| What is the expected background needed to take this course? | <<See suggestions by dept.>> |
| How much time will I need to put into this course to pass this course? | I expect students will spend at least 17 hours per
week on this course; this includes four hours of lecture and one hour of lab, which leaves
12 hours per week. I strongly recommend that you spend at least one hour per day on the
material, because otherwise you may not be able to keep up as the course progresses. Your mileage may vary; if you find you are spending much more than this per week, you need to see me so we can plan an appropriate passing strategy for you. If you are spending much less than this, you need to work on the additional, non-graded extensions so you will continue to be challenged. |
| Why should I learn Java? Java blows! Let me program in a real language like C. | Hear the response from the experts. |
| What version of the Java Development Environment should I have? | I assume you are working with the latest Java Development Kit (JDK) releases within the 1.5 version tree; for example, Java version "1.5.0_07" is sufficient. |
| Should I install Eclipse on my own personal computer? | I recommend that you do so. Specifically, you can coordinate all of your Java development if you do so. I will be assuming Eclipse 3.2 in all class handouts and laboratories. If you choose to work with an earlier version (such as 2.1), then be prepared to deal with any differences on your own. |
| This course is too hard, it should be changed | This is a common criticism.
It reveals that your background preparation may not be adequate. First,
Don't Panic! Meet with the professor during office hours where we can work
out a tailored program to overcome the difficulties and prepare a strategy
to succeed in the course. Look at recommendations from students to improve course in 2004 and 2005. |
| This course is too easy, it should be changed | This is a common criticism.
It reveals that the student is actually more prepared than they had thought.
I advise such students to come to office hours for more challenging
problems, to do all of the optional, non-graded assignments and any advanced
questions that appear during the course. Look at recommendations from students to improve course in 2004 and 2005. |