<p>I just got accepted into Penn’s Digital Media Design program in SEAS and I’m wondering if I have no background knowledge in any kind of computer programming/language would I struggle a lot in first year? Should I take a summer course to have some basic background knowledge in that area? And if so, what kinds of languages should they be? I’m a more artsy person so I’m afraid I might struggle in the programming.</p>
<p>Well, apparently the DMD program is pretty programming intensive so getting in some background info during the summer is a good idea! I recommend learning Java first. I learned C for my first language and it was pretty hard lol. There are lots of resources available online for learning Java, and I think it’s a pretty good ‘starter language’ so to speak. While taking a course is nice in that it might motivate you more to have assignments due or something, it’s not required because you can learn programming by yourself, asking programming forums for help and stuff like that. Good luck!</p>
<p>Technically you don’t need to know anything about programming, but you will find it a lot easier if you come in knowing at least some stuff. The first 3 CIS courses you will take are CIS 110, 120, and 121. All 3 of them involve Java. But I seriously recommend learning a language called Ocaml before you come to Penn. It will make your life so much easier when you take CIS 120.</p>
<p>okay thanks 
are any of you guys current DMD students? Do you know what’s the female - male ratio and about how many students are in the program?</p>
<p>Am I? No. But I know a lot of them. I know about a dozen or so and they are mostly girls.</p>