C++ COURSES

[OLEARYMA]

Can anyone suggest [inexpensive] C++ courses - if there is anything that is internet based that would be the best solution.

I live in the NY metropolitan area and I am considering the MFE course at Barruch, but a pre-requisite for this is a C++ course. Unfortunately when I went to college C++ did not even exit.

If anyone has any suggestions it would be appreciated

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I have come across a few similar inquiries and I think there is definitely a need for such an online course. I assume by inexpensive, you mean under 1K.

Send me a PM with you contact info and I'll get back to you when I find something appropriate for your need.

 

[dstefan]

Andy - when you find info on a good C++ course, in the NY area or online, there would be value in making it public on QN.

 

[Roger Trimble]

One place to try ( though not online ) is community college. Many schools offer programming courses in the evening, and the tuition is likely less than what you would find taking an internet course. You also get the benefit of interacting directly with a professor.

Before starting my MFE I took both two courses - one at the local college, and one online. The online course was awful, the the college one was very decent.

If you have any programming experience, though, your best bet is to get a c++ book and code models on your own.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Roger,
From where did you take online C++ ?

An important point should be mentioned is that the C++ course one often finds online or offered by college is very generic and can be replaced by buying a book and self-study.

The course in discussion is similar to the C++ refresher offered at Baruch MFE and UCB MFE programs for their incoming students. They are either closed to outside students (Baruch) or too expensive (UCB).

Ideally, the online C++ course would not only cover the basic C++ but also expose students to financial applications such as bond pricing, bootstraping, Black Scholes model, etc. It will be much more relevant for MFE applicants than just taking a generic C++ course that teach you to write for loop, main function, IO functions.

 

[Roger Trimble]

Roger,
From where did you take online C++ ?

University of Phoenix. I do not recommend it, not even if you have 0 programming experience.

I did not do this for C++, but for other languages I've since picked up I have found O'Reilly books to be as good as any course if your intent is just to learn the language. If you want to pick up some finance at the same time, then I would recommend an O'Reilly book plus a quant finance book and code it up.

I think the only way to get good at modeling is to spend several hours cursing at the debugger.

 

[APalley]

Roger,
From where did you take online C++ ?

An important point should be mentioned is that the C++ course one often finds online or offered by college is very generic and can be replaced by buying a book and self-study.

This is so true. I have over 10 years experience of self-taught C++. I am going to be applying to Baruch's MFE, so I decided to take a C++ course in college to satisfy the prerequisite. I found that one can learn more in a month from a book than in an entire semester of introductory or advanced C++. They concentrate more on syntax and academic coding conformity (which one can pick up alone quickly) than practical coding applications such as modeling.