CS Resources

A curated list of learning resources covering a range of topics, including programming fundamentals, system design, databases, and opportunities to engage with local tech communities.

Sections:

• Getting Started with Programming
• Recommended Books
• Recommended Podcasts
• Local Tech Meetups (Front Range)

Roadrunner Connect Club

As the official student organization supporting the Roadrunner Connect app, Roadrunner Connect Club offers opportunities for members to participate in app development, lead promotional efforts, organize events like hackathons, and collaborate with campus partners.

Learn More About Roadrunner Connect | Join them on RoadrunnerLink

Getting Started with Programming

1. Introductory CS Courses
   • Harvard CS50 - A well-known, beginner-friendly course covering computer science fundamentals.
   • The Missing Semester of Your CS Education (MIT) - A course on essential developer tools not typically covered in traditional CS curriculums.
2. Version Control
   • Git Documentation - Official documentation to learn Git, a crucial tool for version control in software development.
   • Git Workshop Notes - Notes taken for a workshop on Git led by students from Roadrunner Connect Club.
   • Introduction to Git and GitHub - A Coursera course that provides a comprehensive guide to Git and GitHub, part of the Google IT Automation with Python series.
3. Understanding System Variables
   • $PATH or %PATH% variable: Wikipedia Article
4. Installing Packages
   • MacOS: Homebrew - brew command
   • Ubuntu: Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) - apt command
5. Free Tools for Students
   • GitHub Student Developer Pack - Free access to developer tools, cloud credits, and services from GitHub and its partners.
   • JetBrains Student Pack - Free access to all JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, GoLand, PyCharm, etc.) while you’re a student.
   • Microsoft Azure for Students - Free Azure credits and services, no credit card required.
   • AWS Educate - AWS credits and cloud learning paths for students.
6. Learning Your First Programming Language
   • Exercism.org: https://exercism.org/ - An independent, community-funded platform for learning to write code in several languages.
   • Developer Roadmaps: https://roadmap.sh/ - Community-driven developer roadmaps to help guide your learning.
7. Building Your First Project
   • Have a Fucking Website - An article urging students to build and own a personal website as one of their first projects.

Recommended Books

• Pragmatic Thinking and Learning — A guide to improving problem-solving and learning skills, delving into psychology, cognitive biases, and effective thinking techniques. Practical advice for developers on how to learn more effectively and adapt to challenges.
• A Mind for Numbers — Explores techniques for mastering math and science, emphasizing focused and diffuse thinking. Practical strategies for problem-solving and memory retention, blending cognitive science insights with personal anecdotes.
• Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces — A comprehensive yet approachable introduction to operating systems fundamentals, covering processes, memory management, file systems, and concurrency.
• Designing Data-Intensive Applications — Explores the architecture of modern data systems, tackling storage, processing, and retrieval in distributed systems. A deep dive into building scalable, resilient, and maintainable data-centric applications.
• The Software Engineer’s Guidebook — Practical advice on navigating a career in software engineering, including communication, team collaboration, and managing complex projects.

Recommended Podcasts

Engineering and DevOps

• Ship It! — Covers building, deploying, and maintaining software at scale, with topics like DevOps, Kubernetes, and continuous delivery.
• Google SRE Prodcast — Insights from Google’s SRE experts on high-availability systems, performance optimization, and infrastructure scaling.

Programming Languages & Software Development

• Go Time — Dedicated to the Go programming language, covering its ecosystem, best practices, performance, and new developments.
• Software Engineering Daily — Daily coverage of software engineering topics from cloud infrastructure to machine learning, with in-depth interviews from industry experts.

Technology, Systems, and Innovation

• Signals and Threads — Hosted by Jane Street’s Ron Minsky, exploring technical challenges in engineering from clock synchronization to build systems.
• The WAN Show — Weekly tech industry news, product launches, and hardware and software discussions hosted by Linus Tech Tips.

Personal Growth & Career Development

• Developer Tea — Short episodes focused on personal and professional growth for developers, hosted by Jonathan Cutrell.

Local Tech Meetups (Front Range)

General Meetups

• Meet n’ Code — A bi-weekly meetup where developers of all skill levels gather to work on projects, ask questions, and socialize.
• Denver Code & Coffee — A casual meetup for developers to code and connect over coffee.
• Develop Happy Hour — A monthly happy hour for tech professionals to network and connect in a relaxed, social setting.

Language-Specific Groups

• Boulder Rust Meetup — Monthly talks and discussions for Rust programmers across the Boulder area.
• Denver C++ Meetup — Focused discussions and lightning talks on C++ and general software engineering.
• DenverScript — A community for JavaScript and TypeScript developers, hosting regular talks and events around the JS ecosystem.

Linux and Open Source

• Boulder Linux User Group — A community for Linux users, system administrators, and developers interested in Free and Open Source software.
• Denver DevOps — A community for DevOps practitioners focused on automation, open source tooling, and continuous learning.

Cybersecurity

• Cloud Security Alliance: Denver Chapter — A local chapter of the global CSA, dedicated to raising awareness and defining best practices for secure cloud computing.
• Boulder OWASP Chapter — Monthly discussions and presentations on application security topics, part of the global OWASP community working to improve software security.