This next semester I am looking to start taking more of the core classes for my Computer Science degree which will involve coding/scripting and whatnot.
Problem being it that I have never taken any class in High-school or done any programming on my own and barely know anything about it which may seem odd but its what I want to do.
Anyways I got to thinking and I wanted to know if some of the BG members here who work in the field of computer engineering/science might know of some books I can pick up and read over the summer to sort of familiarize myself with a language and the basics so I don't walk into the class and not have a damn clue what the hell is going on which I feel might happen even for a beginning class.
I have already talked with a few people in the industry and they mentioned learning java/xml/c++ and try writing an addon for World of Warcraft and work on maintaining it through patches, troubleshooting bugs and keeping it up-to-date is an excellent way to get started with how the languages work and what is involved for programming.
I was hoping there might be a few reccommended readings you might suggest to start with so I can get a head start on my upcoming classes, as the only one I am aware of is the "______ book for dummies" series which I have tried with other things but it honestly sucks as there is too much bullshit reading and jokes in those that distract you from what your really trying to do.
So anyone able to help me out?