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ajiboyet (m)
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Hello everyone, I'm a new member. And I'm a what?
A Programming freak
Even though my age is given by the expression
12<x<14
(where x is my age), I'm almost through with my first program - an encryption algorithm. I Love programming, an awful lot, and I was sooooooooooooooo happy when I found this board, and It was quite surprising that there's something like this in Nigeria. I'm not dissing Nigeria - I'm from Kwara (Irepodun) afterall.
Now the main koko - I need a little help
I want to end up a programmer. I'm not sure - getting a B.Sc in CSC - how far will that take me? and i've not seen anything SE in Nigerian universities. The koko is - what do I do in uni?
Please reply everybody - and sorry if i bored you with my personal stuff.
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Ynot (m)
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Welcome ajiboyet. In this Land, you will find the good, the bad and the not so good. Be yourself and you will learn a lot, meet new people and/or even make few good friends.
Programming is a fun art and fascinating as well. I suggest you go for computer science and get your university education just like everybody else (if you have the opportunity). You don't know when/where you might need it. There are other things University education will expose you to beside your hobby or in this case programming. Yes, most school in Nigeria will not teach you the real thing (maybe they don't know) about programming but, don't forget you can always learn stuff yourself and there are tons of free information out there on cyberspace.
Good to know you've started doing some programming on you own. Keep it up. Ask questions if you need help, i'm sure someone here will provide you with an answer or point you to where you can get it.
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Zahymaka (m)
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Hi. I'm 17, also a programmer and studied on my own -- I'm still studying.
I suggest you try to leave the country. When I discovered I'm better than most gradautes, I came down here and am studying Computer Science in the USA.
I'm a bit impatient because I'm above the level of my classes but at least I know I'll still reach a level where I'll have something to learn. In Nigeria, there's no such assurance in schools where you're taught archaic languages like Fortran without even a computer.
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skima (m)
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I will advice u start learn right on your own and always make sure you come online to check for new things. That will give you challenge and be upto date. University education whether in or outside NIgeria, if u have the opportunity of learning abroad no probs, but If u want to learn in Nigeria make sure u take a computer course outside and if u think thats a waste of time get connected at home, join groups online and help solve problem. Make sure u get return because most people get discouraged if what is coming seem to be too late. Make money with your knowledge go for certification etc. Dont look at your age or set a barrier for your self. If you really want to go forward. And stay focus!!!  |
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sbucareer (f)
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ajiboyet, at 13yrs you're this good with programming? It reminds me of myself at your age. I have already started writing QBasic, old Microsoft shell script that later become VB Visual Basic.
Although, you have not told us the language you are good at, but I will be assuming a less complicated language. I was fortunate my dad works for a foreign company that give him computer at home as his job was more into computer. I was able to learn with it.
Anyway, study or no study. Abroad or no abroad, the thing is, most IT Billionaires did not go or finished University QED. The only thing they had was a PC (Personal Computer) at home or where their dad work. It started as hacking, planting malicious code and coming back to the company to tell them I can remove the bug or solve the problem. This is how many people today became billionaire. The thing is they were there at the right time, the birth of computer.
Now, computer has become more popular, believe me nothing to do again. Programs have been taught and written, ideas have been formulated and re-invented. Nothing else for us to do than maintain the current systems.
The next final frontier is the space. Satellite communication, wireless application, anything to do with space is where you should be heading. If I can honestly give myself advice and people, seriously you should not study computer because computer is a hobby, very soon everyone will know that thing you know.
In London, a cleaning job requires some sort of IT skill and even certs. Can you imagine? Because most cleaning equipments come computerized. So IT certs will soon be legal prerequisite for any jobs in near future.
My advice is to keep IT as a hobby and study some useful course in the university that will guarantee you job after graduation i.e. Engineering, Biomedics, Data Satellite communication etc. if you really want to go into IT and learn, study this unit, it is the core junction of computer course. The unit information management is the center of IT. Again, it allows you to study business course modules and bridge that cultural-gap between IT and business students.
Finally, any course you study, learning IT will be easy for you. I know many law student that did IT at their MSc and with ease. The thing is that IT can be learn any time any age. But not all units in higher education can be learn at anytime any age.
