Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT …

What if I have an exam conflict or special requirement?

See the exams page for the make-up petition process.

What do I do if I am in a different time zone?

All lectures and discussion sections are on Eastern Time. Lecture section is not required, and videos of this section will be posted for later viewing. Discussion section is required, and you must attend the time of your section. We can guarantee that, for each time zone, there is at least one section that fits within the 8 am - 10 pm time window, which (according to Cornell policy) is an acceptable request. For how time zones affect exams, see the exams page.

What’s this CS 1133/CS 1132 stuff?

These are shorter 2-credit courses for students who want to learn a programming language, but do not need the computer science theory to continue on to CS 2110. These are the courses that we recommend for graduate students.

What if I have a missing lab grade?

Contact your section instructor to fix the problem for you.

What if I do not have a suitable computer?

This class is designed to work with relatively old Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. However, ChromeBooks are not suitable for this course. If you do not have the correct computer, and cannot easily acquire a computer for the semester, we recommend that you sign-up for one of the in-person sections (201-205) and use the lab computers for the remainder of the semester. While laptop loans are possible at Cornell, we do not recommend relying on loans that last the entire semester.

What if my computer breaks?

While Upson 225 is available for several in-person sections, it is not available for drop-in usage this semester due to COVID restrictions. If your computer breaks before an assignment, please get a laptop loan from Olin Library. If no laptops are available, please contact the instructors about potentially acquiring a laptop.


WHO …

Who is my section instructor?

See the listing on the sections page. For more information about your instructor, go the the staff page.


WHY …

Why do we use Python?

We talk about this on the first day of class. Python is a modern, object oriented language that is much more accessible to beginners than traditional object-oriented languages. It is also popular for scientific computation, making it relevant to engineers who do not want to continue on with computer science.

Why is CS 2110 in a different language?

Computer science is not about learning specific languages. It is about learning principles of software development and design. Some languages are better at teaching different principles. The object-oriented concepts of 2110 are much better taught in Java. The language change is not a serious problem as the first month of 2110 is designed to help with this transition.

Why do we use Anaconda Python?

While your computer may already have Python installed, it is important that everyone use the same version of Python for this class whenever possible.
We have found Anaconda to be a stable version of Python that includes almost all of the packages we want. There are a bunch of versions of Python out there, and not all of them are compatible. Exceptions are on a case-by-case basis.

Why do we use the command shell?

As a scripting language, Python is designed with a command shell in mind. There are Integrated Development Environments (IDE) for Python that allow you to work without the command shell. Most Python IDEs are designed for data science, not software development. Those that are designed for software development are too complicated for this course. Therefore, we elected to go with the command shell.


WHERE …

Where are the computer labs?

Given social distancing restrictions this semester, the only available computer lab is Upson 225. However, this lab is only available for students enrolled in the in-person sections, and is not available for drop-in use.

Where are the sections?

Sections 201-205 are held in Upson 225. All other sections are held online. See the sections page for the correct link for your section.

Where is your office?

For information about the offices of the instructor or the course administrator, see the staff page. However, given current social distancing restrictions, we are unlikely to be in the office on a regular basis. You should always contact us by e-mail before going to our offices.

Where are the solutions?

When we post solutions, they will be posted in CMS, attached to the relevant assignment.

Where are the handouts?

Most lecture handouts can be obtained from the lecture summary page. In addition, labs, assignments, and exams each have their own dedicated page.

Where is my graded homework/prelim?

For assignments submitted online (on the course CMS), you will receive feedback within CMS itself. In addition, we use GradeScope to return hard-copy assignments.

Where do I request a regrade?

This is covered in the regrade policy. Hard copy assignments are handled through GradeScope, while all other regrades are addressed in CMS. You have one week after a grade is posted to request a regrade.

Where can I find more practice problems?

We try to provide you with plenty of optional problems in the labs. You are also welcome to look for other Python Challenges online.


MUST I …

Must I attend the lecture section?

The lecture section is intended for interactive demos, as well as question-and-answer. To get the most of this session, we recommend that you attend. However the actual lectures that cover new material will be posted asynchronously, outside of the lecture section. Furthermore, videos of the synchronous lectures will be posted for later viewing. Therefore, students that have a course that overlaps with this one may still take this course, as long as there is no overlap in their discussion section.

Must I attend my lab (discussion) section?

Lab sections are semi-mandatory, in the sense that some labs require you to be present so that you can receive feedback on your performance from your lab instructor. However, for labs that are evaluated automatically (e.g. no manual-graded questions), you may skip a lab if you have already received credit for it online. But this means that the lab is complete and entirely correct. If you have started the lab, but not finished it, you should still attend lab section.


MAY I …

May I change my partner?

You may have different partners for different projects, but you may not have more than one partner for any assignment. Please review the policies on the assignments page.

May I program in a different language?

No.

May I use PyDef or an actual Python IDE?

If you want, you may use an actual Python IDE such as PyDef or even a professional-level tool like PyCharm. However, if you do this, you are completely on your own. We only provide support for using a command shell. See our Python page for more information.


HOW …

How should I submit my homework?

You should follow the submission guidelines in the instructions for each assignments.

How do I use Python?

You should see our Python page for how to install and get started with Python.

How do I print in a public lab?

Printing services for students at Cornell are provided by the Net-Print system. See the Net-Print overview provided by CIT. With that said, we do not know what public lab access is available this semester.

How do I start an assignment?

Assignments can get involved, and you should read an assignment in full before you start on it. Don’t expect to absorb it all at once. While reading the assignment, look for clues on what you need to do. When you’ve figured out the larger tasks, break those large problems into smaller and smaller tasks. Eventually, you can program those smaller tasks.

How do I catch up? I’m lost.

In addition to a large number of office hours, there are Cornell resources to help you in CS 1110, should you need them.

How do I become a consultant?

To become a consultant for a CS course, you must apply online. We typically hire by invitation-only for the Spring semester, since the Spring semester has lower enrollment and most consultants work for 1110 all year. However, we hire a considerable number of new consultants each year for the Fall semester. We will have more information about this later in the semester.