Why women don't study computer programming - AAR of my first class

[Josquius]

50:50? Wow, surprising. When I  did my bachellors there were only 3 or 4 girls out of around 40 or 50 people.

[merithyn]

I'm amazed they even tried to introduce a social aspect to programming I suspect after this introduction this sort of interaction won't even bother you when you get into doing some actual programming.

I started my IT degree in 1986, when no-one owned a home computer and the World Wide Web was still three years away, and my class was 50:50 male to female. I found the same ratio in the industry when I joined, with a leaning towards more women in software testing. It'd be sad if that had swung back the other way.

The age thing is a factor at first but soon fades. I've moved into an industry where the next in age to me in my team is 15 years younger and some of my colleagues were born in the 90s... I recommend getting drunk with your classmates.

I think that's shifted quite a bit now, B, unfortunately. It is incredibly rare to find women in these types of classes, as my professor's reaction shows. It seems like the classes tend to cater more toward the hacker mentality now, which most women (and older students) don't really get, or want to get.

I'll stick with this because I want the certificate. I want to learn the job, and this is how I do it. But I'll be honest, the idea of walking back into that classroom again gives me a little bit of a stomach ache. I may cut my hair, bind my chest, and dress in a suit for the duration of the semester. 

[merithyn]

I'm glad that Meri is showing tolerance toward the socially-inept community 

The professor is clearly well-meaning, the young males are assholes of course but that is axiomatic........young men are assholes 

I don't think they're assholes. I think they, like the professor, just don't know what to do with a woman in their midst, especially one that's old enough to be their mother, as PP so kindly pointed out. I'm sure on some level they were thinking that at least in this class they wouldn't have to worry about it... and then I show up. Ta-da! 

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'm sure it will be fine once they get used to you.

[dps]

I recommend getting drunk with your classmates.

Yeah, Meri, you buy, and the 18-20 year olds in your class will have no problem with you.

[merithyn]

I recommend getting drunk with your classmates.

Yeah, Meri, you buy, and the 18-20 year olds in your class will have no problem with you.

I'm the one raising four kids - two of whom are in college! I'm fairly sure they have a lot more extra cash on them than I do. They should be buying for me! 

[CountDeMoney]

Lulz, Meri's got more MLIF-induced boners pointed her way than Boy Scouts looking for water with divining rods in the desert.

[merithyn]

Lulz, Meri's got more MLIF-induced boners pointed her way than Boy Scouts looking for water with divining rods in the desert.

Uh.. thanks?

[merithyn]

I know what I'll do. Rather than hiding in a corner, I'll show up to my next class in this dress:



Nothing like going overboard, right? I bet I wouldn't have to do my homework all semester... and that'd be with the professor's approval.

[Zanza]

It's a Visual Basic 2010 class. I'm taking C++ this summer. The intro class is required before I can take the other classes that I want to take.

C++ is pretty useless for web development. There are much better frameworks for other languages and string manipulation is clumsy in C++. Better spend your time learning C# if you want to go into ASP.net. Or learn something like Ruby on Rails.

[merithyn]

It's a Visual Basic 2010 class. I'm taking C++ this summer. The intro class is required before I can take the other classes that I want to take.

C++ is pretty useless for web development. There are much better frameworks for other languages and string manipulation is clumsy in C++. Better spend your time learning C# if you want to go into ASP.net. Or learn something like Ruby on Rails.

I've actually been thinking of changing it to C# instead. ASP.net is in the coursework that I'll be taking later on. The C++ was in addition to the cert requirements, but yeah, C# would be the better option.

[Zanza]

What's wrong with a VB course as an introduction to programming?

Depends on the program objectives, but most software development programs I've seen focus on object-oriented programming, while VB's an event-driven programming language with a few quirks.

Are you confusing VB and VBA? Because VB is object oriented.

[Grey Fox]

Learn python[at some point] everyone seems to be madly in love with it these days.

[merithyn]

Learn python[at some point] everyone seems to be madly in love with it these days.

Already working on it.

[crazy canuck]

Lulz, Meri's got more MLIF-induced boners pointed her way than Boy Scouts looking for water with divining rods in the desert.