FAQ - Computing Systems

Q1: What's the best way to get an A in this class?

Q1:
What tips do former students have for how to get an A in this class?

A1: Personally, I felt the classes are very valuable. Most of the concepts
and ideas I have come from the lectures. I suggest that the coming
students should attend most of the lectures. Besides, doing a fair
amount of practice problems did a lot help to my grades.

A2: Good advice I think would be...
+ Always attend lecture. Write down every example we do in class.
+ Always look over the previous years' tests and understand every problem.
+ Do exactly as the professor says and don't be afraid to e-mail
   questions because the professor is always happy to help!

A3: Here are some tips you can share:
+ As with any class at Tech, do not let pride get in the way when you
   need to get help.
+ Office Hours are underused, be they Professor or TA hours. Some of
   the best help I received right before my exams was from one of the many
   sessions with an ECE 2030 TA. Go at least once every week (to your
   professor or TA) to clear up anything you do not understand. Also, try
   not to make a habit of going the day before an exam, as office hours can
   be crowded and you will not get the attention you want.

+ Download and use CompuCanvas. It is a great tool to help you
   understand topics in class.

+ Bookmark and use the 2020 website. This cannot be said enough: Use
   the 2020 website and ALL its resources. It is a comprehensive collection
   of worksheets, practice exams, and help.

A4: This basically what I did:
+ Attend class, pay attention, and take notes.
+ Practice for the test using the previous exams. Take a test (and
   time yourself), see what you did wrong, learn the correct way to do
   the problems you missed, then take the next exam. Repeat for as many
   of the available exams as possible.
+ Start studying for the test around a week before instead of the
   night before.
+ Study with friends.

My advice is:
+ Do at least 3 practice tests -- chances are you'll see every kind
   of test question that way.
+ Start the online practice questions early -- everything builds on
   itself so you want to make sure you know the old stuff before you
   start learning the new!
+ Ask questions in class if you're stumped on something. Chances
   are everyone else got lost when you did, and if you don't ask you'll
   get lost later on in the class.