So now I am a junior at my school, I put forth much effort in becoming as proficient as I can in what they teach me, but yet, as I frequently read /., it seems I know almost nothing of computer science as it relates to the real world. Also, many job descriptions that I look at for junior programmers list requirements such as C, Perl, PHP, C++, but all I have learned so far is java and assembly. Hopefully I can squeeze in C before I graduate but the other languages are not even taught at my school. I know that after learning a language such as java, in addition to all the background computer theory stuff and what not, that it is supposed to be relatively simple to learn the other languages, still I would think there must be considerable time required to become proficient at them. So should I try to start teaching myself these other languages now? It would be difficult to do along with the 18-20 credit hours I take per semester, but is this what it takes to land a good job right after graduation? Also I have been maintaining a 4.0 GPA, do you think this will help at all, or have I been stressing out over something that nobody will even notice?
I really appreciate any input on this as I do not want to graduate school only to find that I can't get a job that will support my family.

"I know that after learning a language such as java, in addition to all the background computer theory stuff and what not, that it is supposed to be relatively simple to learn the other languages, still I would think there must be considerable time required to become proficient at them."

After you know several computer languages then learning a new one eventually becomes trivial. I have written programs in a new language by looking at a sample reference program for structure and looking up the syntax in a reference manual as I go. But that ability is based on a lot of language independent programming knowledge that you probably have not learned yet. You will learn that by programming with a team of programmers. The lead programmer on your first project will teach you a lot about getting a working application out the door as quickly as possible.

"So should I try to start teaching myself these other languages now? It would be difficult to do along with the 18-20 credit hours I take per semester, but is this what it takes to land a good job right after graduation? "

Potential employers will want you to be proficient in the language that they program in. If you are not then that is just more things you have to be trained in. The manager will tend to hire the person who requires the least training to reach a decent level of productive work. I think that you should learn either C or C++. If you have a choice take C++ because anyone who knows C++ knows C but the reverse is not true.

"Also I have been maintaining a 4.0 GPA, do you think this will help at all, or have I been stressing out over something that nobody will even notice?"

Your grade average is a tremendous asset for your first job. Potential employers place great emphasis on hiring somebody who learns fast so that the new programmer reaches a productive level quickly. Your GPA is a guarentee that you are intelligent and hard working. Also the academic reputation of the school that you attend is important. After you have worked for a few years then a potential employer will be far more interested in your work experience than in your college GPA..

"it seems I know almost nothing of computer science as it relates to the real world."

True. Programming is only a minor part of data processing. System analysis, data management, data center management, system engineering and so forth are also taught in college these days and you should look into these and related subjects. Many students consider them to be BS because they tend to be a higher level of abstraction than programming but jobs in these areas pay more than programming. For example could you design and put togather the computer hardware, software, and communication lines necessary to run a grocery store and to communicate the sales, inventory, and payroll information to the main office? If you can you can make about 50% more than a programmer. A typical entry level job is to work for the person who is creating the grocery store system and writing the programs to the specs he draws up.


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Steve Stites

Also, when searching for your new job as a code-monkey... you might want to look into moving to India.

I WOULD go about teaching yourself the other languages...

A guy in my LUG, who teaches CS at the college my father teaches physics at, is fond of saying "Friends don't let friends code in Java,..."

You'll find those biases out in the world, so get comfortable with C, C++ and Perl and PHP as well.

Thankyou for the great answers, it seems then the best path will be to continue the strongest concentration on current studies and becoming completely fluent in java and also work on C++ on the side. Its great to learn.