You must learn a new language - vocabulary, grammar ..
Writing is like programming:
must be correct (express the intended
idea)
must have the proper syntax and semantics
should be esthetically pleasing
Shakespeare's 18th Sonnet:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day ?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate :
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
...
Requires good organization and design.
Writing process is incremental.
Guidelines for Success in this Course.
Learning to program requires reading the text, attending class, programming, programming,
programming.
There is a lot to learn. Every detail can not possibly
be covered in the class. The class lectures will introduce you
to the main ideas. Many of the specifics you may need to
look up in the text. However, feel free to ask questions about
any of the specifics in class.
Don't expect to understand everything after one reading of the text. Read, program, ask
questions, read, program, ask questions, ....
Don't wait until the last minute to start labs.
WARNING: Symantec crashes frequently! So save and backup your work frequently. Losing your work is not an excuse to not hand in an assignment.
This is not an easy class. Expect to put a lot of time into it. Expect to feel lost and
frustrated. Ask lots of questions.
Talk with classmates about assignments but never copy their programs.