CS100M and CS100J Spring 2002: Overview

Overview of CS100: Spring 2002
CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview
To obtain the online version of this document, visit the CS100J or CS100M websites and click on Home on the left titlebar, then click on Overview.

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> Details

Course label:	COM S 100
Course name:	Introduction to Computer Programming
Semesters offered:	Fall, Spring, Summer (J only)
Credits:	4
Grades:	Letter or S/U, depending on your college requirements
Websites:	http://courses.cs.cornell.edu/cs100j/2002sp/, http://courses.cs.cornell.edu/cs100m/2002sp/
Newsgroups:	cornell.class.cs100j, cornell.class.cs100m

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> Synopsis
Computer Science is not about computers, any more than astronomy is about telescopes -- Edgar W. Dijkstra

CS100J and CS100M offer an introduction to elementary computer programming concepts. The courses emphasize techniques of problem analysis and the development of algorithms and programs. To enroll in CS100, you must register for either CS100J or CS100M, which both use Java and MATLAB in different amounts to teach the same concepts:

CS100J: 12 weeks of Java and 2 weeks of MATLAB.
CS100M: 7 weeks of MATLAB followed by 7 weeks of Java.

Neither course presumes previous programming experience. To take CS100M, you must have a firm background in mathematics and at least one semester of calculus. Refer to http://www.cs.cornell.edu/ugrad/FirstCourse.html#CS100 for more information about both courses.

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> Alternatives
If you are shopping around for a "first course" to take in computer science, the CS department offers both programming and non-programming course, Refer to http://www.cs.cornell.edu/ugrad/FirstCourse.html for more information about the courses that may suit your needs better than CS100.

You might be interested in CS/ENGRI 172: Computation, Information, and Intelligence, which is a non-programming introduction to computer science through the lens of artificial intelligence (fall only).

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> Times and Places
CS100 offers lecture and section. We also hold occasional review sessions. Review Syllabus for listings of locations, times, and dates of lecture, section, labs, and exams.

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> Labs
CS100 currently does not have required laboratory sessions. However, we have laboratory space for consulting (Carpenter lab) and optional Academic Excellence Workshops (AEW). For a complete listing of available laboratories in which you can work, see Labs.

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> People
CS100(J,M) staff comprises instructors, teaching assistants, consultants, a course administrator, and an administrative assistant as discussed in Staff. Office hours are listed in Staff.

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> Course Material
Both CS100J and CS100M require that you program in Java and MATLAB. You will use CodeWarrior for the Java programming environment. For the full list of required and optional course material, including software requirements, review Syllabus --> Material.

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> Requirements
In CS100(J,M), you will be required to do the following:

Follow the policies that are described on the course website.
Attend lectures and sections.
Study and use the course material.

Monitor the announcements on the website. Occasionally we post announcements in the newsgroup. See AdditionalHelp-->USENET.

Do homework, as descibed in Homework:

exercises: short assignments that help you build programming skills.
projects: longer, application-oriented assignments.

Take exams:

quizzes: occasional in-class tests that count as exercises.
prelims: three exams that evaluate your skills that contribute significantly to your course grade.
final exam: a comprehensive exam at the end of the semester.

You should check Syllabus or Exams, and the online university schedule and for exam dates!

Retrieve all graded work (exercises, projects, quizzes, prelims).

Adhere to the Code of Academic Integrity for all work, as descibed in Academic Integrity.

CS100J/M --> Home --> Overview --> What To Do Now
Please do the following tasks as soon as possible:

Review this overview, which is also online.
Review the descriptions of CS100J and CS100M and pick a course! (You might need to attend both for awhile to help decide.)
Review the course website to learn the course policies.
Review the recent announcements in Home-->Announcements
Pick and attend a section that belongs to the course you have chosen.
Start and complete Project 1 (P1) for either course, which you will find in Homework-->Project:

Credit awarded to you for programming assignment P1 in one version of CS100 may be transferred to the other version of CS100 if you decide to switch versions.
Credit for the subsequent programming assignments may not be transferred.

You might wish to consider doing both course's assignments if you cannot decide which course to take.

Fill out and submit the Waiver Form (Signed Statements) no later than lecture 2 (1/24).
Check prelim and final exam schedules for conflicts.
Refer to Notes for assigned textbook readings.
Check out the Association of Computer Science Undergraduates (ACSU): http://www.acsu.cornell.edu/.