Re:Free for students: Professional developer tools from JetB...
by wernercd on Monday October 31, 2016 @12:20PM
(#12838247)
It's definitely a part of getting a well rounded education... but a large part depends on WHAT you are learning.
What's needed to learn C/C++ is different than what's needed to learn Javascript. C#. Ruby. PHP. SQL. Etc...
A Javascript developer could spend his/her life without ever touching a compiler. I've spent my "career" without ever needing that level of knowledge as a .Net Developer (C#/VB) and Sql Reporting guy (SSMS/Crystal Reports/etc).
I would agree wholeheartedly that a C/C++/Assembly guy needs that experience... but most programmers don't need to know how a linker works.
I've got personal experiences which says IDE-first is a bad approach. However, once you've learn the basics you should definitely graduate to an IDE as a student like you say.
My experience has been that many students don't learn a single thing well enough to build upon to gain those extra tools you mentioned. An IDE might bring them closer to that point faster, but I also think it makes them leave things behind they should know.
(recent graduate, informal teacher to many friends getting in to CS industry)