How good are Harvard undergrads? [closed]

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I Studied Computer Science Engineering in India from an average private institute.

I wanted to and I still do want to become a great programmer. I have seen "The Social Network"(facebook) built and come to life right in front of my eyes. He was in his sophomore when he dropped out of college.

I don't know what they teach in Harvard in the very first year but over in India they teach C, C++ in the first two semesters . The curriculum revolved around learning basic syntax, functions, operators, pointers and ends up on files. C++ syllabus has somewhat of object oriented language pedagogy (few extra terms - inheritance, polymorphism etc.) . The problems which we were solving were those of .. writing area of triangle, towers of hanoi. Following these two semesters we studied data structures.

I don't see how a person can go on from his sophomore into building such a vast social network. I understand, he was a Harvard student, that must have meant something.

But exactly how much ahead are they, compared to an "average Indian"?

Is it something to do with the course over there? or the problems they practice or the environment or the individual's efforts ?

And how much time is it going to take for an "Average Indian" to reach that level?