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The Traditional vs Practical Approach of Learning Programming
Anyone who learns software development and programming will have to take an early decision of whether s/he should take the more theoretical, traditional approach of learning, or the more practical approach. The traditional approach is usually the college path where you learn the fundamentals of computer science, how a computer works, memory, data structures and algorithms.
You also have more practical programs in which you learn the required skills and get prepared for an actual developer position and learn how to produce value for a company.
Boot camps are usually of the second category where the focus is purely on the practical side of development, since the instructors are preparing you for a future employment.
Pros and Cons With the Traditional Approach
There are pros and cons with either approach. Let’s start with discussing the more traditional approach. One benefit with this approach is that you learn the basics of computer science and fill in the knowledge gaps which any beginner has. You learn about fundamentals of the software development area that can be handy at any moment, such as learning about data structures, algorithms, design patterns and software architecture principles.
These blocks of knowledge are pretty constant and rarely change. The software patterns which were introduced for many years ago are still being applied everywhere.
One downside of this approach is that beginners who are just starting out might get frightened by the amount and depth of information that need to be absorbed. If you as a beginner have no clue about why things like data structures and algorithms even matter, chances are that you will lose motivation pretty quickly.
It is not uncommon to see people dropping out of college because of the very fact that the information is overwhelming and they see no point in pursuing this path.
Pros and Cons with the Practical Approach
It is very common to see people taking the more practical approach today. Boot camps are mostly based on this approach and even some university programs are heavily practice-focused too. A practical…
