I still think the single best course I took in college was my computer architecture course. We built an entire 8-bit CPU up from individual gates over the course of the semester in Logisim[1], to the point where we could compile a limited version of C down to the machine code for our simulated processor and load it into the simulated main memory and run it.
I'm incredibly glad there was that hands-on component to the course, rather than just the theoretical textbook and lectures learning; it was hard as hell, and I actually ended up dropping it the first time and taking it again later, but at the end I actually felt like I kinda knew what was going on. Pointers were never mysterious again, at least.
I'm incredibly glad there was that hands-on component to the course, rather than just the theoretical textbook and lectures learning; it was hard as hell, and I actually ended up dropping it the first time and taking it again later, but at the end I actually felt like I kinda knew what was going on. Pointers were never mysterious again, at least.
[1] http://www.cburch.com/logisim/