I'm new to programming and I'm curious if Harvard's Computer Science course is a solid foundation for someone like me who wants to learn Java and focus on backend development. Are there better courses out there that can match or exceed the quality of CS50?
3 Answers
In my opinion, CS50 is an excellent place to build your foundational knowledge, maybe second only to CS61A. It is definitely challenging and might take you longer than other options, but the effort is worth it!
It really depends on what you already know. CS50 doesn't cover Java at all; you'll learn C, Python, SQL, and a bit of JavaScript/HTML. As a beginner, I thought it was fantastic for grasping the basics of computer science, but Java and its ecosystem is a different beast altogether.
These online courses aren't quite at the level of first-year college CS classes, which is why they're numbered as 50 instead of 101. If you think you already have a good grasp on the basics, you might find these too elementary. On the other hand, if you struggle with them, you might want to reconsider jumping into actual CS courses.
I can relate! All I know now is that I need to think logically to solve problems. I feel like I'm just starting out!