CHANGE: TO reach MyProgrammingLab instructions, select MyProgrammingLab from
the menu on the main page.


Sunday 9/30/14

NO LAB MEETINGS DURING FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES

Course Web Site: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~cs302
Policy Handbook: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~cs302/policy/cs302_policy.pdf


Dear CS302 Student,

Welcome to CS302: Introduction to Programming. We look forward to showing you
our passion for Computer Science and helping you achieve the personal
satisfaction that comes from writing and developing working programs that
meet a detailed program specification.

CS302 is a challenging course for many students, similar to a 300 level Math course
in difficulty.  Students who excel at programming master many things, including:

- an ability to break a problem into smaller more manageable parts
- an ability to solve complex problems with a correct series of 
  small almost trivial individual steps
- an in depth understanding of many new vocabulary terms,
  including terms that describe problems.
- knowledge of what an IDE is and how programmer's use it develop
  computer programs.
- formal (and informal) debugging techniques
- an ability to write code that allows a user to interact with your program
- an ability to write code that other programmers can easily follow
  and understand, should they need to maintain (or grade) your program.

To ensure that you have the best possible experience,
we invite you to get started today:

A) Read the Course Web Site and Course Policy Handbook
(See links at top of email)
We have placed policy information there, so that the website can
have more direct links to the things students access regularly.
While I hope that the policy handbook is complete and accurate, 
it is our first attempt at such a comprehensive document. Therefore,
changes may be necessary.  We will announce such changes as needed.

B) Attend your first lecture and lab meetings: LABS DO NOT MEET DURING WEEK 1
   The first lectures will meet on Tuesday 9/2.
   The first labs will meet on Tuesday 9.9 or Wednesday 9/10.

   Note: There are several students still trying to enroll in CS302. Be sure to attend
   lab during Week 2.  We will allow additional students to enroll if there are absences
   at this lab meeting.

   Text reading assignments have been updated for the first 5-6 weeks of the semester. 
   You can find these on the course syllabus page.  The remaining reading assignments
   will be added at a later date.

C) Register for MyProgrammingLab (you should have access code with your textbook). 
   Find link on menu of main page. Due dates have been set for the first 7 chapters.
   Due dates for remaining chapter exercises will be set at a later date.

D) Register for Piazza (the course's online Q&A forum).
   http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~cs302/?r=piazza

E) Enter cs302 Exam dates and times in your calendar.
   http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~cs302/?r=coursework#Exams
   Students are required to notify me of conflicts and accommodation
   requests before Friday, Sept 19th.  Do not send email with exam conflict and
   accommodation request information.  We have a web form for 
   submitting the required information and the web form will help 
   ensure that I get all required information at one time and in one form.
   Enter exam conflicts by logging into the Forms web app and 
   selecting the Exam Conflicts link.  The Forms tool will be available by Friday 9/5.

F) McBurney: Students with McBurney VISAs must provide copies of their
   VISA to me (in class or my mailbox on 5th floor CS) before Sept 19th 
   to ensure the best possible chance of accommodation.  It is not necessary
   to meet with me in person. I will do my best to accommodate according to
   McBurney VISA recommendations.

G) Religious Observances: Students with religious observances during the
   semester must provide the dates and times of those observations for the 
   entire semester to us before Sept 19th, for alternate arrangements to be possible.

H) Installing Eclipse and the Java Development Kit (JDK) 
   on your home computer or laptop is not required, 
   but some getting started information is provided at:
   http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~cs302/?r=atHome


   Have a great semester learning to program in Java. We look forward to
   seeing you in class,