Laura Biester

Great start into programming. This class uses python with I find to be the easiest to learn on. Lectures were chill and the labs basically gave explicit instructions which is nice. The homeworks are typically easy but the challenges are a little more difficult. The class definitely gets harder as the course goes on.

As someone who has no experience with computer science, I thought this course would be more relaxed and move at a slower pace. I found the class to be extremely challenging. There are lots of opportunities to get help in office hours, TA hours, etc, but the material was very difficult for me to understand. There is usually one larger hw assignment per week, along with challenge problems occasionally, and labs once per week. I did not like the grading system of incomplete, satisfactory, or excellent and the tiered approach rather than just getting an average grade. I found the hw retakes to become overwhelming and the work builds significantly as the semester progresses. I would not recommend this class if you are expecting a more laid-back introduction to computer science and just want to try something new.

As someone who has no experience with computer science, I thought this course would be more relaxed and move at a slower pace. I found the class to be extremely challenging. There are lots of opportunities to get help in office hours, TA hours, etc, but the material was very difficult for me to understand. There is usually one larger …Read more

The course structure is decent and important to get you started with web development. It's one of the few CS courses that prepares (ish) for real industry experience, so I'd recommend taking it regardless of who is teaching it.