<p>Use C unless you are CS/ CpE major. Why? C is very powerful language, but it is considered low due to its nature when you compare it to Java and C++.</p>
<p>When I had Python for the first time, my professor asked why wouldn’t anyone want to program a web service in C? We know C is powerful, and Python is not close to it. But time and money matter in practice!!!</p>
<p>Unless you are going to write an operating system, you probably don’t want to write C program. C is consider a difficult language for beginners, especially if you never really need to understand how data and algorithm work. </p>
<p>I’d go with either combinations: Java, C++, or C++, Python.</p>
<p>To answer your question:
What are some things a civil engineer could use a language like java for? </p>
<p>Let’s answer this question instead: “What can a computer program do?”
Now you got the answer.</p>
<p>And yes, Matlab and other mathematical applications are consider important for engineering people.
I don’t count MATLAB as a programming language. It is just another “toolbox” with the ability to write programs.</p>
<p>Fortran and Coblt are still used intensively in military and business sectors.</p>