Required
Recommended
The course schedule with all due dates and exam dates is posted on the course website at the start of the semester. We expect few if any changes after the Drop/Add period.
In Spring 2025, Labs are due every Monday night. Four projects are due on various Wednesdays. There are two in-class midterm exams on Wednesday, February 12 and Wednesday, April 2. There is a section report/quiz due each Friday for the discussion section.
We use several channels of communication in this class, primarily the course discussion platform Ed, but occasionally we’ll send an email via Canvas. We also occasionally announce in class and on posted lecture slides. Please monitor these communication methods to stay up-to-date.
| Category | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Labs | 25% |
| Projects | 20% |
| Discussions | 10% |
| Midterm Exam I | 20% |
| Midterm Exam II | 20% |
| Concurrency Quiz | 5% |
Extra credit may be available via labs and is capped at 10% of the category: it can increase the total score by at most at 2 points. Final grades are based on Duke’s suggested point scale (A 90-100; B 80-89; C 70-79; D 60-79; F < 60), these ranges include - and +. We may lower the boundary score for each grade bracket to compensate for degree of difficulty: adjustments to the grade brackets are published on Canvas. We make no adjustment that penalizes any student for the success of another (i.e., no “curve”).
The labs are small programming exercises and/or quiz problems associated with each lecture. See the Assignments tab.
You should do all the labs, but we drop 3 labs with the lowest scores. This policy allows us to accommodate illness, etc.. Extensions require a dean’s excuse.
Collaboration policy for labs: The work you turn in should be your own work. The labs are to be completed solo. Do not provide or receive or share or post code or solutions for any labs. See notes below on academic misconduct.
There are four programming projects in this class. Each project builds on concepts and skills obtained from lecture, readings, and labs. See the Assignments tab.
You may complete the projects solo or collaboratively in pairs. Each student must submit a solution to Gradescope. You can switch partners for different projects, but you cannot switch during a project (i.e., don’t drop someone). You may choose your partner or we can help to match you with someone on a first-come-first-served pairing.
Collaboration policy for projects: The work you turn in should be your own work. You may share your work with your parter for that project. Otherwise, do not provide or receive or share or post code or solutions for any project. See notes below on academic misconduct.
Discussion sections provide assistance on the labs and also some group exercises. You submit a weekly checkout quiz/survey/report on Canvas. You must submit a checkout to receive credit for the week’s session. See the Assigments tab.
On the schedule, about half the sessions are labeled as Section: labs. For those sessions, attendance is optional if you complete the labs for the week and submit them for full credit prior to the session. This semester we plan group exercises for about half the discussion section sessions, indicated on the schedule as Section: topic for some stated topic. We expect you to attend those sessions. To accommodate various issues, such as illnesses, job interviews, etc. You are granted 2 missed discussions/checkouts.
There are two in-class midterm exams, each worth 20% of your course grade. Midterm exams are cumulative. A Concurrency Quiz (5%) is given during the last week, focusing exclusively on topics after the second midterm exam. Watch Ed in the days before a scheduled exam for guidance on what to expect.
The midterm exams are required. It is not allowable to skip a midterm and plan to make it up on the optional final. If you are unable to attend a scheduled midterm due to a conflict (sports, conference, etc.) please talk to us as early as possible for approval and to coordinate a makeup. If you are ill for a midterm, you must file a STINF before the exam starts (see below). Typically we schedule a makeup session in the class meeting following the exam date. Registered SDAOs are accommodated.
The Final Exam this semester is optional. It gives you a second chance to demonstrate mastery of the material. The final has parts covering the scope of each midterm. Each part can raise your score for the corresponding midterm exam up to your score for that part, but no higher than the original median for that midterm. The final might raise your grade if you take it and do better than on one or both midterms, but it does not hurt your grade even if you do poorly or skip it.
Gradescope accepts late submissions up until the late deadline posted on Gradescope. Late submissions incur late fees according to the following schedule.
0-3 hours late: grace, no penalty
3-24 hours late: 10% penalty
24+ hours late: 20% penalty
Exceptions to this late policy are allowed only for Dean’s excuses.
Office hours are provided both in person and online at various times on most days of the week. Office hours with TAs will have both group Q&A and the opportunity for 1:1 help. The group Q&A are used to get conceptual questions answered quickly and efficiently in a group setting. To receive 1:1 help please wait until the conceptual questions are answered. Please note:
Tips
All regrade requests (labs, projects, exams) must be submitted within one week of the release of the grade. Please submit regrade requests on Gradescope.
We do not tolerate any academic dishonesty. This includes cheating on the labs, projects, quizzes or exams. We report all suspected cases of academic misconduct to the Duke Office of Student Conduct and comply with their policies for handling incidents.
Your submitted work should be your own work. We want you to learn. The following constitute academic misconduct in this class:
This course covers a lot of ground and asks you to master unfamiliar skills that require self-directed practice and self-assessment. The schedule is demanding. It is important to keep up. Many students entering the Computer Science major (or minor) find that they need to make some adjustments to their study habits. Duke resources can help you.
Please do your part to keep our community safe.
Please contact the instructors if you have any concerns or questions.