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From: debenedi@yale-comix.UUCP (Robert DeBenedictis)
Newsgroups: net.college
Subject: Re: C.S. Dept. woes
Message-ID: <3433@yale-comix.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 17-Apr-84 15:06:36 EST
Article-I.D.: yale-com.3433
Posted: Tue Apr 17 15:06:36 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Apr-84 19:00:35 EST
References: <2540@csu-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Yale University CS Dept., New Haven CT
Lines: 28

I have a question for all you comp sci students out there.

I've noticed that the courses for the major here tend to fall in a
continuum from practical to theoretical.  The practical ones basically
teach you The Fundamentals of Programming (loops, recursion, pascal,
etc.).  The theoretical ones try to help you understand the mathematical
basis for computer science.  The practical courses are good BUT you sometimes
get the impression that you might be only learning Yet Another Operating
System and Yet Another Language.  The theory cousres are good BUT you
wonder how'll they'll ever apply to anything you might end up doing in the
real world (unless you plan to work at a university).

The question: Where do you (the students) like the line drawn?
	      Which type of courses do you prefer?

I realize this belongs in net.cse (Comp Sci Education) BUT I'm a student,
not a teacher.  I want to hear what my fellow stidents feel about this.
It seems likely to me that the "Academic Establishment" would favor getting
people excited about theoretical issues so that more people would want to
study the theoretical issues, which is conveniently done within the "Academic
Establishment."  [If this last paragraph reads like tautological paranoia it
is because I've not bothered to remove the obvious contradictions in my
thought.]

"Now, We're Never Alone"
Another Message In The Bottle from
Robert DeBenedictis
decvax!yale-comix!debenedi