<p>I was looking at the course requirements for a BS in computer science and saw in the major outline that I am supposed to start out with AMPA 111. However, I don't think I have a solid foundation in calculus and so I want to start out with 109. Is it possible to start out with 109 and still get a degree in four years? I got a 4 on the comp sci A AP exam so can I balance out the backwardness of my math class by placing out of CS 101? Or should I try to pass the calculus placement test and place into 111 anyway?
Thanks.</p>
<p>My high school only taught a year of calculus, which I took in my junior year. Despite getting a 5 on the AP exam, I felt that taking a year off from calc would hurt, so I took 109. It was a mistake because it was too easy. Take the placement test and then decide. </p>
<p>And yes, you can still take 109 and graduate in four years. It helps if you have AP credits you can use. One more math class, though, means one less CLAS or COMM elective.</p>
<p>I second Mech. Take the placement exam and see. You'd be surprised how easily Calc I stuff comes back to you :) If you place into Calc II, I would go ahead and go for it. There's plenty of help available for the course anyways. If all else fails, you can always drop out of it and go back to Calc I. You have 2 or so weeks to decide.</p>
<p>You need a 5 on the AP comp sci A exam to place out, or a 4 on the AB exam, sorry. You can take a placement test once you get here for the fall if you think you should place out of cs101. But I honestly don't think people with a 4 on the AP exam really should be placing out. Can you write a graphical simulation of the universe? That was last spring's SECOND assignment for the course... Plenty of kids really struggle in cs101 (I'm a TA for the class...). You should consider taking 101e (all kids with prior programming experience) with Greg Humphreys, he's absolutely hilarious and you'll probably get a good grade if you show up and do the work.</p>
<p>hazel - they're making 101 kids do graphical interfaces now? I took cs101 in the spring of 06 and we did basic interfaces in 201 with the mp3 player (pretty cool project), I remember us doing a straight forward oregon trail game in 101 (not so cool). I guess it's all up to the professor.</p>
<p>Yeah, they're re-doing the curriculum again this year because last year's flopped, but they were doing graphical stuff almost from day one. It was insane.</p>
<p>I had a friend who got flunked at the end of CS101 Spring07 (had an A, issues arose) and he retook it Fall07. He said it was much, much harder the second go-round and a lot of kids were having trouble, including him, and he had taken a year in high school and 101 already once. Although, he seemed much, much more prepared for 201 in Spring08, whereas when I took it Fall08, no one knew what the heck they were doing and the class was just miserable.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. Simulations of the universe? can you give some details on that?</p>
<p>I remember one program he did was literally, a simulation of the solar system. He had planets circling a sun and calculated their orbits and other random stuff. They supplied him the graphics JAVA program and he wrote code to use it.</p>
<p>every few years the CS department rotates who teaches cs101, those of us that had the curriculum Bloomfield wrote up saw that it was generally a straight forward, learn a little, but pretty easy class.</p>
<p>It appears that Horton will be taking over so I suspect it will look almost nothing like last year's. I am still amazed that the CS department has been unable to figure out a format for teaching 101 and 201 for that matter. I know that it's a tough task to teach 101 because if you teach it to easy, 70% of the class will be bored, but if you go the other way, 70% will be clueless. It's just unfortunate they haven't figured out what topics should be covered at that level.</p>
<p>yes horton is taking over for sullivan. actually humphreys kind of convinced sullivan to teach his curriculum and then sullivan took the blame and got booted while humphreys is continuing to teach 101e. poor sullivan. nice guy, bad lecturer, back luck.</p>
<p>you can view the galaxy assignment at Homework</a> 2</p>
<p>sorry i dont know what the curriculum will look like yet, we haven't had a curriculum chat yet for next year (though i am trying my hardest to get last year's curriculum completely removed. i believe horton agrees with me but we will see).</p>