School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Computer Science
CSci 41 -- Introduction to Computer Science
Prof. Michael B. Feldman

Fall 2001 -- Frequently Asked Questions
latest update Sept. 13, 2001
http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci41/fall01/41f01faq.html

This page may be updated during the semester as more questions arise. You should check this location frequently to see if the page has been updated since your last visit.

What is this course about?

This course is provides an overview of the field of Computer Science (CS) to majors, potential majors, and perhaps others interested in the field. It is not a programming course or computing-skills course; while you will undoubtedly improve some of your computing skills here, that is not the main purpose of the course.

Do I get to do programming in this course? If not, why not?

There may be a few very, very, small programs in the laboratories, but if you did any programming in high school or elsewhere, this will not resemble anything you did there. Programming is a tool used to build software; here we want to emphasize the science of computer science, not the programming tool. Think of this course as analogous to studying the basics of architecture; you need to know how to use hammers and drills to build a house, but not to be an architect.

But I'm a CS major. When do I get to do some programming?

Starting in the second semester with CSci 51, you will be taking at least one course per semester that requires programming. A main purpose of this course is to highlight the key fact that CS is not just programming! In learning and doing programming, you get involved with learning programming languages, and getting a program running requires getting a lot of details--syntactic, algorithmic, and others--right. This is not effortless, and in this course we want you to put that effort into focusing on CS broadly and not on the details of programming languages. You'll have plenty of time for that in later semesters!

Is this a "filter course" designed to weed out students?

Absolutely not! Our goal in this course is that every student should succeed here, and we are here to help you do so.

Is this a difficult course?

It's not intended to be difficult. Any course, in any subject, is easier for some students than for others.

Does this course have a heavy workload?

CSci 41 is not intended to be a very heavy course. On the other hand, you are required to do some reading every week, complete the lab exercises as best you can, and complete any additional homework you are given, on time. As in most university-level courses, for every in-class hour in this course, you should plan to spend at least 2 hours outside of class. Since you spend roughly 4 hours per week in class here (lecture + lab), plan on 8 hours a week of homework. Homework must be done in the week it is assigned!

Do I have to go to lecture?

By university policy, attendance in class is required, not optional. Lecture attendance in this course counts 10% of your grade. Some days attendance is taken; other days it isn't. If you must miss a lecture, you are still responsible for all work covered, so ask a friend to take notes for you.

That's not fair! Suppose I came to most of the lectures, but skipped just the ones where you took attendance?

Well, that was bad luck, wasn't it? This is not high school; I am not going to spend the time to take attendance every day. To get the best attendance grade, come to class, and skip only if you absolutely must and you are willing to take the chance that I'll call the roll.

Do I have to go to lab?

Each week's lab session will require you to do a small assignment that helps you learn that week's material. The objective is to go to the lab and try to finish the assignment; if you do that, you get credit for that lab; if you don't, you don't. Lab work counts 20% of your grade.

What if I miss a lecture or lab, and therefore don't get a copy of an assignment handout?

Each handout will be distributed in class once. All handouts are on the class web site, http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci41/fall01. If you miss a handout -- or lose one -- just visit the web site and get a copy there.

Do you give out lecture notes or post them on the web?

Not usually. I don't read from prepared notes. I do use viewgraphs, but I often change them at the last minute or write on them during lecture.

Why not put those viewgraphs on the web?

Sometimes it's quite hard to prepare them in a web-friendly form. But more important, I do not want to give the impression that you can do well in this course just by reading stuff on the web. Classes should be interactive and interesting, and I want you to be here for them.

How is grading done?

Your semester grade will be calculated as follows:
  • Lecture Attendance 10%
  • Laboratory Assignments 20%
  • Projects 20%
  • Midterm Exam 20%
  • Final Exam 30%

Do you grade "on a curve"?

I keep grade records strictly "by the numbers"; at the end of the semester, I compute a final average for each student. I then assign a grade that represents my experienced judgement as to how much you got out of the course. I have no predetermined cutoff points for As, Bs, Cs, etc. If every student does well, every student gets a high grade.

What about these projects?

We will assign 4 or 5 projects to be done outside class. These could be continuations of the lab exercises, or brief research papers. This is a new course, and we'll design and assign the projects as we go, depending on how the labs and lectures develop.

Each project will be graded on a 0-20 point basis. An incomplete submission is better than none; you will get credit where credit is due. I will accept late projects, subject to a "late fee" of 4 points per week of lateness. Each project is due by the start of the class on the due date; projects submitted after the lecture has begun will be counted as one week late.

