Course Selection Advice Needed: Numerical Methods vs. Software Engineering vs. Big Data Mining

[jimbread]

Hello Everyone

This is my first post. I've been a lurker on here for the past year, and a half and I finally decided to get on here as I will be applying to MFE programs after graduating undergraduate.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the following class titles listed in the title. I can general utility from taking all of these classes, but I was wondering how would be valued by MFE admissions. Additionally, I've heard from students that Software Engineering would be a hard class to get an A in. Relative to the other 2 classes, I expect to do worse on paper GPA wise. This course isn't required of my major, but I definitely see this as a valuable learning opportunity as well as a potential plus to admissions as they may notice my initiative to go beyond what's required me of.

Any other advice beyond the question at hand is also welcomed.

Thank you.

 

[IntoDarkness]

just take them all... especially software engineering
its better learn useful skills than simply inflating gpas. i recommend u to take the mantle that as long as u put in the work, its always ez a or a+ for undergrad level classes

 

[jimbread]

just take them all... especially software engineering
its better learn useful skills than simply inflating gpas. i recommend u to take the mantle that as long as u put in the work, its always ez a or a+ for undergrad level classes

I would prefer to take 2 out of the 3 classes since my credits for the upcoming semester is already maxed out with other senior level courses. In that situation, which one would you rank lower than the others?

Thank you.

 

[IntoDarkness]

wat r ur other senior level courses?

 

[jimbread]

I would prefer to take 2 out of the 3 classes since my credits for the upcoming semester is already maxed out with other senior level courses. In that situation, which one would you rank lower than the others?

Thank you.

wat r ur other senior level courses?

If you're asking about the ones that I can choose from, it would be a class on optimization algorithms and software or Intro to Machine Learning. I could also possibly take a graduate level course on Convex Analysis or Intro to Mathematical Optimization if needed.

 

[IntoDarkness]

i would do intro to machine learning to get a sense what ml is. many ppl don't wana do mfe or finance related work anymore after they study ml. i would do software engineering as well. the other topics will be taught at your mfe school if you decide to apply eventually.

 

[jimbread]

i would do intro to machine learning to get a sense what ml is. many ppl don't wana do mfe or finance related work anymore after they study ml. i would do software engineering as well. the other topics will be taught at your mfe school if you decide to apply eventually.

My advisor had told me that ML and Big Data Mining have significant overlaps and I should therefore only choose one (as the classes would essentially be redundant). Would you recommend I do the same or would you reason again it?

 

[IntoDarkness]

just do ml. big data mining sounds so bland probably doesnt even look good on transcript.

 

[jimbread]

just do ml. big data mining sounds so bland probably doesnt even look good on transcript.

I agree. I will likely take ML over Big Data Mining thanks to your advice.

 

[Onegin]

Software engineering could be either very useful or a complete waste of time. I wish I would have done more of it; that said, Duffy’s course on here for C++ is better than the university courses I took, so that’s another, faster way to get this capability

 

[jimbread]

Software engineering could be either very useful or a complete waste of time. I wish I would have done more of it; that said, Duffy’s course on here for C++ is better than the university courses I took, so that’s another, faster way to get this capability

I've checked out the C++ course and while it is comprehensive, I have learned over half of the material stated on the syllabus through my courses at university. I don't think the C++ course would help with learning Software Engineering principles or gaining hands on experience with group projects either (which is what my SWE course covers). I'll take a second look at it, however. Thanks.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

I've checked out the C++ course and while it is comprehensive, I have learned over half of the material stated on the syllabus through my courses at university. I don't think the C++ course would help with learning Software Engineering principles or gaining hands on experience with group projects either (which is what my SWE course covers). I'll take a second look at it, however. Thanks.

It's the other half that they don't teach you is the most important. My courses originated in industrial clients' environments and applications.
Doing SE courses makes a good programmer, not.

In my 40 years of work, I still don't know what SE is. It is not 'engineering' in my strict definition. In the 70s there was a perceived software crisis in Automation and whoopsie-daisy enter SE!

The best way is just program until you are blue in the face. Becoming a good programmer takes years.

//
Engineering is the study of using scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other things, including bridges, roads, vehicles, and buildings.[1]The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science, and types of application. See glossary of engineering.

 

[IntoDarkness]

i will take 2nd tier engineering school's software engineering class over quantnet c++ certificate any day

 

[Daniel Duffy]

i will take 2nd tier engineering school's software engineering class over quantnet c++ certificate any day

Each to his own. Apples and oranges.
They serve different purposes. The QN course takes 16 weeks to learn programming with no prior programming experience. And we do OOP as it should be done.
SE has different goals and objectives. In that case I prefer Computer Science.

It's all about the skills you learn.

The SE you learn in university is not (necessarily) the same as what people do in industry. At least what I have seen down the years over here. Please correct if I am missing something.

I am open to constructive dialogue.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

On a historical note, some famous academics claimed computer programming should have been a branch of mathematics.

On the Cruelty of Really Teaching Computer Science - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[APalley]

Each to his own. Apples and oranges.
They serve different purposes. The QN course takes 16 weeks to learn programming with no prior programming experience. And we do OOP as it should be done.
SE has different goals and objectives. In that case I prefer Computer Science.

It's all about the skills you learn.

The SE you learn in university is not (necessarily) the same as what people do in industry. At least what I have seen down the years over here. Please correct if I am missing something.

I am open to constructive dialogue.

It's also worth mentioning that university courses which have a major focus on best practices (industry and in general) are few and far between. They tend to be very academic with little in the way of learning the 'art' of coding. The QN C++ certificate offers a very practical approach to learning with an applied curriculum and personalized, detailed feedback on code by experienced practitioners.

Additionally, the advanced course focuses a substantial amount on design principals.

 

[Onegin]

i will take 2nd tier engineering school's software engineering class over quantnet c++ certificate any day

But have you taken either?

 

[jimbread]

Each to his own. Apples and oranges.
They serve different purposes. The QN course takes 16 weeks to learn programming with no prior programming experience. And we do OOP as it should be done.
SE has different goals and objectives. In that case I prefer Computer Science.

It's all about the skills you learn.

The SE you learn in university is not (necessarily) the same as what people do in industry. At least what I have seen down the years over here. Please correct if I am missing something.

I am open to constructive dialogue.

I appreciate the suggestion but I will probably stick to my college's SWE course since past students have told me that it served them tremendously towards their maturity as programmers.

Much of the QN course is redundant for me and I am not interested in learning the same concepts again, but thank you for the thoughtful advice.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

I appreciate the suggestion but I will probably stick to my college's SWE course since past students have told me that it served them tremendously towards their maturity as programmers.

Much of the QN course is redundant for me and I am not interested in learning the same concepts again, but thank you for the thoughtful advice.

Depends what you mean by 'same concepts'. I don't know your perspective on the world.
Personally, I would not make a decision based on hearsay
The advanced C++ course as @APalley says is also about industry-tested software architecture and design as well as modern OOP/FP design pattern, some of them I developed down the years in industry.

SE is fine. It's a kind of nice to have. The best programmers probably never heard of SE.

The big problem is we all have our own definition of SE. This would not happen in Mechanical or Civil Engineering.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

This is a random syllabus of SE, a hotch potch TBH

Computer Graphics
Virtual Reality
Procedural Programming
Systems Analysis
Java
Digital Communications
Calculus
Differential Equations
Engineering Statistics
Business and Professional Speaking
Data Warehousing
Biomedical Informatics
Linux Operating System
Visual Basic
Visual C++