Guidelines for Success in Computer Science I class at UNI during the 2002 fall semester.

Once you have allocated the necessary time for this course, the following suggestions, compiled from student experiences, should help you plan your time use and prepare for the labs and exams:

• Prepare for lecture! Read the text selections before the start of lecture.   Taking some notes while reading is GOOD.  Rewriting Java code examples is GOOD.  Rewriting and elaborating on your lecture notes is GOOD.
• Be on time. I will start promptly at 9 or 10 and will often start with important announcements.
• Make use of the office hours early! Don't wait until late in the semester to seek help.
• Be specific in your questions when possible. Rather than asking for an explanation of a large or general topic, be prepared with specific questions or specific examples that raised your questions.
• Do some problems from the exercises in the book to get a feel for your level of comfort with newer concepts as you learn them.
• Write code on your own! Think of simple problems on your own (or from the text) and solve them.
• Make sure that your code runs in the lab. This is especially important for those who complete portions of their work at home. Verify that code that runs on another machine actually runs in the lab so there are no surprises at grading time.
• Remember, programming takes practice.  The best strategy is to practice every day, just as if you were taking lessons on a musical instrument.  Practice does NOT mean you have to be at a computer or type in the program.  Writing Java code on paper and checking your solution and the syntax from the book is great too. 
• Practice your programming and study your Java frequently!  Its better to go to the WRC (UNI Wellness and Recreation Center) three times per week and spend an hour working out each time than to go once per week and spend four hours.  Practice, practice, practice.  The more you study and practice, the more you will discover that Java and programming can be very fun and fulfilling.

Tentative Schedule

Check the class website frequently for changes and announcements. If no topic is listed then the topic is a continuation of the previous class meeting.