Blog 6

I interviewed Michael, a friend and Computer Science major who graduated a couple years ago. He attended both UNI and ISU, and in the interview, he briefly discussed the differences between studying Computer Science at each university.

• What did you learn as a Computer Science major?

As a Computer Science major, I first learned all about the history of computing and its role in people's daily lives. I studied the underlying workings of computer electronic components and how to create useful computer applications to make large and difficult problems easier to solve. In advanced courses, we learned about the limits of computation and the difficulties of trying to manage the development of complex systems, as well as the general philosophy and ethics of technology as it is applied to our world and in our businesses.

• How do you view creativity now?

I view creativity as an important part of the programming process. What makes programming a lot of fun is that you are essentially creating a thinking being that does work for you. The creative process consists of you selecting which methods to solve the problem and how the information flows into, through and out of your creation - almost like a painting or designing a building. In school you are taught many different standard ways that common problems can be solved. Those are the building blocks which can be arranged in a variety of ways to achieve the program's goal and optimize it for speed and simplicity.

• To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?

I view it as a powerful tool to make everyone's lives easier and providing them with compressed, aggregated information with which to make better-informed decisions. I wish everyone knew how to do it.

• What classes did you take?

Intro to Computers, Programming 101/102, Intro to Programming Languages, Intro to Algorithms, Data Structures, Computer Engineering 210, Compilers, Computer Graphics, Developmental Robotics, Physics 221/222, Calculus I/II, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Statistics, Honors English, History 201, Biology, Philosophy of Technology, Intro to Psychology, Sociology, Developmental Psychology, Speech Communication, German 101/102, Meteorology and Intro to Music Listening

*Unlike almost all Universities, Iowa State includes Computer Science as part of the College of Liberal Arts instead of the College of Engineering. Therefore, more liberal arts classes are required for Com Sci undergrads than at other colleges. ISU feels this makes the programmers better communicators and expands their world view.

• Which programming languages do you know?

C, C++, Java, Perl and various other smaller scripting languages. Most programming languages are very similar and a programmer can learn a new one in a short amount of time.

• What are you doing now?

I moved to Des Moines recently to get a job at a bigger company. I'm also looking at graduate school possibilities and perhaps rejoining the video game industry.

• How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?

Project collaboration is so much fun to do. It's also a lot more social than solo programming. But usually you will find someone who has abilities to complement yours and you can get things done a lot faster and work off of each others' energy and excitement for the project.