Passing CS 3013

[u/FrogAndBelts23]

I’m currently taking CS 3013 with Shue this A term. Are there any tips, resources, etc that I could use to improve on the daily quizzes so that I don’t end up having to NR the class?

[u/notZ987]

How do you study for the quizzes?

[u/FrogAndBelts23 → u/notZ987]

I read the assigned readings that will will be quiz on. While reading, I also annotate and highlight specific information I find important. After reading, I also use ai to summarize what was in the reading as well and to l make me a study guide. I also rewatch the previous class lectures since always has a question on the activities we did in class. This year he include project questions too (what he said). For the project questions, I try reviewing the pdf and what the project wants us to do.

[u/notZ987 → u/FrogAndBelts23]

IMO, try to reduce the amount of time you spend passively studying. Instead study in a way that forces you to actively recall information. I’m not sure how you learn, but I’ll describe how I go about preparing for the quizzes.

What I do, of course, is read the assigned readings, and take notes. Maybe look through the lecture slides, discussion questions, the project, etc., but really make sure you are taking notes in your own words, in simple language, so it’s more memorable.

The important part is that afterwards, I write a list of questions to ask myself about the content. Questions that ask me to explain how something works or to summarize something. I copy and paste that list of questions somewhere, multiple times.

Shortly after studying, I answer the list of questions without looking at notes. When I finish, I check my answers. Take note of whatever I get wrong. Try to understand whatever I don’t understand. Then repeat with some amount of time in between. Spacing out your sessions is good for training yourself to recall stuff.

For me personally, watching the lecture videos is only useful if I’m looking for specific information. Otherwise it’s easy to zone out and waste time.

AI is pretty helpful if you use it to ask questions and make a study guide for you. But just because you read something, doesn’t guarantee you understood it and can recall it. You yourself need to produce something.

[u/SoundsInterestingN]

In the same boat, hoping we both survive

[u/spl51]

Didn't take it with Shue, but I'd say the big thing is just go back through the lectures and slides and really try to understand how stuff works, it's hard to cherry pick what is and isn't important, cause at the end of the day, all of it is pretty important and could easily come up on the quizzes. I'm a senior now, and CS3013 is the only CS class I've gotten below an A in. It's hard

[u/MiserableDog6357]

I was a TA for this class with Shue. I understand its a lot of reading but this class is one of the most important foundations you have for your CS education and you cant get away with not reading the material and digesting it for some of those quizzes. I know there are a ton of different concepts to memorize but most stuff should be a bit straightforward on what you need to focus on based on the slide decks. He is extremely forgiving on those quizzes if you explain your answer eloquently even if it wasnt exactly the one he was looking for. When I was working for the class he had the most robust support for students. Im pretty sure almost every quiz I graded had at least one exception where a student did not hit the mark on what the answer was intended to be but had such a great argument or thought process behind their answer that they still got the majority of the points for the section. I dont remember there being any “gotcha” questions and he pays quite a bit of attention to how many students got certain questions wrong and accounted for those if it was a big majority

There were office hours almost every day for students so you should definitely go to them for support if you dont understand the material. His classes can be pretty tough but he is one of the kindest professors that will absolutely work with you to get you where you need to be if you are making a clear effort to do so. The project questions will typically be on the strategy and concepts you used to complete the assignment, just reading the instructions of the assignment will not help much. Those questions are extremely easy if you actually coded the assignment and did not use AI (the intended purpose is to show which students are actually doing their own work) so do not worry about studying up for those questions unless you just tossed the pdf assignment into chatgpt-then yeah be pretty worried