Courses Solving the Elective Course Dilemma for Graduate School & Employment

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Withdrawing from a C++ course may raise concerns for graduate school applications, but the impact of a "W" on a transcript largely depends on the overall academic performance and context. Experience with Visual Basic (VB) and MATLAB is valuable, but retaking the C++ course could strengthen the application, especially for competitive PhD programs. Learning C++ is beneficial as it is known for its speed and efficiency, particularly in numerical simulations, making it a preferred choice alongside C and Fortran. While MATLAB is useful, it may struggle with large datasets compared to C/C++. Overall, gaining proficiency in C++ can enhance employability and academic prospects in technical fields.
absurdist
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Ok so I was interested in programming and took up this C++ course which I withdrew from since I was taking too many credits. If I plan to apply to a top grad school (phd hopefully) does thw W on my transcript look bad? Also I now have experience with VB and MATLAB so do you think these are enough or should also I retake the C++ course to get rid of the W?
Also are there any benefits of learning C++? I've heard it gives you an edge when it comes to employment.
 
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C++ quite fast comparing to languages like java and python

for the purpose of numerical simulations at least one of C/C++/Fortran would be a good idea.

I don't remember the last time I heard anyone using VB (but then I don't specialize is computer science...)

MATLAB is quite handy but it definitely isn't as robust as languages stated above, iirc when you have a whole loads of data to work with it can get quite sluggish as well.
 

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