I found this unit informative one the differences between Java and other languages I have previously used.

Having used both Python and C in previous programming, I am excited to learn more about Java and discover the different benefits and challenges within the program. 

When using Python, I found myself writing my own objects more and more as the problems I was solving became more complicated. That said, I think I was still often using a "top down" approach, writing objects only AFTER coming up with an overall breakdown of the problems at hand. I am interested to see what a fully object oriented language will add to my programming technique, and I am excited to try using a more "bottom up" approach in future problems.

The most interesting thing I learned in this module was that Java is a compiled AND interpreted language. Going into the course, I thought that Java was only compiled, similar to C or C++. I wonder, have any of you used Java without the JVM, compiling it directly into computer specific machine language? What was your reason for doing this? My other question is, has anyone used Jython or JRuby? What was your experience, and would you reccommend trying them?

Comparing Java to Python (the language I have used most often), what would those of you who have used both say are the biggest differences, pros, and cons of the two languages? Do you use one more often? Are there certain tasks that are more easily solved in one versus the other?