Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 17:51:09 GMT Server: NCSA/1.5 Content-type: text/html Last-modified: Mon, 16 Sep 1996 20:15:44 GMT Content-length: 2310 CS 302 Course Difficulty

Course Difficulty

Note: The following was written by an experienced CS302 instructor.

Here are a few sample comments on how hard some students found the class last spring.

Do I find these comments to be correct? I agree that the course should be worth more credits, but I can't change that. As your teacher, I have a duty of giving you all of the material needed to be sucessful in courses that have CS302 as a prereq -- a whole lot of material and work is involved. The comment, ``It shouldn't take 8-10 hours...'' is off base. The students in my class only had eight programs to hand in during the previous semester, but some students thought that assignments should be something that are done the night before due!

Assignments take a continous effort from the day assigned. Some struggling is good for the mind, but please ask me questions and I will help you! This course is easy for some, and hard for others, but in all, the course should not be a semester long hell.

How much work do I think you should expect? The usual guideline in college is to expect to spend 3 hours outside of class for every hour spent in class. But keep in mind that 3 hours is an average across the entire college spectrum from bowling to quantum physics. Where does CS302 fall in that spectrum? Expect 3-5 hours of reading each week. Expect 9-10 hours of homework each week in which we don't have exams. So that could be 12-15 hours outside of class each week, i.e. 4-5 hours for every hour in class.

Some students will be able to spend less time, and other may spend much more. Please be prepared and if you find yourself snowballing homework and studying, see me for immediate help outside of class!


Created By: Jim Basney
Last modified: Mon Sep 2 15:23:15 CDT 1996 by Greg Sharp