Contact (Primarily for Undergrads)

Communication

• The easiest way to reach me is email: my username is agorenst, and my email domain is cs.wisc.edu.
• For physical items (homework, papers, etc.) I (and all CS employees) have a mailbox on the 5th floor of the CS building. Note that the upper floors are locked to undergrads during the weekends, evenings, holidays, etc.
• My office is 4397. If you're a student trying to meet me, your best bet is to email me first -- I am rarely in my office.

An Absence of Communication

• I rarely check my email after working hours. Conversely, I usually can reply early in the morning. For better or for worse my circadian rhythm is no longer in "college" mode---don't expect 2am replies.
• If you sent me an email and I don't reply within a day, feel free to send a (polite) reminder. I get lots of emails, and important ones are sometimes lost in the shuffle. Student emails are very important.
• I don't have an office phone, not that anyone uses those anyways. Correction: I do have an office phone, apparently! However, I don't know the number and still don't use it.

To Undergrads: Advice on student-TA communication (from experience).

• I know it may be nerve-wracking at the end of the semester, but please don't ask for a grade prediction before your assignment is graded. At best it is an awkward situation.
• Despite our best efforts, assignments can often be confusing. It is the student's responsibility to make sure he or she understands the assignment---you do not get a "free pass" if you write on your HW "the assignment made no sense". So, know that the TAs and Professors are responsible for making the assignment comprehensible: don't be shy in asking for clarification, and don't wait until it is too late!
• We get lots of frantic emails right around the assignment due-date. It is in everyone's best interest if you write a clean, clear question (run it by the duck first).
• Writing a shout-out to the TA who helped you is nice, but be sure to do it correctly. E.g., I'm Aaron Gorenstein, not Aaron Brown. Mr. Brown is also a good person, but he did not help you.
• While we're on the topic of names, my name is "Aaron", not "Erin" (the feminine counterpart to my name) nor "Aeron" (either a chair or a minor character in the Game of Thrones series). Rest assured, I just find these typos really funny. However, every time I've (as gently as possible!) corrected a student, they act mortified. So, truly, for only your own sake: just copy-and-paste my name from this website. :)