About 75% of the course is reading the provided material and taking quizzes on Canvas (unlimited attempts) on the current topic of focus. Do not skimp on these quizzes and take it as many times to get the 100%. The quizzes have extra credit baked into the final score so a 35/35 is actually worth extra points which will come in handy for the final test and paper. This is also somewhat an intro to C class, so you'll learn about C and vim. The BigShell project may seem intimidating at first, but the best approach to learn how it works is just to run it and see what breaks. There are TODOs commented in the code that are not too difficult to implement and most of the hard stuff is done for you. The most difficult assignment IMO was the final paper. You are given a five page limit and an outline to follow, but I personally had a hard time fitting all of the requirements into just five pages. There is no way to get feedback on first drafts and I was caught by surprise with a C on this assignment for overgeneralizing certain things and not talking in-depth about the right things. Feedback on what you missed is not provided which isn't super helpful either. Final exam is open notes, pretty much all of it is in the reading provided. A good number of questions appeared in the previous quizzes as well.

Submitted Mon Dec 16 2024

I recommend dedicating at least a couple weeks to learning about the C programming language and Linux-kernel operating systems if you are not familiar with them, as it will make the topics in the first half of the course easier to absorb. The course is relatively unstructured, so be consistent with your learning of the module topics. The quizzes are open-note and unlimited attempts, so you don't need to worry about studying. The final is also open-note. The quizzes and final feel just like grade padding, tbh. The course project, BigShell, is the thing that is going to make or break your grade in the class, so DO NOT PROCRASTINATE it. For real, this is a pretty big effort and you do not want to be struggling to pass the Gradescope tests the last week of the term. It is also a fun project, and I would recommend working on it consistently as soon as it is released. Overall, I found this class to be middle of the road as far as quality and difficulty, which seems like a big upgrade from the previous iteration of the course, 344. It's a fun and important subject, so I recommend looking outside of the course materials to boost your knowledge of the course topics.

Submitted Tue Nov 19 2024

This is inherently a challenging class, made more so because C will be a new language for most students. I'll echo many others in recommending some prep with C before starting. 20-30 hours should go a long way. We were guinea pigs with Spring being the first quarter of the revamp, but I'm glad for it. The course material was solid, and Gambford was extremely active in Ed and Discord. The only points I lost were on the final, and I'm not a particularly great student. Beware of the whining and just be prepared to work hard for this one. I wouldn't pair with another class if you're working full time.

Submitted Fri Aug 16 2024