I\'m about to start a \"Bachelors of Science (Computer Science)\" degree (in Aus

Question

I'm about to start a "Bachelors of Science (Computer Science)" degree (in Australia, semester starts in march) and I'm presented with the option to learn c# or C++.

First of all, I already know C#, and I love C#. It is just so easy to use. Not having to worry about memory management or garbage collecting makes my brain tingle. I've made plenty of apps / games in C# and I find the syntax easy to follow, I love intellisense (which I think C++ doesn't have), and it seems just to be a nice language in general.

I've been trying to wrap my head around C++. First thing I can say... IT'S HARD. Half the time I'm thinking to myself: "Do I need to include a ^ symbol after String?", etc. The syntax just seems hard to follow and I get really aggravated over it. This is simply with me trying to teach myself, however, without a teacher.

My goal after my degree is to join a game firm, and assist in making games, so that has to be a top factor in my decision making.

Can you guys give me some advice?

Thanks.

Explanation / Answer

I would say you should definitely learn C++. There's a couple of reasons for this.

It is still very widely used in game programming all over the world due to it's performance and flexibility. There is also a lot invested in the language from the industry in form of api's and libraries.

Knowing C++ forces you to know how a computer works and executes code. This will help you to become a great programmer instead of just a decent one. Knowing the insides and outsides of how a program is executed will help you in this.

C# is a great language and is very easy to use. Knowing another language will most likely help you in understanding how C# can be used in new ways. Knowing more languages will aid you in solving problems in more ways which is important if you're aiming to be a great programmer.

Although C++ can be scary, Computer Science involves knowing math, algoritms and problem solving. Settling for C# and taking the easy way out, may hinder you in learning and appreciating these other things.

Hope this will help you in your decision

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