FAQ Subject:
Other
Ok,
I'm enrolled now, so what's next?
Welcome! Just as the semester begins, you will
receive an
email from me with instructions describing how to access the main
official course website. The email will be sent to your
vt.edu
email address of record at the university, so please be sure you know
how to receive email there (and check your forwarding options, if
applicable). If your email is forwarded to an account that is
disabled or otherwise refuses to accept the forwarded messages, we'll
have no way to contact you.
If you don't receive the welcome message by the end (midnight) of the
first day of classes, or if you enrolled within 24 hours of the start
of classes, please contact the instructor.
Meanwhile, as soon as possible, please review the technologies for
details about what software you'll need. Install the IDE before class, and be sure to familiarize yourself with it.
The first Java programming assignment generally begins
during the first week of class, and is typically due about 10 days
later, so please prepare yourself accordingly. Your experience
will be greatly diminished if you can't get started
without spending lots of additional time re-learning the
practical fundamentals of the Java language (or programming in
general). Please carefully review the prerequisites for more details, as most students tend to overestimate (often significantly) their own level of preparation.
I've
heard this is a
very difficult
class; is it really?
Of course the answer here depends on a lot of factors, not
the
least of which is what exactly do you consider "difficult" in this
context. This course is not designed to be trivial, and I'm
not
known for grade inflation or giving out an "easy A" for just showing
up. However, it's not designed to be impossible,
either.
The over-riding concern and intent is that you should be able to learn
a great deal from this class, no matter what level of background you
have when you arrive.
The workload is very closely monitored and balanced. The goal is that
it will be challenging enough to keep the interest of more advanced
students while ensuring less advanced students are not left
behind. Still, there is often an extremely large gap between
the
most advanced and the least advanced students; some of you might find
the class too easy, some of you might find it is too
difficult.
Try to get a feel for the demands of the class as early as possible in
the semester. This is one of the primary reasons the first
homework is
assigned almost immediately at the start of the semester.
What is assured is that there is definitely a lot of material to cover,
and
there are several programming assignments (with strict
deadlines). These assignments are apparently harder
than
most others students encounter in their graduate studies (especially
for VTMIT students, who generally have not taken advanced programming
classes). The reason is that you are asked to build real
working enterprise applications. You will be given plenty of
help, but often students say they were (mostly pleasantly) surprised by
the level of professionalism demanded.
Deadlines in this class are extremely strict. Assignments
must be
submitted before 11:00pm on the date due, and more precisely no later
than 10:59:59pm. If you submit your assignment late, you will be penalized for each hour or portion
thereof. Please be sure to carefully review the syllabus for
your
semester for the exact point deductions. The point deductions
are
designed such that it is usually better to submit whatever progress you
may have, even if it's incomplete, by the deadline. As a
rule,
extensions to deadlines are not granted, especially when requested near
the deadlines. However, if you think you have a special case that
merits an exception, please feel free to ask.
Please note that students who are not strong in Java typically find
this to be an
extremely time-consuming class, since the major assignments throughout
the semester all require practical Java programming to
complete. If you need to learn Java as we go along, you'll have a (possibly
large) additional burden, above and beyond the class requirements
(which presume a good working knowledge of Java). See the prerequisites for more
information about the
Java expectations.
Perhaps most importantly, please carefully review the feedback of your colleagues
who have taken
this class to get a better idea of what they thought.
What
have other
students said about
this class/instructor?
Have a look for yourself at the feedback
I've received. There is a very wide of cross-section of experiences represented there, so please don't use the reviews
of
others as your only guideline. Always take into consideration your own situation and
your own abilities, recognizing that some of these students were experts in
Java, while others were newcomers to programming in general.
The
course is already
full this
semester; can I force-add?
Usually not, but if you believe you have an exceptional case,
please ask your faculty advisor to review your situation. If
your
faculty advisor agrees, you may be allowed to enroll.
Basically,
if
you would be forced to alter your graduate plan of study by not taking
this class in some given semester, your case may be considered for a
force-add. Note that students in the VTMIT program are given
first
preference, followed by CS grad students (if they are allowed to
register at all; this varies by semester).
Students in other programs (or those who cannot justify the force-add
due to plan of study requirements) should generally monitor the
enrollment for the first few weeks of class, to see if any openings
become available. Typically each semester at least a few
students
drop
the class early enough to allow others to enter without the need for a
force-add.