JAVA help for 1st year MSIS student

seekwisdom

Hi

My son is a first year MSIS student and is struggling with JAVA.. I think he didn't pay attention at the beginning and has fallen behind. He feels that 1 to 1 grinds are the answer. Would a night course help? Are there books he should be reading?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

onemorechance

I struggled with Java at the start too, still do! :pac:

The most popular book seems to be Head First Java.

I would recommend this book: Teach Yourself Java 6 in 21 Days.

The first book tries to make learning Java fun, lots of graphic, drawings, jokes etc. I had this book but I did not like it! Maybe I just didn't get the jokes! :pac:

I got the second book and found it very good! I like that it has a set schedule. I used to spend some extra hours in college in the evening trying to do one chapter per day; 21 chapters = 21 days! (There are extra chapters available online).

It will take a few hours to do each chapter, and it's better to spread it out over more than one day if time is tight. There are exercises and questions to do at the end of each chapter, so it's better to do everything rather than skip these just to get a chapter done per day.

I just noticed that there is also a 24 hour book. I assume it's a similar thing, just more condensed information and shorter time needed on each chapter. These books won't teach you everything, but they might be just what your son needs to catch up in class.

Sometimes you can get free chapters online to see if you like before you buy.

seekwisdom

Hi onemorechance

Thanks for your help on this.. I'll pass the information and your recommendations.

To be honest, I think my son is somewhat daunted as he has fallen behind so perhaps he might benefit from 1 to 1 tutorials where a real person could point out how and where he is erring.

My understanding is that there is no substitute for practice but it must be difficult to work out ones mistakes within the coding without reasonable understanding of the language.

Any suggestions on crash JAVA courses or grinds that would relate what he needs to know for MSIS?

Fluffy88

The Head First series takes a slightly different approach to teaching and has a strong emphasis on learning by doing. Head First Java might be a good book to look at. Honestly though, I wouldn't waste money on buying Java books. The library of his college should have a few different Java books available. If I was him I would grab one of them and read through it.

If your son goes to the course lecturers and says he is finding the course difficult they are usually very good and will try help bring him up to scratch, plus they might know of different groups/activities specific to his college that your son might be able to join that will help.

Other than that, you said it, with programming there is no substitute for doing!
I can't emphasis that enough, there is literally millions of online resources available to help with learning and debugging problems you will encounter.

Your son should get some project that interesting him and do it.
Having a project that's of personal interest is the best way to keep you interesting in doing a project and learning. Maybe writing a simple Android App might be of interest, a calculator or something. Perhaps go back to an earlier lab and redo what ever work was involved.

seekwisdom

Thanks Fluffy88
Some really good advice there.
He's spoken with his instructor but didn't get a whole lot of sympathy, 'though was advised to attend extra lab studies.

k.p.h

Try this website. It's a selection of youtube tutorials from a guy call TheNewBoston. It's excellent and really easy to follow with each lesson building on the last.

Also if he has an trouble with any of the maths, a website called The Khan Academy has comprehensive tutorials dealing with all aspects of mathematics.

I found both of these resources invaluable in my first year.

And +1 to all that fluffy said.

onemorechance

Good advice from both, check the library for books and youtube for free lectures and tutorials.

If you still want to go with one-to-one lessons, and not getting much support from the lecturer, then try grinds. The extra lab studies should help, but again might frustrate him also if he really is far behind.

I think that most schools will have a list of later year students who give grinds; usually with a set rate according to their year of study.

Example on NUIG website: http://www.su.nuigalway.ie/grind_adverts/

seekwisdom

Again, thanks for all the help.. I'll pass on this valuable direction and hope that he has the good sense to utilise the resources that have been suggested.

onemorechance, Fluffy88 and k.p.h - thank you sincerely.

I have been a visitor to Boards on many occasions but it's my first time to dip into this well of collective knowledge. I'm hooked and hope that I'll be in a position to repay the kindness at some stage in the future.

Cheers again

Dante

I was in the exact same position in 1st year, and for me personally books were pretty useless. He can learn all the theory he wants, but if he isn't actually sitting down and trying to write programs, its all pointless. I found the best way to learn Java was to sit down and learn it from scratch, doing every little program no matter how basic. Java is all about practice, practice, practice - the more programs you do the more it falls into place.

Also I would definitely advise him to avail of the Programming Support Centre in the Hamilton building (assuming he's in Trinity), this was where I learned pretty much all my Java back in 1st year. In it, there are a staff of post-graduates who are paid by the university to help anyone who is struggling with programming related problems. Its extremely useful because they actually sit you down, help you with problems and, most importantly, actually do programs with you. (Admittedly that was 2 years ago so I don't really know what its like now, however I do know its still around and lecturers are constantly harping on about it) Tbh the best thing for him if he's really struggling is one on one grinds.

seekwisdom

Cheers DaaaaaaaaaaN

That's exactly the advise that i have been trying to impart.. I've mailed him the info that I've received and am hoping that he'll take advantage of it. I'll discuss the options with him but ultimately he will have to plan his own path.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated and just knowing there are folk there who can offer the benefit of their experience is so uplifting.

conor.hogan.2

If TCD is anything like UCD they likely have stopped giving direct advice on actual course code but will still help with general conceptual problems.

Dante

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

If TCD is anything like UCD they likely have stopped giving direct advice on actual course code but will still help with general conceptual problems.

Yea this may be the case, I vaguely remember them getting into a bit of hot water after they got caught doing virtually all our assignments for us a few years ago :pac:

Smithy2306

I got a first in computer science, am now working as a developer, have gotten OCJP certification and I STILL haven't gotten to full grips with java yet. So tell your son it isn't going to happen over night and not to get frustrated. I spend at least an hour a day after work writing my own programs, they can be simple games or systems, to something complicated like a web application. DOING, DOING, DOING is the only way to become good and retain programming skills. Writing small programs he would actually use is also a good idea. But it has to be fun and it can be, otherwise whats the point? I have Head First Java like others mentioned but I personally didn't find it great. Java in Two Semesters is the book I went back to when I wanted to hit the nail on the head. It has a great flow to it and good, simple exercies at the end of each chapter.