Section 1 - Welcome

1A.1.1 Welcome to Your Second C++ Course

You may have taken my course last quarter, two years ago, or perhaps we've never met in a course before and this is your first from me.   You may have received an 'A+' or a 'C-' in your last programming course.  You might know 90% of the material in this class, or you may have forgotten almost everything you learned about C++ and are wondering if you will survive at all. Whatever your background, I sincerely welcome you.  And no matter what your skill level, I am going to help you become an advanced C++ programmer in the next 12 weeks.  I only need one thing from you:  the desire to learn.

For me, teaching a programming language is a lot like telling a story. Personally, I find the story a fascinating one.  I have recently rewritten all of my programming material to make it more relevant to the newest language standards, not to mention more fun for you (and for me).  Learning, entertainment, curiosity and enthusiasm are inextricably connected to one another.  In order to succeed in any of them, you have to be open to new concepts and be willing to trade in old habits for new rewards. 

The fact that you are taking a second programming course tells me that you have some degree of enthusiasm.  It might be for C++, but it might not be.  You may think C++ is a colossal bore and, instead, be more interested in medicine, finance, astronomy, music or international law, but need this course to satisfy a requirement.  That's okay.  If you can bring some of that enthusiasm into this classroom, you will end up learning techniques that will last long after C++ drops off the face of the earth.

This does not mean that you will read these lessons like a fast paced action novel, loving and understanding every word.  Actually the real fun and learning will not begin until you hit a phrase or paragraph that makes absolutely no sense to you, yet you make a choice to find some way to understand it.  That choice can be to contact me, search the web, ask your friend, experiment on your own, or simply reread the paragraph after a good night's sleep.  It is how you respond to a difficult moment, not to a pleasant one, that will determine how much success and lasting pleasure you gain from this course.  So look forward to that first (and subsequent) place where you get stuck.  Then decide not to let it push you around, but instead have fun with it.  I will help.