Similar Blogs
– Open University A BSc for me!
– An Open Road
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– My Open University Journey
Useful Links
– Open University
– OU Student Association
– Invite link for OUSA’s Official STEM Club Discord server
CCNA Materials
– Router Alley study guides
Recommended MOOCs
– How to Code: Simple Data
– How to Code: Complex Data
Together, these make up a fantastic introduction to computer science, systematic program design, and functional programming. I recommend this as a starting point due to its slow start, fast ramp-up, and tour of the power of simple programmatic features like lists and recursion. Presented by UBC through edX.
– Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python
This course is more about Python programming than it is Computer Science, but does throw some analysis into the mix. I recommend the MIT Open Courseware version over its companion edX version due to shortcomings in the automated grading software and poorly conceived “finger exercise” quizzes.
– CS50 Introduction to Computer Science
Tour de force in computer science presented by Harvard. Covers (at time written) C (at length), HTML and CSS (sparingly), Python, SQL, and Javascript (a bit more). Gives at least an overview of typical computer science topics, but probably proceeds too quickly for absolute beginners (possibly due to not having mature sections for Python yet), so it may be best to take after one of the others. There are lots of ways to take this, but I recommend signing up through edX for accessing tools, and then using the Harvard native resources. (Take one of the above courses, as well, as this is more about coding and less about computer science.)
– Object-Oriented Programming with Java, Part 1
– Object-Oriented Programming with Java, Part 2
Two fantastic courses from the University of Helsinki. The first is for beginners, and covers the basic syntax and usage of Java for beginners. The second is an intermediate course covering object-oriented programming, as well as some of the intermediate Java tools. It does not teach computer science, but teaches both Java and object-oriented programming well. (It does an excellent job of not confusing object-oriented programming by using fake, meaningless examples such as defining a dog, and instead takes you right up through graphical user interface and animation use.) Of particular note is the amazing automated code evaluation software.
Technically not a MOOC, but the best place to learn or brush up on maths on the net. Good preparation for MST124.