Reddit reviews Basic Matrix Algebra with Algorithms and Applications (Chapman Hall/CRC Mathematics Series)

I agree to some degree. WIth java you're limited, you cant use pointers, and it has some limiting factors. However, trying to teach pointers to new freshmen who've never pulled the side off their computers would probably drive more off than already leave (and CS has a large enough group that leave that our intro class actually teaches every student where they need to go to change their major). By not requiring you to do memory management or any of the complex stuff though it makes java a lot easier to learn on. You learn the more complex stuff in the C and C++ classes.

Whether the teacher will let you use any language for the course is up to them. I've had teachers say sure (like my 356 teacher) and other teachers say no. It makes the grading harder when you have 35 programs written in a variety of languages, which is why they usually limit the languages you can use. I've had a couple friends get around that by making one program run a program in a different language, but that was more just as a middle finger to the teacher because they wouldn't let them use the other language in the first place.

I've heard fantastic things about compilers. Wim (one of the teachers) is a great guy, a fantastic teacher and he's really awesome to learn from. His tests are conceptual, they're short, but if you know the material they're really easy, and if you don't they're impossible. Straut (the other possible teacher) i've also heard great things about but never had. I've talked to her a few times and she seems nice, but i've heard she's quite a bit harder, which can be good or bad depending on whether you're looking to slide through or looking for a challenge and to learn.

We only require up to Calc1, Calc 2 and either Math 229 or Math 361 (I think that's the number). From what I understand Calc at CSU sucks. It's taught by TAs and is generally no fun to take, so take it at front range or somewhere else and transfer in credit. That's what I did.

I personally hate Math 229, it's also taught by TAs so the quality of the class is inconsistent, but the book is absolutely horrible. It was written by a math prof here (Who has since died I believe), but the book doesn't explain things, doesn't give good examples and is pretty much the worst textbook i've ever had. Here. Read the amazon reviews. It's not that the material or the class is hard, just read the book before each class (probably several times), and come to class with LOTS of questions about the possible homework problems. I'd like to suggest the other math class instead of 229, but I don't have any experience with it.

The math requirements are probably the suckiest part of the entire CS department's undergrad requirements. We loose a lot of kids because they can't pass calc1 or calc2. They never really get into the Computer part of Computer science because you have to pass all the calc before you get into the 200 levels.

I have no idea how it compares to CU when it comes to languages as i've never taken a class from CU.