, you will have NO PROBLEM taking that course as long as you work at it. Also, it doesn't matter about the language you're taking for programming, it just really helps having that programming background. Many languages are formatted the same, just have different codes.</p>
<p>Matlab requires you to be comfortable with calculus. Java is the intro course that most people end up taking because it doesn't require background knowledge other than "high school mathematics." However, I found Gries, who teaches Java, to be a ridiculously unclear, unhelpful instructor and I know a lot of other people (at various levels of programming knowledge) who felt the same way.</p>
<p>Matlab is very much math based. It has its main utility in its vector functionality, which makes it perfect for engineering applications.</p>
<p>Java has a much broader base of applications, but from my experience helping kids with Java and computer science in general, you either get it, or you don't.</p>
<p>Your level of comfort with calculus should have no role in your programming ability. Programming concepts are much more tied to number theory, functions, iterations, set theory, and conditionals.</p>
<p>As long as you can "learn to think" like a programmer, you can become a successful programmer. But you have to clear that first LARGE hurdle first.</p>
<p>As far as an A goes, I doubt it. Most of the programming courses are a lot of projects, which are graded pretty harshly.</p>