We all know the old saying.
"Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
We've heard it repeated time and again, and to hear it once more likely conjures up memories of being lectured by parents or teachers. A cliché, perhaps, but it is nevertheless a timeless piece of wisdom. So much so, that we can even find ways to apply it today, in 2011, in the fast-charging realm of Information Technology and software systems programming.
Programming for a day (or two)
C# is a powerful, multi-paradigm programming language for Microsoft's.Net Framework. Understanding how it works and being able to use it efficiently will give you access to programming opportunities that you would not have had before. Although one can find myriad online courses that promise C# certification, it is important to keep the following in mind: there is a big difference between fully understanding the basic concepts of C# and simply becoming certified.
To enroll in a course promising certification in C#, alone, is akin to someone giving you a fish. Your certification might impress a prospective employer or client and could potentially help you get your foot in the door somewhere - in which case you can celebrate that night and enjoy your one fish. But it will likely be your last. When you come into work the next day to get down and dirty with the new task at hand, you will quickly find that your C# certification (although it made your resume look so pretty) has not prepared you with a proper and substantial base of real-time knowledge and experience. Maintaining your role as a programming consultant, without proper fundamental understanding, will then become an entirely laborious and stressful affair, which likely will not end well.
By contrast, one who enrolls in a course teaching C# and ASP.NET development, which will also give you an overview of building a rich user interface (UI), will get a better overall understanding of the framework of the application and will be a bit more savvy in the real-time capabilities of the.NET platform. Here, still, the finer details of, say, object-oriented concepts - the purest understanding of which comes only from years of experience and toil - will be missed and will hinder one's ability to build effective enterprise solutions and applications.
In this instance, someone has indeed taught you how to fish. But they have neglected to explain to you the finer points, such as how to maneuver your boat on rough waters, what can you learn from the water's surface and varying weather indicators...You might be able to catch fish on an easy day, but will still be ill-prepared for the long haul.
Programming for a lifetime
The best way to approach gaining a full understanding of C# is quite simple: break up your.NET education into two separate pieces.
Instead of trying to learn the rich UI part of the application while undertaking C#, the best thing you can do is to focus solely on basics and fundamentals of C#. Once you fully and completely understand object-oriented concepts and the syntax of C#, the transition to the creation of other applications will be quite easy. A more thorough understanding of the basics will also help bolster any future design decisions as you progress.
In this way, you can let someone - preferably someone with more than substantial experience as a Microsoft Certified consultant and/or as an in-person instructor for established, big name companies - teach you how to fish. Truly understanding the basic concepts and fundamentals of C#, you will be able to program for a lifetime aided by experience and deep understanding - no matter how rough the seas get, or what type of weather changes you face.
Go your own speed
Additionally, a course that allows you to access the materials at any time will further help you to fully grasp the basics of C#. It will take time. But the time you put in at the beginning will directly correlate to the success you have down the road.
Not everyone comprehends and works at the same speed. Your ability to delve into the materials when time allows will translate into a C# course that can fill you with what you will need to program for a lifetime. If a course does not allow you access at any time to the materials, you likely will not be able to develop the organic knowledge base that comes from toiling in the subject.
Enough about fishing, get on with your career in software programming
In summary, there's absolutely nothing wrong with working toward C# certification. But if you really want to be the cream that rises to the top in this field, you have to have encyclopedic knowledge when it comes to the basics and fundamentals. That should be your starting point.
Understanding concepts (as opposed to memorizing phrases to pass a certification test) is what is going to make you a future C# guru, certification or not, who can sustain a lifetime of work in this challenging, yet highly-rewarding field.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5854838
"Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
We've heard it repeated time and again, and to hear it once more likely conjures up memories of being lectured by parents or teachers. A cliché, perhaps, but it is nevertheless a timeless piece of wisdom. So much so, that we can even find ways to apply it today, in 2011, in the fast-charging realm of Information Technology and software systems programming.
Programming for a day (or two)
C# is a powerful, multi-paradigm programming language for Microsoft's.Net Framework. Understanding how it works and being able to use it efficiently will give you access to programming opportunities that you would not have had before. Although one can find myriad online courses that promise C# certification, it is important to keep the following in mind: there is a big difference between fully understanding the basic concepts of C# and simply becoming certified.
To enroll in a course promising certification in C#, alone, is akin to someone giving you a fish. Your certification might impress a prospective employer or client and could potentially help you get your foot in the door somewhere - in which case you can celebrate that night and enjoy your one fish. But it will likely be your last. When you come into work the next day to get down and dirty with the new task at hand, you will quickly find that your C# certification (although it made your resume look so pretty) has not prepared you with a proper and substantial base of real-time knowledge and experience. Maintaining your role as a programming consultant, without proper fundamental understanding, will then become an entirely laborious and stressful affair, which likely will not end well.
By contrast, one who enrolls in a course teaching C# and ASP.NET development, which will also give you an overview of building a rich user interface (UI), will get a better overall understanding of the framework of the application and will be a bit more savvy in the real-time capabilities of the.NET platform. Here, still, the finer details of, say, object-oriented concepts - the purest understanding of which comes only from years of experience and toil - will be missed and will hinder one's ability to build effective enterprise solutions and applications.
In this instance, someone has indeed taught you how to fish. But they have neglected to explain to you the finer points, such as how to maneuver your boat on rough waters, what can you learn from the water's surface and varying weather indicators...You might be able to catch fish on an easy day, but will still be ill-prepared for the long haul.
Programming for a lifetime
The best way to approach gaining a full understanding of C# is quite simple: break up your.NET education into two separate pieces.
Instead of trying to learn the rich UI part of the application while undertaking C#, the best thing you can do is to focus solely on basics and fundamentals of C#. Once you fully and completely understand object-oriented concepts and the syntax of C#, the transition to the creation of other applications will be quite easy. A more thorough understanding of the basics will also help bolster any future design decisions as you progress.
In this way, you can let someone - preferably someone with more than substantial experience as a Microsoft Certified consultant and/or as an in-person instructor for established, big name companies - teach you how to fish. Truly understanding the basic concepts and fundamentals of C#, you will be able to program for a lifetime aided by experience and deep understanding - no matter how rough the seas get, or what type of weather changes you face.
Go your own speed
Additionally, a course that allows you to access the materials at any time will further help you to fully grasp the basics of C#. It will take time. But the time you put in at the beginning will directly correlate to the success you have down the road.
Not everyone comprehends and works at the same speed. Your ability to delve into the materials when time allows will translate into a C# course that can fill you with what you will need to program for a lifetime. If a course does not allow you access at any time to the materials, you likely will not be able to develop the organic knowledge base that comes from toiling in the subject.
Enough about fishing, get on with your career in software programming
In summary, there's absolutely nothing wrong with working toward C# certification. But if you really want to be the cream that rises to the top in this field, you have to have encyclopedic knowledge when it comes to the basics and fundamentals. That should be your starting point.
Understanding concepts (as opposed to memorizing phrases to pass a certification test) is what is going to make you a future C# guru, certification or not, who can sustain a lifetime of work in this challenging, yet highly-rewarding field.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5854838
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