C++ as a first language!

Hello world! This will be my first blog post ever. I have been itching for a while to start a blog and share my two cents, so off we go.

    I have just began my first class toward earning my degree in computer science and thought that it would be a good conversation starter. I began my life as a geek late in life (at 30). Last year I started getting more interested in automating system administration tasks in my job as a Windows System Admin. That was the beginning of my interest in programming. I started googling for opinions as to the best way to get started. This lead me to ultimately get interested in Linux mostly due to the fact that everything was wide open to learn. I couldn’t seem to get my bearings as to what direction to take. I spent more time then I should have constantly going deeper at every level I would hope to settle in it. The interest I had now was at a much deeper level then scripting or for that matter programming applications. I want to be at the OS/Hardware level and fealt that the best way for me to move forward would be to pursue a degree in computer science. Not as much about the degree but my interests seem to map very closely to the path taken through computer science with a concentration on Operating System design and implementation. Learning by reading alone seems not to work the best for me. Although I am very motivated and focused I just know from getting my degree in Networking Information Systems that no book could compare to the interaction you get in an environment with people from all levels and backgrounds. Not to mention the relationships that can be gained with like minded people.

    For a while I visited Berkeley’s online lectures listening in to get a feel as to what the classes may be like. Needless to say I learned that the beginnings of a computer science education could be very different. The whole thing of functional programming (Scheme) being the best place to start then move closer to the hardware with C after a few terms. In other words some schools seem to be starting students out in C some in Java, C++, Scheme etc. The reasons seem to get religious and even make sense but where I started my education it was neither Scheme or C it was C++. Somewhat in the middle of the two extremes. I seem to be picking things up nicely but I thought I would ask you guys what your opinions are.

    1. Do you think C++ is a good starting point? If not, why?

    2. Where did you attend and what was their philosophy?

    3. How did it ultimately work out for you?

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you all!

Joe