Good luck in your quest for knowledge and make Nairaland your choice of IT information.
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ajiboyet (m)
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Thanks everyone sbucareer, I program in JB (JustBasic, a dialect of BASIC). In case you want it, check out www.justbasic.com it's easy to use and it comes with a runtime engine so u can make stand-alone programs Going abroad? Probability is zero. My father believes strongly in CU, and any other university is counterfeit. Nna men, una don step up ooooooooooo. When someone is talking about C, I'm still writing BASIC. WEll, I hope to step up to VB myself soon, so, I'm not bad, at least, i'm only thirteen. I've a friend (my best friend actually) who wants to study SE, and , Please reply and say something that'll lift my spirit. Thanks. |
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Seun (m)
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My own advice: Learn PHP/MySQL and start building dynamic websites.
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Zahymaka (m)
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Not everyone is interested in web development. I'm interested in web development but not as much as in security and cryptography.
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ajiboyet (m)
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Well,
If there is programming I do not like, then it's HTML, and other web-related stuff. I tried my hands on HTML once before, and it was pathetic. All my efforts were in vain. And maybe I didn't have proper learning. But I don't like all them PHP/SQL and all those stuff.
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vanso (m)
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Where do you intend to study Nigeria or Abroad ? I'D advice you to study Mathematics as studying computer science is a waste of time. Pick up any book on programming C and you are good to go.
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sbucareer (f)
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ajiboyet, I'D thought HTML is the simplest language on earth I know of today. Even JustBasic is harder to HTML. HTML is just tags already written for you. You don't program HTML, you learn the tags and use it. All the tags you'D even needed is provided for you by W3C.
You NEVER program HTML. It is like writing word document. Did I say word Document? HTML is a document for the web. Like you use bold in the word document to highlight a word in bold and use italic to emphasis a phrase and use font, size color, ruler, align, position etc to formate your page that is how you use HTML tags to formate a web page, it is that simple.
Example of HTML tags are:
1. <b>Nairaland</b>
2. <font>Nairaland</font>
3. <size>Nairaland</size>
4.<table></table>
The thing is that when you use a tag <>, you must close it </>. The reason is that, for example if you want to bold a word you must tell the browser where to start and stop. If you don't it will bold every word, which is probably what you don't want. So, using tags in this way helps to tell the parser, which is the compiler that bold a word from here to there. ie. <b>Tutuorial</b>
There are hundreds of these tags defined by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) to help developer design web document. Like the way only MS word document can render a .doc extension file, that is how only browser can render a .htm, .html and other web related documents file.
You can use word document to design a simple web site. Write a good word document file and go to "save as" in the "save as type" select web, your document would be converted to internet document.
With you experience with Basic I am quite surprise you find it difficult to write a HTML document for the web. This is not joke, I learn HTML in just under one day, and so do many other people here and else where that want to involve their life with IT.
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vanso (m)
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How about this sbucareer, You'D be shocked how many developers don't know how to use word, myself included.  |
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Zahymaka (m)
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Microsoft Word is not standard software to use -- it's just that it's popular. I use OpenOffice.org on my system because it works for me -- and it's better.
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sbucareer (f)
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Even if you do not like HTML that much or do not understand the tag libraries, you can define your tags by writing your on DTD (Document Type Definition) by using XML.
You do not need to use W3C recommended tags. You can develop your own HTML tags and tell browser where to find the DTD for the parser to translate.
XML, (Extensive Markup Language) is a powerful DTD. Even Microsoft word document uses DTD to map all the formating within the document UI. All the code is written behind the software so you do not have to see it.
If you want to write your own parser for your HTML DTD by using XML, is very easy. Just learn XML and write your DTD and tell XML where the DTD is and Use any language to write the parser. You can use java JAX (Java API for XML) for your parser.
