General motivation. - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

TheBrit · 05-03-2005, 10:21 AM

It can't be just me?
If I have a project to do, I can quickly evaluate what the best language to do it with will be (out of PHP, perl, java, C, C++ and, errr, Fortran

.)
Anyway, the problem I have is that I'll look up what I need to know to solve my problem (usually something maths based), solve it, and then go on and forget about the whole thing again.
I'm still in education, so I won't be getting a programming job for some time, if ever. The problem I have is that I just can't learn it unless I have something real to work towards. If it's something like designing a system to share files from one computer to another I'll tend to find a solution that doesn't involve reinventing the wheel.
Anyway, what I'm asking is if anybody else had the same problem, and what sort of thing they did to get themelves motivated to actually do something. Buying books is not a problem, as long as they're published by O'Reilly or one of their partners (Sams, etc.)

skaven · 05-03-2005, 11:25 AM

Yeah that has always been a problem for me in my degree. All the programs I had to write in my 100, 200, and 300-level courses were really basic (and boring). Since I already knew how to program in C, C++, and Perl when I arrived in college, these assignments didn't challenge me at all. I usually just cranked out the assignments the night before they were due.

However, when I got to my senior-level classes....things changed a LOT. In my analysis of algorithms class we had to write very complicated sorting and data structure manipulation routines then test their execution speed. While the algorithms themselves have been around for ages, actually getting them into code was quite a challenge and very fun. In my software engineering course I put together (with a team of 6 people) a very complicated PHP-based webpage. This project was sufficiently challenging that I really got into it. In my robotics course I worked with a team of 4 people to write 3-d simulations of robot arms and calculate joint positions and stuff. Learned a lot about OpenGL and coding in Windows (first time I had ever done that) in that class. And then of course my microcomputer systems course, where I've been writing drivers for a USB host controller that I built for an Atmel ARM embedded processor.

So my advice to you is to just keep plugging away at it. Don't let the early courses get you discouraged. Just make the grades and then you'll get some really challenging projects later on.

Robaggio · 05-03-2005, 01:06 PM

I'm the same thing as skaven. I do my programming assignments the night before they're due. Meanwhile the rest of the class can spend weeks without anything to show for it except a bunch of bugs.

Try and motivate yourself by programming something on your own time. Find a niche that hasn't been met, then write a program to fit it. As for me, I keep myself motivated by making games.

skaven · 05-03-2005, 04:21 PM

I write a bunch of stuff on the side, too. I maintain a messageboard and keep my servers running smoothly. I also write scripts to make my life easier when the urge strikes me. Gotta stay sane somehow those first 2-3 years of college!

05-03-2005, 10:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
TheBrit Psycho	General motivation. It can't be just me? If I have a project to do, I can quickly evaluate what the best language to do it with will be (out of PHP, perl, java, C, C++ and, errr, Fortran .) Anyway, the problem I have is that I'll look up what I need to know to solve my problem (usually something maths based), solve it, and then go on and forget about the whole thing again. I'm still in education, so I won't be getting a programming job for some time, if ever. The problem I have is that I just can't learn it unless I have something real to work towards. If it's something like designing a system to share files from one computer to another I'll tend to find a solution that doesn't involve reinventing the wheel. Anyway, what I'm asking is if anybody else had the same problem, and what sort of thing they did to get themelves motivated to actually do something. Buying books is not a problem, as long as they're published by O'Reilly or one of their partners (Sams, etc.)

05-03-2005, 11:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
skaven Insane Location: Austin, TX	Yeah that has always been a problem for me in my degree. All the programs I had to write in my 100, 200, and 300-level courses were really basic (and boring). Since I already knew how to program in C, C++, and Perl when I arrived in college, these assignments didn't challenge me at all. I usually just cranked out the assignments the night before they were due. However, when I got to my senior-level classes....things changed a LOT. In my analysis of algorithms class we had to write very complicated sorting and data structure manipulation routines then test their execution speed. While the algorithms themselves have been around for ages, actually getting them into code was quite a challenge and very fun. In my software engineering course I put together (with a team of 6 people) a very complicated PHP-based webpage. This project was sufficiently challenging that I really got into it. In my robotics course I worked with a team of 4 people to write 3-d simulations of robot arms and calculate joint positions and stuff. Learned a lot about OpenGL and coding in Windows (first time I had ever done that) in that class. And then of course my microcomputer systems course, where I've been writing drivers for a USB host controller that I built for an Atmel ARM embedded processor. So my advice to you is to just keep plugging away at it. Don't let the early courses get you discouraged. Just make the grades and then you'll get some really challenging projects later on.

05-03-2005, 01:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
Robaggio Crazy	I'm the same thing as skaven. I do my programming assignments the night before they're due. Meanwhile the rest of the class can spend weeks without anything to show for it except a bunch of bugs. Try and motivate yourself by programming something on your own time. Find a niche that hasn't been met, then write a program to fit it. As for me, I keep myself motivated by making games.

05-03-2005, 04:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
skaven Insane Location: Austin, TX	I write a bunch of stuff on the side, too. I maintain a messageboard and keep my servers running smoothly. I also write scripts to make my life easier when the urge strikes me. Gotta stay sane somehow those first 2-3 years of college!