Comp Sci 220 Course Information and Expectations

Comp Sci 220 is a comprehensive course that covers the fundamentals of computer science. The course is designed for students with some prior programming experience.

You can expect to spend around 12-15 hours per week on coursework, including assignments, quizzes, and a final project. This is a significant time commitment, but it's essential to master the concepts and skills covered in the course.

The course is divided into two main parts: algorithms and data structures, and software engineering. Each part has its own set of topics and assignments, and you'll need to stay on top of both to succeed.

You'll be working with a variety of programming languages, including Python and Java, and you'll need to be comfortable with coding and debugging.

Comp Sci 220 is a comprehensive course that covers the fundamentals of computer science. It's a 3-credit course that meets for 3 hours per week.

The course is designed for students who have completed Comp Sci 120 and are looking to further their knowledge in computer science. The course covers topics such as data structures, algorithms, and software engineering.

The course is typically offered in the fall semester, but it's best to check the course schedule for the most up-to-date information.

Computer Sciences is a fascinating field that combines math, logic, and problem-solving to create innovative solutions. You can expect to learn about algorithms, data structures, and software engineering in a computer science program.

The curriculum typically includes courses in computer architecture, operating systems, and computer networks, which provide a solid foundation for understanding how computers work and communicate with each other.

Computer science graduates can pursue careers in software development, data analysis, and artificial intelligence, among other fields.

The field is constantly evolving, with new technologies and advancements emerging regularly, so it's essential to stay up-to-date with the latest developments and trends.

To succeed in this course, you should have a solid grasp of loops. Loops are an essential concept in programming, and understanding how to use them effectively will help you tackle the course material with confidence.

You should also be familiar with variables, including how to declare and manage their scope. This will help you write clean and efficient code.

Defining and using functions to break down problems into manageable parts is another crucial skill. This will help you organize your code and make it easier to maintain.

Recursive functions with integer arguments are also a key concept to understand. If you're not familiar with recursion, don't worry – it's a skill that can be learned with practice.

To get a better sense of the course material, here's a quick rundown of the key concepts you should be familiar with:

In this course, you'll learn how to design software that truly meets the needs of its users.

You'll demonstrate empathy for users and advocate for their needs through software design, which means putting yourself in their shoes and thinking about what they want to achieve with your software.

To do this effectively, you'll learn about Human-Computer Interaction styles and principles, which will help you create software that's intuitive and easy to use.

You'll also apply methods from the Human-Centered Design process to create interactive systems that are user-friendly and effective.

Here are some key learning goals in this course:

As you work on these skills, you'll also explore the use of AI for the design, implementation, and evaluation of interactive systems, which is a rapidly evolving field with many exciting possibilities.

In COMPSCI 220, you're encouraged to form study groups and discuss course material with others, but all graded work must be done individually. You can ask public questions in office hours or on Campuswire, but make sure they're general and don't involve code snippets or specific solution ideas.

The course assumes that all submitted work is generated by students themselves, working individually or in groups. This means you shouldn't hire someone or a company to write assignments for you, and you shouldn't use AI tools like ChatGPT to do the writing for you either.

Academic dishonesty is taken seriously in this course, and it includes cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. Here are some examples of what's considered academic dishonesty:

In this course, homework assignments make up 40% of your grade, and the lowest grade will be dropped. You'll have weekly deadlines for these projects, which will be programmed in Ocelot and submitted via Gradescope.

Quizzes account for 10% of your grade, and the lowest two quiz scores will be dropped. These quizzes are usually released on Monday and are open for 24 hours.

Lab participation is worth 8% of your grade, and two lab absences are dropped. You may have short quizzes or small assignments in lab that will be graded for completion.

Lesson questions are worth 2% of your grade, and the highest 20 lecture scores will count towards your grade. These questions will be a mix of participation and correctness.

Related reading: Comp Sci Lab

Exams make up 40% of your grade, and you must score at least a 33.33% exam average to pass the course. There will be two midterm exams and one final exam.

Here are the letter grade thresholds for the course:

Note that these thresholds are tentative and may be adjusted based on the overall performance in the course.

Academic honesty is a fundamental aspect of academic integrity, and it's essential to understand what it entails. In the context of COMPSCI 220, academic honesty means working individually on all items resulting in a grade, and not sharing homework code or solution ideas with others.

As students, we're encouraged to form study groups and discuss course material jointly, but we must ensure that all work submitted is generated by us individually or in groups. This includes not hiring someone or a company to write assignments for us, and not using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT.

The College of Information and Computer Sciences at UMass Amherst expects everyone to behave responsibly and honorably, and we're expected to not give, receive, or use aid in examinations or academic work without permission.

Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. Cheating involves intentionally using trickery or deception in one's academic work, while fabrication involves intentionally falsifying or inventing information or citations.

Here are some examples of academic dishonesty:

If you're unsure about what constitutes academic dishonesty, it's always best to err on the side of caution and seek clarification from your instructor. Remember, academic honesty is essential for maintaining a community of respect, integrity, fairness, and trust.

Comp Sci 220 is a 3-credit course that covers the basics of algorithms and data structures.

This course is designed for students who have had some experience with programming and want to improve their skills in designing and analyzing algorithms.

You'll learn about fundamental data structures like arrays, linked lists, stacks, and queues, which are essential for any programmer.

These data structures are used in a wide range of applications, from simple calculators to complex databases.

The course will also cover more advanced topics like trees and graphs, which are crucial for solving complex problems in computer science.

You'll learn how to analyze the time and space complexity of algorithms, which is a critical skill for any programmer.

This will help you to write more efficient code and solve problems more effectively.

The course will also cover the basics of sorting and searching algorithms, which are used in many real-world applications.

These algorithms are used in everything from searching the internet to sorting data in a database.

The course is taught by experienced instructors who will provide guidance and support throughout the course.

You'll have access to online resources and practice problems to help you learn and stay on track.

By the end of COMPSCI 220, you can expect to have a solid grasp of modern JavaScript programming practices. This includes understanding the latest techniques and best practices for writing efficient and effective code.

You'll be able to program with abstraction, using higher-order functions and object-oriented programming to create complex systems. This will involve using concepts like recursion to work with data structures like trees and lists.

One key takeaway from the course is an accurate mental model of programming languages that support mutable state, assignable variables, objects, higher-order functions, and garbage collection. This means you'll be able to visualize the heap and stack at any point in a program's execution, giving you a deeper understanding of how your code is running.

Testing is also a crucial aspect of the course, and you'll learn how to effectively test your code to ensure it's working as expected.

Here are some of the key topics you can expect to cover in COMPSCI 220:

In Comp Sci 220, we're committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment. The lack of diversity is a significant problem in computer science, and we want to help improve the situation.

We're all responsible for creating a positive and professional atmosphere in the course. This includes online interactions, which should be treated as professional activities exclusively.

If you ever feel uncomfortable or prevented from learning, don't hesitate to speak up with the instructor. We encourage you to bring it up, and there are also university resources available to help.