From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,130577dc7a269470,start X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Mike O'Malley Subject: Senior Professors Teaching Intro CS Date: 1996/12/03 Message-ID: <32A488F2.27FC@fallschurch.esys.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 202158120 content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii organization: Special Programs, Raytheon E-Systems, Inc. mime-version: 1.0 newsgroups: comp.lang.ada x-mailer: Mozilla 3.0Gold (WinNT; I) Date: 1996-12-03T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: I can't stand "me too" posts, or bandwagons in general, but I feel somewhat obligated to jump into this thread... I had the good fortune to take several introductory courses taught by Prof. Feldman at GW (1991-1992). During the course (if you'll pardon the pun) of these classes, I decided to change my major from business administration to computer science. This decision was largely motivated by the fact that I was exposed to a senior professor in these intro courses- a recurring question during my freshman year was "Can I do this for a living?". A TA would have been unable to answer that question, not having been "out in the real world" himself. A senior professor, on the other hand, has enough experience to provide examples of what life in computer science is like. Putting a TA on the front lines- a person who doesn't necessarily want to be there, or who lacks experience in teaching- will only repel people who are borderline on taking further courses. I'm not saying that professors are necessarily more agreeable-far from it- but they possess the teaching experience to entice the fencesitters into further coursework, or to perhaps save them a lot of time and money on future courses that they wouldn't enjoy/utilize. No, Professor Feldman didn't coach me on Usenet posting, as I'm sure you've noticed. :) Mike O'Malley Special Programs Raytheon E-Systems, Inc. P.S. I gave up using upper-case reserved words after my first two courses at GW- it's kind of hard on the eyes.