Here is example of a DTD file called html.dtd
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE html [
<!ELEMENT html (b,font,heading,body)>
<!ELEMENT b (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT font (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT heading (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT body (#PCDATA)>]>
Here is example of a XML making use of html.dtd file
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE html SYSTEM "html.dtd">
<html>
<b>Bold</to>
<font>12</font>
<heading>Nairaland</heading>
<body>Learn XML using DTD</body>
</html>
Here is your web document file, making use of your DTD
var xmlDoc = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
xmlDoc.async="false"
xmlDoc.validateOnParse="true"
xmlDoc.load("html.xml")
document.write("<b>Nairaland</b> ")
document.write(xmlDoc.parseError.errorCode)
document.write("<font>What do you like</font> ")
document.write(xmlDoc.parseError.reason)
document.write("<b>Error Line</b> ")
document.write(xmlDoc.parseError.line)
This is just an overview, you can learn more from goole search.
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sbucareer (f)
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The whole idea is that if you do not like W3C recommendation for HTML tags, you can develop your tags by using DTD and XML technologies to write your own tags for the web. The problem is that only you would be able to use it. Nobody would want to learn your recommendations, since there is a well known and proven recommendation for HTML tag out there
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chegxy
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i don't thik it is necessaryb to attend a institution to know the basics of IT because there are no facilities in our higher institutin of today. one has learn on his or her own.
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Ogisosoft (m)
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I wish to advice you togo polytechinic if you want to be a skill programmer or skill system analyst, because na poly wey i go. also be serious, i love computer sci. more than any other field. i had only ND for now but i am being developing many costomised progmm for company and offices, also into h/w mains, wed design, Currently i am working in a communication company as a Network engr. poly have more skill than uni please choose what is better.
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smartsoft (m)
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Well in my own case i'm just 19+ and i study in a polytechnic and the leaurers are afraid to teach the student rubbish because they know someone is here that kind of know something morethan the student, sometimes they call me and ask me somethings and right now they want me to manage the school website, the last time i was in the lab, i was really building a software and i did everything and i could remember that my software was sold out without them telling me,
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alexis (m)
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ajiboyet,
I will advice you buy programming books and read. You can get mathematics books as well. Anything that will keep your brain working.
Contrary to what most people will tell you, I will advice you to work for yourself because you can never make the kind of money you want working for someone else. You can work after school and all but most good developers work on contract basis. There are still 1001 and one things to do with the computer and there are still 1001 technologies that haven't made it to our country, so the computer industry is very much promising.
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c0dec (m)
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There are still 1001 and one things to do with the computer and there are still 1001 technologies that haven't made it to our country
binary or decimal  |
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Seun (m)
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I don't advice young people to be too quick to think that they know exactly what they want to do with their lives. It is highly unlikely. When I was your age, I wanted to be a programmer and nothing else. When I finally got the chance to work as a programmer, I discovered something: I don't enjoy writing code for others. Even though enjoy solving complex puzzles by programming, I couldn't live the life of a programmer because I don't enjoy writing practical code. However, if programming is what you want to do as a career, Computer Science/Engineering is the right course to study. The degree is going to assure employers that you understand the basic concepts of computing. Then you can use your spare time in school and during internship to learn real skills, get certified, tackle real problems, and start making money. Money is really good; it's always nice to be able to make money doing what you love. |
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my2cents (m)
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I am currently working with 2 people who have no comp sc degree but yet are one of our best - one in history, the other in arts  Just wanted to add a word or 2. It has to do with something I hear not only here in the US but on this forum: Just because a programming language is hard for you to understand or may seem too easy, does not mean it is "pathetic", "crappy" or any other variation of these words. You gotta b careful that in saying what you say you don't end up discouraging people who would otherwise be fellow programmers. Every language has its purposes. In the end, it's all about your logic. Logic will always remain the same. Remember, our fingers are not the same length. You may be a very smart C# programmer, but a very dumb panel beater. Everyone is smart in their own respect. Let us be careful in our choice of words. Now that I hv that off my chest, time to go continue watching Mexico v Iran. I think someone just took a shot |
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kazey (m)
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you should study Software Engineering in the University. Or study any social sciences and in your leisure time, learn programming and get certification after the degree.
