Monash University > School of Computer Science and Software Engineering > CSE1303 > Introductory information

CSE1303 Computer Science
Semester 2, 2002
Introductory information

Welcome to CSE1303 Computer Science. The following guidelines are given so that you can have a productive semester and so that you can complete CSE1303 successfully.

Importance

This subject is the most important one in your entire Computer Science degree. (No, really, it is.) In CSE1303 you will learn how to apply your knowledge of programming in practical ways. CSE1303 is a prerequisite for most second-year computing subjects; if you fail CSE1303 you may greatly delay the completion of your degree.

Nature of the material

The material in computer science in general (and in this subject in particular) is incremental; that is, each part depends on an understanding of the previous parts. If you don't understand a particular section you should immediately see assistance (from classmates, tutors, demonstrators or the lecturers) in order to catch up.

Don't wait for some part of the material to be finished, hoping to start afresh with the "next batch". There is no next batch. Everything is related.

Pass rate

CSE1303 is regarded as one of the hardest subjects in your Computer Science degree. It has a relatively high failure rate, in part because students do not invest the necessary effort. You will need to work harder at this subject than you did in CSE1303 to achieve an equivalent mark.

In previous years, about 2/3 of students who got between 50% and 60% in CSE1301 failed CSE1303. If you got less than 60% in CSE1301, you should assume that you will need to work harder to pass CSE1303.

Responsibility

You are responsible for your progress. Every effort is made by teaching staff to convey all the information required for the successful completion of the subject, but you should have the initiative to actively seek information when something is not clear.

Make sure that you understand the requirements of a task, that you know how to execute it, and that you get it marked in a timely manner.

Workload

University guidelines suggest that students spend, on average, one additional hour outside class for each hour you spend in lectures, pracs and tutorials. For CSE1303, this means a total of 12 hours per week outside class. Some students will require less than this to perform adequately, but most will require on average 12 hours of study outside class every week. This time should be spent reviewing the lecture material, answering questions in the tutorial handouts, and preparing for pracs.

Discipline

Noise

Excess noise in the classroom will not be tolerated. This includes lectures, tutorials and pracs. You have the right to not learn, if you choose, but you don't have the right to take learning opportunities away from others.

Cheating

All submitted work (for pracs, tests and the final exam) must be your own work. You are encouraged to discuss pracs with classmates. However, collaboration on coding is not acceptable; direct copying of algorithms or code is not acceptable. Your demonstrator will ask you questions about the code you submit to ensure that you understand it. If you copy the code from someone else your demonstrator will know. Students who copy, and those who knowingly allow their work to be copied by others, will be dealt with by the subject coordinator, and disciplinary action will be taken according to university regulations.

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Last modified 2002-07-03