Last week, I spoke about my embarkment into the wide world of computer science. Over the week, it was my goal to further that knowledge. I wanted to build a foundation of knowledge after dipping my toes in the water. I figured a college class would be the most reliable form of learning this information, so I did a quick search. Approximately .037 seconds later, I had thousands of videos available to me. My eyes (and cursor) were instantly attracted to the three letters in the title. The video title read “Lec 1 MIT Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, Fall 2008.” Go big or go home, right? I’ve always wanted to go to MIT, I might as well do it now (sitting on a couch, for free!).
I watched the video and was amazed. Every idea I had about college lectures and lessons was instantly proven invalid. The professors (there were two that alternated) were both nice, caring, and funny. They went out of their way to let students know that what they were doing can be difficult, and were understanding enough to help them. They also knew that they were dealing with students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and expected greatness. I am beyond excited for a college experience like this.
While I am basically a part-time student at MIT now (pathetic sarcasm), I am still excited to learn even more. After watching six hours of lectures on Computer Science, and even doing the homework assigned after a few of them, I feel like I have developed an even greater understanding of how little I actually know. There is so much knowledge in the world. The hardest decision I will ever make is choosing one of them to master. On the plus side, this means that I am wise in the eyes of the Greek philosopher Socrates. I’ll end with a quote:
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”
Have a great break, and thanks for reading!
-Charlie