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It's not terribly hard to teach yourself algorithm analysis or graph theory if you have the motivation. Hop on Amazon, buy CLR, and then go through the algorithms, work through the proofs, and implement each one.

BTW, you can't become a world-class programmer by programming every day for ten years or by programming every day for two years and taking an algorithms class. Try programming every day for ten years and taking an algorithms class. Every world-class programmer I know has done that - they have both the experience and the formal knowledge.




> It's not terribly hard to teach yourself algorithm analysis or graph theory if you have the motivation.

I agree absolutely. However in my experience, there's something to be said for a good lecturer, challenging homework/tests, and peers to consult with.


I think you can only get those if you go to MIT or CMU. The vast majority of CS programs and lecturers aren't that good, and certainly worse than what you could teach yourself on your own.


I'm attending a public school, with a CS department consisting of 6-or-so people. They taught me well :-) Definitely not what I could have taught myself.


The vast majority of CS programs and lecturers aren't that good

How many of them have you studied at?




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