CS106A Section - Matt Jones

CS106A Fall 2007

Handout #00 October 3, 2007

CS106A Section _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Section Leader: Matt Jones Email: [email protected] Section: Wednesday 8pm, Gates B12 LAIR Helper Hours: Tuesday 8pm-10pm Purpose of Section: In such a large class you may not ever feel in control of what is covered. Section is your chance to get that control. Whatever you need, want, desire, question, worry about, think about, or fear is what we are going to discuss. It is my job to make sure that you get what you need. I am here to help you. If you have questions, requests, whatever, you can come to me. CS is a difficult subject and it is always helpful to be able to talk to others. Helper Hours: Helper hours are invaluable to any student who needs assistance from someone else. The LAIR in Tressider (a place that you may come to call home) is constantly staffed by helpers on Sunday - Thursday from 6pm to 12am. Take advantage of them. I’ll be there on Tuesdays from 8-10PM, but by no means do you have to come then. Program Grading: Once you hand in your programs I will do everything in my power to get them back to you as quickly as possible, so you can incorporate feedback into the next assignment. You can expect to have programs back within about a week. As soon as your programs are graded, we will set up a time to meet for interactive grading. Interactive Grading: Perhaps the most unique part of CS106 is interactive grading. After each program is returned to you, we will sit down one-on-one for about 15 minutes and discuss it. I will point out your strengths as well as any areas for possible improvement. It should help you get a better idea of what we are looking for in your programs, and help me get a better idea of where you are. A few days after each assignment is due, I'll send out an email to schedule a time to meet for interactive grading. Late Policy: You get a total of two late days for the quarter. As discussed in lecture, each late day is a *class day*, so if an assignment is due on Monday, you can turn it in by the same time Wednesday and use one late day. Learning how to use your late days is a very important skill. It is always good to hoard your late days just in case disaster strikes later in the quarter. That said, if your program just does not work and you think that an extra day will do worlds of good, then take a late day. You have them for a reason. Some Notes on Programming Style: This is a crucial skill! One of the hardest things to realize is that writing a program that works is only part of your job. How you achieve a solution can often be just as important. I cannot stress enough just how important your style can be. We will be talking about this a lot all quarter. The earlier you get it right, the happier you, me, and Karel will be. Questions: Ask them! Ask them often! All questions are valuable and you are going to have them. It is okay. Programming is difficult. Questions will help clarify things for you and let me know where you all need help. Have Fun: This one is self-explanatory, but often overlooked. Trust me. It is very possible.