CS 1511 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Fall 1999-2000

Where do I hand in assignments?

There are mailboxes for each section in HH 314 which is open from 8am-8pm Monday through Thursday and 8am-4pm on Friday.

Can I get a copy of (Lab assignment, Programming Assignment, Class Notes, etc.)?

All class assignments are available on the class web page.

Where can I work on a program outside of my lab time?

You can go to any of the FULL access labs on campus that have IBM-compatible machines. For information on full access machines go to this web page. For a list of full access labs (note that some labs are scheduled for classes -- you can look at these schedules online) go to this web page.

Can I hand in assignments on-line?

No. You must turn in a hard copy. Electronic submissions create a number of problems and also require the TAs to spend significant time printing these submissions out for grading purposes.

Are you going to curve the score for (Program X, Exam X, etc.)?

No. Your total score is simply the sum of all of the points you accumulate on the various assignments/exams. But I will take into account the overall difficulty of the various assignments/exams when determining how many points it requires to achieve a particular grade.

What does it take to get grade X?

The only hard and fast rules are these: 90% guarantees an A-, 80% a B-, 65% a C-. These levels will never go up, though they may come down (e.g., the break for an A- has definitely slipped below 90% in past years). I am unlikely to give a passing grade (D) to anyone who accumulates less than 50% of the points in the course (generally I start the F/D break at 55%, but it may move). Generally the lines used to break grades up are affected by the difficulty of the course measured by average scores on various sections and my judgement of these averages. You may want to look at grade breakdowns from previous years to determine how this works.

Where/when is exam 1, exam 2 or the final to be held?

Exams are always held in the lecture room unless otherwise noted. The times for midterms as well as the final are contained in the syllabus (which is on-line). Final times are drawn from the UMD course schedule which shows you what time/day your final will be held on before the start of the semester.