So much beter learning at your own pace and learning more than you would in a class becuase in school you have to learn the language in little increments while tackling the deeper concepts, and learning from this book does both but at a much faster pace thats challenging. The excersises give me ideas and ways to improve on the challenges. I think Ill stick with the series and clep the classes that are a breeze and take the ones I need, but this thing that began as a hobby will give me a reason to go back to school.

OK i seem rather optimistic as any fresh-blood, but my local school is really limited in the programming department. Being only a two-year associate college they have some bachelors but in CS its all IT, and I heard from someone who has worked in the industry for a local company say that IT was a dead end in our all-to near future. Besides programming is where my interests lie, even though knowing a wide spectrum of things is good. I hear SQL is good to learn or neccesary but have to start somewhere. The school was going to join forces with one of the state universities but that didn't go through and the president of the college presided. I'm sure there is benefit in taking classes but I might as well pay the high tuition for UoPhnx. I just don't like the idea of not being able to transfer credits; there should always be an out if it doesn't work out. But I like the books, no harm no foul. I bet what I'm missing out on Im gaining with experience. When I worked as a drafter it was always baptism by fire, and I learned more on the job than any class in school.

You write very good.