First things first: you should decide...
Is This the Right Course for Me?
CS111 has no prerequisites and requires no previous programming experience. However, we do expect students to have basic computer skills. For example, you should be familiar with either the Macintosh or Windows, and you should know how to use applications like a web browser.
The only mathematical background we expect is high school algebra and geometry.
CS111 counts for one Mathematical Modeling (MM) distribution
credit. Even though CS111 has a 2-hour weekly laboratory, it does
not count as an MM laboratory unit.
This semester the Computer Science department is offering two introductory classes in addition to CS111: CS110 Computer Science and the Internet and CS112 Computing for the Sciences. In other semesters, we offer other introductory computer science courses: CS114 The Socio-Techno Web and CS117 Inventing Mobile Apps. These classes teach different material and are intended for different audiences.
CS111 is for students who:
- want an in-depth introduction to programming and problem solving; and/or
- may want to take more advanced computer science courses, particularly students who plan to major or minor in computer science.
Although many CS111 students do take other CS courses, about half of CS111 students take it as their only CS class, so this is not unusual in any way.
For information about the other introductory class(es), click here.
If you already have substantial Java programming experience, consider taking CS230: Data Structures. Contact Brian Tjaden or Stella Kakavouli for more information.
If you are unlikely to pursue a major or minor in computer science and want want to learn how to make interactive websites, you should consider CS110: Computer Science and the Internet. Contact Scott Anderson, Orit Shaer, Jean Herbst, or Sohie Lee for more information.
If you plan to take only one computer science course and you are planning to major in a field (such as the sciences, economics, or social sciences) in which it's helpful to write your own programs for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data or creating models and simluations, then you should consider CS112: Computing for the Sciences. Contact Ellen Hildreth or Sohie Lee for more information.
Now, assuming that the answer to "Is CS111 the right course for me" is “yes,” here's how to...
Get an account/ Get registered
If you intend to take this class, you should fill out this account request form by 4:00 p.m. on Tue., Jan. 24, 2012. This form requires a "magic word" which is announced in an email to the CS111 Spring12 Google group. If you cannot fill out the form by the deadline, fill it out as soon as you can, and send Stella Kakavouli an email indicating that you filled it out late.
This semester, there are two lectures and four labs:
Lectures
- CS111 01 (Lyn Turbak) MTh 9:50--11am in SCI 257 (note change in room!)
- CS111 02 (Lyn Turbak) MTh 11:10am--12:20pm in SCI 257
Labs
- CS111 L01 (Stella Kakavouli) W 8:30--10:20am in SCI 257
- CS111 L02 (Stella Kakavouli) W 10:30am--12:20pm in SCI 257
- CS111 L03 (Stella Kakavouli) W 2:15am--4:05pm in SCI 257
- CS111 L04 (Jean Herbst) W 2:15am--4:05pm in SCI E101
Due to resource constraints, we can only accomodate at most 30 students in each of the two lectures and 14 students in each of four labs. (There's so much demand for the class this semester that we added a fourth lab.)
Whether you are already registered, are unregistered but have been told by us (through email or in person) that you're in the class, or are unregistered but hoping to take the class, you must attend the first lab on Wed. Jan. 25 and first lecture on Thu. Jan 26. Regardless of your official registration status, you should proceed as if you are registered. Any additions/changes to CS111 lectures and lab registration require an instructor override. If you get email or verbal confirmation from an instructor that you can move to or add a particular lecture/lab section, please wait for the override in Banner.
If you are registered, but you do not attend the first lab and lecture and you do not email us with an explanation, you will be dropped from the class and your place will be given to someone on the wait list.
Changing sections
The two lecture sections will cover exactly the same material, so in some sense it doesn't matter which one you attend. But in order for one section not to be more crowded than the other, please try to attend the lecture section for which you're registered.
If you want to change lecture sections, you can, provided that there are enough seats in the room. Once you have decided which section you want to attend, ask Lyn for an instructor override in Banner.
Changing lab sections is more difficult, but not impossible. Because we cannot accomodate more than 13 students in the lab, it is very important for us to keep the labs balanced. This semester Stella's labs are held in SCI 257 (the lecture room) and start at 8:30am and 10:30am and 2:15pm on Wednesdays; and Jean's labs are held in SCI E101 and start at 2:15 on Wednesdays. Please talk to Stella or Jean about changing lab sections if you need to. This is easier to accomplish if you can swap with someone from another section; to find such a person, post a request on the CS111 Spring12 Google group.