[mosjeff]

I think the problem with finding a one true path is that computer science, as a concentration, has many different avenues.

You could focus on developing for the web and work with tools that make dealing with the challenges of the internet easier.

You could focus on developing for a computer system, writing in low-level languages that help you take advantage of a system's hardware.

You could even focus on developing for an integrated circuit that doesn't even qualify as a full "computer" to most people.

Each of these avenues will lead you to different languages, tools, and paradigms.

So, the (rhetorical) question is, what are you trying to accomplish?