 Welcome to Computer Science 75. All of the material in this course will be available through Canvas. You can get to it from the evc.edu site by clicking Canvas in the quick links, then clicking the link next to Go to Canvas site, and follow the login instructions there. You may want to bookmark this page to make it easier to access. I've logged into the course as a student. Let's take a look at the detailed course syllabus. First, the best way to contact me is via email or through a message directly on Canvas. I'm on campus occasionally, but will also set up Zoom video conferences so you can contact me online. You can read the course description and student learning outcomes on your own. There is a required text for this course. We're using the 11th edition, but the 10th edition of the book will serve as well. You'll have several assignments to write. Assignments will be graded on functionality. If a program doesn't work, nothing else matters. There are different degrees of not working, ranging from minor errors to catastrophic failure, and grading will range accordingly. Organization. Does it look as if the program were planned in advance or just thrown together? Readability, which includes proper use of naming and indentation. For example, if you have a program that calculates discounts, using a variable named like discount percent is much more understandable than an abbreviation like DP. Appropriate use of programming constructs. If the assignment is about, say, loops, and don't worry if you don't know what those are yet, and you do the assignment without using loops, then you haven't used the appropriate constructs for writing your program. This course has two midterms and one final. If you decide to drop the class, it's your responsibility. If I've noticed that you've missed several assignments or class discussions in a row, I might drop you. If there's any emergency, you have to be out of town, or if there's some extenuating circumstances, drop me an email. A short one is fine to say, Hi, an emergency came up. I'll turn in my assignments when I return. The deadline dates for dropping a class with and without a W are in the EVC schedule of classes. What do I do about late assignments? If an assignment is one week late, I'll take off 10%. If it's one letter grade, if it's two weeks late, I'll take off 20%. More than two weeks, it's my option whether I want to grade it or not, but it will still be with 10% per each week late. You can discuss assignments amongst yourselves. In fact, I'm going to be setting up discussion forums for that exact purpose. But you each have to do your own work. Cheating and plagiarism will be met with an F on an assignment. The EEC catalog has details on the college honesty policy. And if you have any learning or physical needs that require accommodations, make an appointment with the Disabled Students Program, and please notify me in writing via email. Early Alert is an important program at Evergreen Valley College, and I encourage you to read this part of the syllabus and see the answers to the frequently asked questions about the Early Alert program. The other important part of the syllabus is the course outline, where you'll find the schedule for readings and assignments. If you get ahead of the schedule and turn things in early, that's great, although I can't guarantee that I'll grade them early. On the main page of the course, you have links to all the assignments and the discussion forums. The discussions will be set up so that you can't see or respond to other students' posts until you've posted something yourself. Finally, we have Zoom, which allows video conferencing. I'll set up at least two Zoom conferences a week, where you can join in and ask questions or discuss whatever's on your mind. When you use Zoom, please use the Chrome browser for best results. Now, the most important part of the orientation. How to succeed in this course. Read the book. If you try to do the assignments without reading the material or viewing the videos, you are setting yourself up for a very difficult time. Type the example programs in the book. If all you do is look at the code, nod your head and say, yeah, I got this, then in all probability, no, you don't got this. Instead, type the programs and as you type each line, ask yourself what that line does and why it's in the program. This will make a connection between the code and its purpose. If you're adventuresome, try modifying the programs. Make them do something different or something extra. Finally, and perhaps most important, plan your programs before you write them. Either write a flowchart or pseudocode, which is part English and part Java. But no matter what method you use, plan. Programs that are written at the keyboard look like it. And that is not a compliment. Remember, a few minutes of planning can save you hours of frustration when you're writing your programs. If you do get stuck, ask for assistance. Email me or ask for suggestions in the discussion forums. Now let's get started.