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lagerwhenindoubt (m)
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I think you should study a course related to IT, it helps a lot when you go job hunting. i have a degree in Business Administration, but work as a programmer/developer/network dude/trainer/web-man/consultant. i always get the default stereotyped resistance from clients and prospects as to whether i am capable of delivering, not having "degreed" in the field. but it is not all about learning and academics. in the real world, it is all about delivery
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pfowighz (m)
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First Smartsorf u said ure 19!!! I saw your website, OK to Ajiboyet. First I don't really advice you to study Comp Science. It really depends partially on your math/science ratio: if (ratio>> (very much greater than one) 1) { u should prob got for comp sci, math, or smthg and aim for low-level porgramming/systems programming, etc; } else if (ratio<<1) { then prob go for engineering (elect, preferably), CIS, SE, Business, etc i.e VERY practical stuff; } else continue; // lol Now, I really don't advice you to go to a Poly, neither do I advice you to go to a univ., expecting to get real-world skills! Fact is, Poly is much better with the skills thing, BUT (TO ME, at least using MY idea of POLY's) t'll be like selling yourself short. You just wont have the Mathematical/theoretical skills-enough to create certain (types of) solutions, With all due respect (WADP) to ma Poly Pips. Plus Univs gather more high profile intellectuals (prob like yourself):- good for exchange of ideas from diff fields; baseline is; u really can't beat the whole UNIVERS Eity concept! PLUS Alexis has serious points there for ya (and me) to (Seriously) consider: ajiboyet,
I will advice you buy programming books and read. You can get mathematics books as well. Anything that will keep your brain working.
Contrary to what most people will tell you, I will advice you to work for yourself because you can never make the kind of money you want working for someone else. You can work after school and all but most good developers work on contract basis. @ Great Money-Making Admin! (Seun) I don't advice young people to be too quick to think that they know exactly what they want to do with their lives. It is highly unlikely. , yeah, but, like You really MUST start somewhere: Thats what is killing Nigeria (Africa?). Ever seen any 13 yr old Chess International Master, or how many of much-talented <Ahem> students can even make bronze in International Math, Physics, Olympiads? An average Bronze winner in the IMO, for instance would outshine a 300L student of our best univs!!! Did Williams Gates wait to be sure before starting programming? OR Did he wait to graduate (from the best skul in da world, which he was in!!!) before starting his company. Its all about whats called PASSION: with that, you can make previous pupu worth millions!!! OK, Cheers and good luck to Ajib, , now, back to Google searching for free Win 32 Applications C++ source-codes (for learning, hey, I aint so young too oh!),  |
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ishmael (m)
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Pfowighz, have u ever studied computer science in any polytechnic in nigeria before? How comes u know that there wont be enough mathematical/theoretical skills to grab in the poly? Try and get the course curriculum for ND/HND computer science from NBTE and see for yourself. Stop degrading polytechnics. After all some one earlier said that he is working as a programmer for a big IT company with just ND in computer science; where did he get the skills from? Enough maths courses dey there u hear?
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sbucareer (f)
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Computer Science/Studies do not necessary need all Mathematics modules. As a computer science student you ONLY need one branch of Maths Module called Discrete/Logic Maths.
The only people that study full mathemetics are BEng in the department of Media and digital signalling processing and other Graphic intensive courses i.e Gaming.
If your ambition is to become a game programmer you should consider BEng rather to BSc. Not that BSc Computer students cannot become a game developer, but it will be quite a challenging one.
Look at a typical BSc Computer Science studies at University. It says Computing Mathematics. Therefore Computers has got there own maths.
But it could be helpfull if you know maths but NOT necessary a math guru to make it in IT. Say the truth programmer, do you need maths when you are programming or logic when you are programming? I definitely know I need logic.