Can I work with a friend on the projects?

Projects must represent the results of your own work. We may do some projects here with teams, but then the work must be that team's work, and not others' work.

If you have any question about the rules, ASK Prof. Feldman or the lab instructor. Do not take other students’ word for it! Do not rely on the rules of other courses!

Also read the CS Department Policy on Academic Integrity and the GW Code of Academic Integrity.

Getting Your Questions Answered by E-mail

We encourage you to e-mail us with any questions or concerns. Prof. Feldman and the lab instructors are all here to help you, and answer their e-mail promptly. Also, there are plenty of office hours to visit any of us. You are welcome to visit or e-mail any of us, not just your own lab instructor.

I have my own computer. Can I use it in this course?

Yes, but you do not have to own a computer to succeed in the course. All the course materials are available online, and accessible from any Internet-connected computer, whether it's the University's computer, or yours, or your friend's.

Tell me about examinations, please.

There will be a one-hour midterm and a two-hour final exam, both strictly timed. These will be open-book, open-notes exams. If you are coming to class regularly, and keeping up with the reading and the projects, you should not need to "cram" for the exams. Exams will require a mixture of short-answer questions, problem solving, and short "essay" questions.

Will there be unannounced "pop quizzes"?

There may be one or more unnanounced quizzes during the lecture or lab period. If everyone is coming to class regularly, participating actively in the class, and keeping up with the reading, there will be little need for "pop quizzes". Quizzes, if any, will count a few percent, and we will adjust the other weighting factors accordingly.

How can I make the most effective use of e-mail?

  • Set your e-mail program to send plain text, not HTML, and definitely not both. Each program (WebMail, Netscape Messenger, Outlook, etc.) is a bit different, but they all have similar options. Learn the options of your e-mail program!
  • Write the most meaningful subject line you can think of. Don't say "Hello", "John Doe", or "Question". Instead, say "Question about CSci 41, project #1", or some such meaningful thing.
  • Avoid attachments, unless you must send a graphic or other non-text document. Attachments are over-used, they sometimes carry viruses, and many people hate them.
  • Write short paragraphs, each with one thought. You learned this in English courses; it works here too. Many people will try to reply to you by interleaving their responses with your original text. Make it easy for them to do this - it's courteous.
  • Give your full name at the end of your message, just as you would in a written letter. Do not expect the recipient to guess who sent the letter.

What should I do to get a high grade in CSci 41?

There is no magic formula for a high grade, but here are some ways to ensure you will probably get a low grade:
  • Skip class repeatedly. Lectures do not repeat the book, and material covered in class is covered on the exams. Lecture attendance counts 10% of your grade.
  • Skip lab repeatedly. This will hurt — lab is 20% of your grade!
  • Start on the projects late. In this way, you cheat yourself out of asking questions in class. I will discuss project details and trouble spots in class, but only in response to your questions.
  • Turn in late projects repeatedly. Your "lateness fee" is 4/20 points per week late. Each project is about 4-5% of your grade, so each "fee" is about 1%. One or two don't hurt much, but they add up fast!
  • Ignore the reading until it's time to cram for the exam. This course is "all connected" — if you ignore the reading you are clueless in class and on the projects. You cannot possibly get a good exam grade by cramming the book.

How do I withdraw from the course?

Under University and SEAS regulations, here are the rules for withdrawing from courses:
  • During the first four weeks: you can withdraw using a simple Drop/Add (Registration Transaction) form. The course disappears from your transcript.
  • After four weeks but before Preregistration begins: you can withdraw using a simple Drop/Add but the grade W appears on your transcript. This has no effect on your grade-point average.
  • After Preregistration begins but before the end of classes: this is considered a "late withdrawal." You must complete a SEAS Late Withdrawal form, which requires the signatures of the instructor, your advisor, the EECS Department Chair, and the SEAS Associate Dean. I will always sign a late withdrawal form, as long as classes have not ended for the semester. I will not sign a withdrawal form after the last class!

Do you give Incompletes?

Under University regulations, and my own policies, here are the rules for Incomplete grades:
  • A grade of I (Incomplete) may be assigned only when the student has really special circumstances such that (s)he cannot finish the work of the course. I follow the University regulations, and do not give Incompletes unless the situation is truly unusual. Do not ask for an Incomplete just to gain more time to finish projects or raise a low grade. I will almost always say no.
An Incomplete grade is undesirable. Under GW rules, you are required to remove the I by completing the work of the course. Taking the course a second time does not (NOT!) remove the original I. Under SEAS rules, an Incomplete not removed within one year becomes an F.