Instructor

Prof. Ajit Rajwade

Semester

Autumn 2022

Course Difficulty

1. Despite being the TA for the course twice, even from a students’ perspective the course is not that difficult. It does have a steep learning curve and can get a tad-bit difficult for those who have no exposure to coding but this course does provide one with enough opportunities to get better. Since the course is intended for the first year UG students, it is a relatively chill course.

Time commitment needed

6 hours of proper self-study apart from time spent in attending lectures and labs would be more than sufficient.

Grading Statistics

For D3 : AA 83 AB 61 AP 12 BB 59 BC 42 CC 31 CD 28 DD 41 FR 19

For D4 : AA 31 AB 45 AP 3 BB 33 BC 45 CC 50 CD 47 DD 107 FR 11

Attendance Policy

Attendance was mandatory for both lectures and labs, with a 100% attendance expectation. In the event that attendance in lectures dropped below 90%, negative marking penalties were enforced.

Teaching Style

The lectures are excellent and very easy to follow. The professor teaches the topics very well and ensures that you understand each topic along with its nuances in the class. He encourages doubts and discussions in the class which are very helpful. The slides are comprehensive but it is necessary to pay attention in the class.

Feedback on Assignments/ Tutorials/ Projects

The graded labs served as practical exercises designed to reinforce the theoretical knowledge gained in lectures. These labs provided the students with hands-on experience in programming and problem-solving, which are essential skills in computer science. Each lab assignment was carefully crafted to challenge and expand the coding abilities progressively throughout the course. Solutions would be assessed not only on correctness but also on coding style, documentation, and adherence to best practices. Hence, the graded labs were an excellent opportunity for anyone to demonstrate their understanding of the course material as it allowed them to refine their programming skills, setting a foundation for success in future computer science courses.

Feedback on Exams (Written Evaluation)

The examinations primarily featured a variety of question types, including single-correct, multi-correct, fill-in-the-blanks, and integer-based questions. Most of the students found the exams to be easier than the labs. A sound understanding of the topics [through slides, reference book and if needed, online YT material] sufficed to get really good marks.

Future Tracks

You can choose to take up CS213 : “Data Structures and Algorithms” which runs in the even semester and introduces you to the necessary basics for anything ranging from competitive coding, company tests, and any CS course which has DSA as a prerequisite.

Course Importance

This course teaches the basic ideas of computer science and how to solve problems using computers. It helps you learn to write simple to complex programs, think logically, and understand how computers work. These skills are useful for jobs in technology and many other areas, and they help you adapt to new technology in our changing world. So, CS101 is like a first step towards understanding and using computers in many different ways.

Additional Details

Often students struggle to understand the concept of “Pointers” which can be easily understood from the following YT video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxvv9krECNw

Written By

Swapnoneel Kayal