Look at another course on digital processing at university
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pfowighz (m)
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Pfowighz, have u ever studied computer science in any polytechnic in nigeria before? How comes u know that there wont be enough mathematical/theoretical skills to grab in the poly? Try and get the course curriculum for ND/HND computer science from NBTE and see for yourself. Stop degrading polytechnics. After all some one earlier said that he is working as a programmer for a big IT company with just ND in computer science; where did he get the skills from? Enough maths courses dey there u hear? Now, Ishmael, I don't know where to start from.  First, you could read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PolytechnicsFirst, lets look at the Logic of your assertion: I DO NOT need to have studied Comp Sci in any Poly in Nigeria to KNOW about it!!! The whole concept of Poly's makes it inevitable that more emphasis is placed on garnering of practical skills than going on theoretical adventures, most of the time. In my post I explicitly stated that Polys are MUCH better with Skills acquisition. I also adviced him not to go to a univ with the expectation of getting very much real-life skills. I ALSO said that Polys would not give you math skills-enough to create CERTAIN (please note the emphasis now) types of solutions. These simply mean that Polys and Univs (naturally) both have their short-comings, But of course, it doesnt mean that Poly graduates ALL don't have the skills? Of course not! They read up on their own! Find ways! Or Univ students don't have skills? NO! They go for ITs unpaid work, just to get much needed skills. So I really don't see how my post, in any way, infers the opposite, what with your replys: @Ishmael stop degrading polytechnics. After all some one earlier said that he is working as a programmer for a big IT company with just ND in computer science; where did he get the skills from? If you wanted more instances, you could have just said so, rather than accusing me (falsely, I must say) of, what, degrading! Polys.  Abeg oh Bross, I offend ya before? Plus, I also gave the possibility that there are nice Polys by clearly stating that I am speaking with MY OWN IDEA OF POLYs. In the US, their Polys are very much like Universities. But there still is some slight inclination by Polys in the US to the sciences, technology, IT, etc. yet they are wonderfull; even our own Gabriel Oyibo (of GAGUT fame, ) lectures (or used to lecture; let me check it up now) at RPI in the US! USs oldest technological university, its called. www.rpi.edu. The Worlds best (or 2nd best) university MIT was actually formed as a Polytechnic (in its general form, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytechnics) See, Ishmael, I have MANY Friends, relations, colleagues, etc that went to/study in/WORK in Polys, so Trust Me on these. And Although I have tried hard to be fair on Polys and Univs too, please note that you cannot compare Poly's (in Nigeria, and some outside) quality to Univ quality. Why? Cuz they are plain different; serve different roles. It would be tantamount to adding mouses to keyboards!  And please oh, Computer Science DOES require a lot of math skills, particularly Abstract/Pure, Logic, but, of course, not necessarily a math guru. Just like Engineering requires both some abstract math, logic and also Applied math skills. Just ask pips in (or who graduated from) Univs how much math they had to learn compared to what they expected. |
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ishmael (m)
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Pfowighz, no wahala, we are still together. Its just that you need to see d mathematical courses they do in nigerian polytechnics in computer science.
Logic & Linear algebra
Trigonometry & analytical geometry
Elementary probability theory
Descriptive statistics
Calculus
Numerical methods
Operational Research 1 & 2
Advanced calculus
Advanced Algebra
Statistical Theory 1 & 2
And they are compulsory courses; coupled with programming. Dont u think these are enough to make u mathematically/theoretically skillful?
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pfowighz (m)
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Yeah, Ishmael. And, thats why I made the statement: (TO ME, at least using MY idea of POLY's) . Polys (and Univs) are different; Given! Fact is, which Poly are you talkin about, because I can name lots of Polys that DO NOT do that much. Also, to what DEPTH do they go in these things? Some top-schools abroad actually require say 2 - 3 math courses, but the course LOAD, IS, well lets just say, MIGHTY! Bottom line; Univs definitely do more and in more depth. Now, remember, Oh: There are Univs and there ARE Univs, |
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ishmael (m)
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All polytechnics in nigeria do that. Yoy must do all these maths courses before getting HND computer science in nigeria. Pally nigerian polytechnics are not what you think o; practicals and academic work are combined together. I use to use the same maths text books with university BEng guys when i was in the polytechnic to study and to do my assignments. I use to teach some of them what they don't know and needed to know. Pally the whole idea boils down on individual skills and not you going to poly or uni.
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ishmael (m)
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Polytechnics/HND in nigeria is different from polytechnics/HND in europe and america. In nIgeria it takes 5 years to get HND while in so many countries its 2 or 3 years; so there must be a difference in the HND curriculum in nigeria from those who spend just 2 or 3 years in other countries.
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