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Comment by markus_zhang | Hacker News Reader

This is an interesting approach. I'm taking some CS courses starting from this summer (advanced programming this summer and data structure this fall) and hopefully can get to either compiler or OS next year, probably both actually.

I think porting a niche language to a MCU or write a tiny OS for it could be bery approachable.

For the former definition I'd even treat say developing Airflow operators to be sort of sys prog. It's stretchy but gives me the same kind of satisfaction. Not sure if OP agrees though.

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Interesting this was mentioned. I was wondering whether to try a class rather than do it on myself. Are you taking these at a local university or online?

On local. However I believe taking material from a respected university (MIT/Berkeley/CMU) and work on oneself is a way better option, if you can grit through.

It's just a few courses TBH: one for programming (can skip if already know), one for comp arch, one for data structure and you are done with the basics (drop in either a discrete math course if you have no exposure to it, which I do, or a computer language theory class if you want to do compiler). You can then take advanced courses e.g. Operating system or Compiler theories.

I'm always thinking about going that route, saving some $$$ yet learn more than from mediocre local universities. Tried a few times but never get past the data structure course.

Ping me if you want to do it altogether. It's probably easier when studying in a group.

edit Just realized you are a backend developer so you are probably better than me. I mean you can probably skip more courses :)

Thanks! Yeah I'll think it over. Thats sort of what I was thinking, surely all the textbooks and knowledge is out there, so I could teach it to myself, but having a structured class is nice.

I'll let you know. If I decide to go down the study group route, I'll ping you. I have already taken a data structures course, but nothing close to Operating Systems or Compiler Theory.

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