So I looked at the one path I never took: technology. The first two jobs I ever wanted (I was maybe 5) were: scientist and fighter pilot (...Top Gun). Took a look at MIT's grad programs, figured hell, if I'm going to do something big I need to get on that level to start with - no point in settling. Looked at the choices and my sister asked me "Hakan, what do you really love?" and my eyes locked onto Aerospace Engineering. That was January 2015.
The 10-ish months since then were a crash course in math and engineering, with an emphasis on the crash and a heavy regimen of psychological realignment. What I can say is the brain really is like a muscle. All things being equal, the difference between an idiot and a genius is the same as between an Olympic athlete and a couch potato. I couldn't even help my sister with her high school calculus homework when I started. I found my weaknesses and drove them. First KhanAcademy to relearn preCalc & Algebra II: limits, perfect squares, factoring, etc. Then onto Linear Algebra, Calc I, Differential Equations, and a set of basic engineering courses. The whole idea was get myself to the level of someone with a BS in Physics or Engineering applying to MIT or Stanford, and build the same background.
I finally set myself onto Stanford (after a disappointing trip to an MIT open house) and my application's almost complete now. Just a statement of purpose, a couple uploads, and it's submitted. Great. Decisions are in March. And there's no guarantee of a yes. So... what are you planning on doing in that time?
I'm not waiting for Stanford. What I've learned, am learning and will learn are great for that 'one day' when I start an awesome tech-aerospace company. Doesn't help now. I do not have a high-level network, and I don't have any capital. So how do you get started with no reputation and no hard-resources? You go into a field that requires knowledge. Computer Science. And to think I promised myself all high school & college that I'd never touch programming..
One way or another I'm going to need those skills. I'm not in the position of a Steve Jobs who has a genius Wozniak to make his dreams come true. Even if I get into Stanford and graduate a great engineer, that's all I'll be: a great worker. So it's on me.
This is the CS Course. I have 3 months until decisions as a checkpoint. This is something of a high-risk experiment. High-risk because there are outcomes that must be met. I'm starting this blog as a way to document my work/progress, and to add some psychological accountability. Here's how it'll work:
I need to match the curriculum of an undergraduate CS major. No point following some hunkeydoke school; top or nothing. So I pulled up MIT's and Stanford's EE/CS programs side by side and built my own. I'm calling it a Main Line split into 6 sections: Math, CS foundation, EE foundation, Interest, Venture, Lab. Yes in this day and age you can do your own lab requirement. Take that, Ivory Tower.
- Math:
- 18.01 SVar Calc - [MITocw]
- 18.02 MVar Calc - [MITocw]
- 6.042 Mathematics for Computer Science - [MITocw]
- CS Foundation:
- 6.001/6.037/CS61A Structure & Interpretation of Computer Programs [MITocw/UCBerk]
- CS106A Programming Methodology [Stfd]
- CS106B Programming Abstractions [Stfd]
- CS61B Data Structures [info] [UCBerk]
- CS50x Intro to Computer Science [Hrvdx]
- EE Foundation:
- Interest:
- Venture/Startup:
- CS183C Technology-Enabled Blitzscaling [Stfd]
- + Blake Master's CS183 notes [Stfd]
- CS184 Startup Engineering [Stfd]
- Lab:
- Codecademy:
- Language Skills
- Web Developer Skills
- API's
- Code4Startup:
- projects
I don't sound crazy at all do I? I gotta pick up a part time job to fuel my starbucks needs, and save up for that shiny Macbook Pro (no shame). I'm holding to a schedule w/ these classes: to start, no more than 5 on the main line. 1 EE, 1 Math, 1-2 CS, 0-1 Vent, and a Lab. It will be tight, but I need time to also work, workout, and finish off the other classes that carry over.
So, Tuesday, Шинара, December 1st, Here's my main line:
18.01 Single Variable Calculus
6.001/CS61A Structure & Interpretation of Computer Programs
CS106A Programming Methodology
6.002x Circuits & Electronics
Lab: Codecademy Language Skills.
The more I do now, the better off future me will be. Just as a note for how I'm doing this: I'm responsible for everything. So that means finding books, lectures, recitations, testing, everything. I chose courses that would be possible to take online. I got the books for 6.002 and 6.001 (2,000 pages of pure joy) & the other stuff I'll acquire as needed. It really isn't that hard, you just work at it. In a sitting I got through 14% of Codecademy's Python section (took 6.00.1x CS & Python though I failed it). I think I'll burn through Codecademy pretty quickly, although they do have a lot of stuff. The general skills I have from the last year of work are a serious advantage compared to when I started, that's another plus. Overall discipline. etc.
I'm sure this'll be modified as I progress; but there isn't that much to change in the foundations. And foundations are what I need at this point. I'll keep this blog updated w/ my progress, with the label 'CS Course'
So how much CS can a man, can a Noxcho learn in 3 months? Гур ду вай. We'll see. What's on my mind is this: how soon can a tech inspired/focused movement spread to the Noxchi diaspora in Europe, so that we have kids and teens that are inspired for the future and studying? So that one day when you say the word "Noxchi" or "Waynakh" people will say "yeah, those guys are a bunch of engineers and wizards"?
Сих сих сих, faster faster faster.
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