They say this is a helpful forum (PC ZONE do, in an excellent monthly article written by Dan Marshall: - anyone know how I could get in contact with him btw? I'd like to know exactly how he did it, how he learnt, the process he went through etc. The article is more a self-evaluation of his progress, with examples of his game) : Well, anyway, I need help. Explanations of the course / then a few questions to anyone who can (please) help me (the forum thread on C++ programming tutorials is great. But I use book's too.) First impression's of the training course I'm on is that I've wasted my money. Quite a lot of it: They present you with what could quite possibly be the worst text on C++ ever written. One question need's you to use loops, switch statements - they don't explain what those are(!). A tutor admitted that to me over the phone(!). I say "tutor" but all they really do is read out the answers to the questions for you. For this pleasure you get charged per phone call. In my naivety as a beginner/novice I thought that as well as learning programming on my own I could get help. So far this course has been anything but. If anything it's been a hinderance. It's also obvious this course isn't for n00b programmer's, evident by the text's repetition of "C++ is NOT for beginner programmers". Then it's awful, "pitiful" (as someone on another forum who posted about the same course put it) "explanations". Back to the text: Even if it did describe everything it's just of a low quality; printed pieces of paper stuck into a folder, poorly explained. I can only compare it to other good C++ books which are teaching me slowly, I believe, but this course-text (the one the course provides) isn't teaching me anything really. It's that simple. Anyway on to the questions: When I'm reading a C++ tutorial, what am I looking to do? 1) Understand the rules/syntax (or whatever) of programming which most C++ book's explain well. That's obvious. 2) Should I be memorizing the code examples? Another good way is to answer questions, but I can't really bring that knowledge back to the course I'm on because everything is written in a different context/structure; the book's don't intend for me to answer such questions yet, by "questions" I mean the questions on the terrible course I'm taking. Hopefully this thread doesn't annoy anyone, but I'm just so tired and I feel ill - I mean physically ill as well as stressed - from going through this course, that the only place to turn to for me is anywhere but[the course], i.e. this forum (and the course has just begun(!)) As I've noted already: I've read other (one or two) complaints about this C++ course on random forums too. I enjoy programming so far, the only thing that comes close to putting me off, however, is this course. It probably won't. Won't let it. But I'm teaching myself like I was going to do even if I didn't go on this course(!). That's the way most of you did it, right? Self-taught from the beginning? Anyway, thank's for any advice you can give. To reiterate the questions: When using study guides for C++ programming as a novice, what am I looking to do? Answer as many questions as possible? Memorize the example code in the book to get a better idea of how the language is? Thank's again. p.s. I posted this here because one of the main reason's I'm trying to get into C++ is to learn how to program for games (man, this is going to be hard...but fun :D ), but I'd also like to be good enough at C++ to get a general programming job: How good do you have to be exactly? The course claims at an hour a day I'll be a professional level programmer in eight months, maybe less. I find this hard to believe so far. Maybe eight months for ten hours a day. Ten hour's a day being literally the least I've spent trying to learn programming these past few days. All this fuss over something that's supposed to make learning noitceably easier, but doesn't. Again, I apologise. EDIT: Added "boldness" to the questions. EDIT#2: No, didn't work. :P EDIT#3: Oh wait, yes it did. EDIT#4: Damn course(!) [Edited by - Blad3 on October 8, 2005 10:15:17 AM]

I think the most important thing for you to do would be to just keep making your own little programs, or changing things around in the examples to see what happens. Don't try to memorize programs, if you've been doing or thinking of doing that. You only need to memorize the concepts, which is best acheived through practice. I don't think one hour a day for eight months is enough to be an "expert programmer", but you'd probably be on the level of at least some "professional programmer"s, (by which I mean they make money by programming.)

Since you seem very motivated, I think you have a good chance of getting good at programming it whether this course helps or not. People here can probably suggest challenges or tutorials appropriate for your level if you ask (and indicate your level), which might make the process easier.

programwizard - thank's a lot for the advice and speedy response.

"How they did it". *Gulp*. As in algorithms / language design? Not good at that. By this you mean the explanation they give afterwards? Understanding how they did it my self is the hard part. Not sure I know how, or exactly what you mean tbh.

So I wasted my £1600+ then (probably)? bah. By the way that's $2,816+ USD.

bjle - wow, thank's for the response, inspiring :) Right, no memorization. Thank's. This is great.

And yes, I meant "professional programmers".

"there's talent" - I'm not sure I know what "talent" is anymore - I think it's hard work and luck/chance. But yes, I agree. Anyway I realise that it won't make you a pro games programmer, for sure. I now have every doubt that it would make you an entry level pro in a regular programming job too. Thank's for the response.

Thank's man. You guys are CHANGING my concept of programming, the way I think about learning it. "Write your own little program's". Wow, this is exciting. I can't wait to see what will be posted next. thx.thx.:D

EDIT: stylin, read the edit. I'll keep going, I'm just trying to write something more than a program with basic if statments/basic indicators. Bool next. Basic bool.

[Edited by - Blad3 on October 7, 2005 8:55:49 PM]