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Ask HN: Is AP Computer Science Worthwhile as a student Programmer?

1 points by codejoust ↗ HN
As a student in high school, is taking an AP computer course or just the exam (studying for it, of course) worthwhile for future college applications? Or, would work (such as web applications and open-source code) done in other languages (such as python or ruby) have the same effect?

Up to this point, I have learned programming and web frameworks through resources available online and have created a few smaller and larger web applications and websites.

Is the AP test a waste of time and effort that should be spent finishing another project or is it worthwhile material to learn? It seems, from their course description (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-computer-science-course-description.pdf) is they test mostly on OOP, basic list algorithmic, and java itself.

8 comments

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[dead] si2
take the course. its worthwhile. i took it in c++, its just good practice.
aheilbut
I was about to say that it is very useful material to learn. But looking at the syllabus link, I realized that I took the AB course (long ago), which has apparently been discontinued. The course I took was a pretty solid basic introduction to CS.

At the very least though, doing the AP will let you comfortably place out of the "Intro to Programming" course and skip right to the real intro CS course -- for that reason it is worthwhile.

codejoust
Is the course learning Java or an introduction to programming? It looks like the old course was based on learning C and C++, but now it seems like they have focused on Java for easier learning / usage. I have gone through some stuff on the C and C++ curriculum and it does look very worthwhile (although it is discontinued), but the Java program looks much weaker, only covering basic algorithms and skipping pointers, etc.
dget
A lot of the AB test was learning Java (took it in Spring 08). Despite that, I loved the class because of my teacher, who taught us enough that I was running into things through my sophomore year that I learned from the class.

Unless your school has a particularly good teacher, I'd recommend self-studying it, since you seem to get along fine doing that.

numix
I took a course for the A test material, and read a book in a couple of hours covering the AB test material, letting me skip two semesters of CS courses in college. This allowed me to have plenty of free time in school to work on interesting stuff.

The material on the A test seems to be mostly programming in Java, and you'll probably pick up the other skills from working in any language. The AB test gives a good foundation for CS, which isn't always applicable in day-to-day programming, but certainly helps in shaping the way you go about solving a problem.

grails4life
If you are planning to get a degree/take CS in college, It might be worthwhile to get the intro classes out of the way early, so you can more quickly focus on more interesting stuff in your degree program.

Unfortunately , working on projects dont usually earn you college credit even if said projects clearly demonstrate a level of competency above what the course is teaching - and you need the piece of paper.

If however you dream of doing a startup after college, then I would hold off on worrying about moving through your degree quickly and start focusing projects that could develop into a startup.

You can then take the college classes at a less rapid pace, enabling you more time to focus on startup ideas. I wish I had done the latter - I was to focused on getting courses done and going to grad school. In reality, doing a startup/software business is more interesting.

codejoust
Yes, currently I am focusing on projects and consulting (google my username for more on that). I'm willing to open options, so I may consider taking an AP Comp. Sci class senior year. Would I miss anything by reviewing for the test and taking it? Going through the review sheet most everything looks familiar, but I'm not sure if that's the difference between knowing from a working vs. a theoretical standpoint.
grails4life
I would study for it, you seem like a smart independent learner, so that should be enough. The worst that can happen is you dont pass. Who will know? Go for it. And keep up the programming. I didnt get into programming until I was 28, I wish I had when I was your age.