Should I take CS 115 or CS 135 for first year comp sci at waterloo with no previous programming experience?

[jeremy709]

I have no experience in computer science at all, and a lot of people told me CS majors hae to take CS 135. Does that mean if I take cs 115 I will be behind?

[Tony]

Technically speaking, neither course is required to graduate (I don't have either). The requirement is one of

Quote:

CS 115, 135, 3xx or 4xx

http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/current/courses/checklistsandsequences.shtml

The suggested sequence http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/current/programs/suggested/2010-2011/bcs.shtml says that you'll be 1 CS course behind the other sequences, while staying on par in MATH and STATS; with a chance to catch up during 2nd/3rd year. You'll graduate at the same time from either course sequence.

[chrisbrown]

Learn to crawl before you run a marathon

[jcollins1991]

The only way you can get around taking 115 or 135 is by taking 145, which the OP probably shouldn't do considering he doesn't have any previous programming experience... If you don't take 145 then you have to take 136 which requires 135 or 116 (which itself requires 115)... 135 goes at a reasonable rate even for people who have never done cs before, while 115 goes a bit slower... IMO the choice should be about what rate you want to learn at and how much effort you're willing to put into it in terms of the weekly assignments... If you want to relax a bit more during first year I'd say take 115, but also that 135 would be worth the extra bit more of effort...

ps. As I'm sure someone else will mention, prerequisite programming experience has very little to do with what you're going to be doing in UW for the most part, and in some cases is actually bad because students have to unlearn the programming practices they learnt in high school... I know someone who started at 135 and is doing well even with no previous programming experience, and other people with previous experience who are having to redo or are doing poorly...

[Prabhakar Ragde]

Tony @ Thu May 20, 2010 8:14 pm wrote:

Technically speaking, neither course is required to graduate (I don't have either). The requirement is one of

Quote:

CS 115, 135, 3xx or 4xx

Jeez, Tony, sometimes you are not helpful.

You don't have either because you transferred from another UW program and they accepted your computing courses in university as substitutes.

The requirement is written that way because currently CS 145 is followed by CS 2xx, and so a 3xx/4xx is needed to make up for one missing first-year course. But CS 145 should only be taken by someone without CS experience if they have a very good Math record (as in over 80 on the Euclid). For someone starting in UW Math, there is no way into CS without taking one of CS 115, 135, or 145.

I am not sure if they are currently letting CS majors take CS 115/116 in first year; it wasn't the practice in the past.

Someone starting with CS 115 has to take CS 116 and then CS 136 before taking second-year courses, so for a while they will be one term behind. But a fair number of students do not get through CS 135 or CS 136 on the first try. Also, students take multiple CS courses in later terms, so "catching up" is not going to be an issue. One can start with CS 115 and still graduate in eight terms.

[jcollins1991]

chrisbrown @ Thu May 20, 2010 8:23 pm wrote:

Learn to crawl before you run a marathon

Nah, more like a light jog through the park ... CS is interesting enough that learning it is more fun than a challenge I personally went through the checklist of all the cs courses I want to take and don't even have enough room to take them all XD

[chrisbrown]

jcollins1991 @ Thu May 20, 2010 8:31 pm wrote:

Nah, more like a light jog through the park ... CS is interesting enough that learning it is more fun than a challenge

Grade 12 "CS" is a light jog. Be prepared to be hit by the truck that is UWaterloo.

I agree that it is interesting and generally fun, but the program is far from easy.

[jcollins1991]

chrisbrown @ Thu May 20, 2010 8:43 pm wrote:

jcollins1991 @ Thu May 20, 2010 8:31 pm wrote:

Nah, more like a light jog through the park ... CS is interesting enough that learning it is more fun than a challenge

Grade 12 "CS" is a light jog. Be prepared to be hit by the truck that is UWaterloo.

I agree that it is interesting and generally fun, but the program is far from easy.

Assuming that was directed to me... gr12 cs was like sleeping, even up to where I am now (cs241 and 245) everything has been a light jog, except for the cs136 final which definitely hit me like a truck >__<... Though to me easy is anything I can figure out eventually XD...

[Tony]

Prabhakar Ragde @ Thu May 20, 2010 8:27 pm wrote:

You don't have either because you transferred from another UW program and they accepted your computing courses in university as substitutes.

No, they haven't accepted any of my computing courses

Heck, they haven't even accepted me into the program at the time. So I just got overwrite forms to get started from... apparently CS134, which gives me CS136 equivalent on the 07 calendar. Anyway, I'm determined to graduate by substituting the entrance-level course with 3xx/4xx.

[CodeMonkey2000]

If you are a CS major, take CS 135. And as Prabhakar Ragde already said, take CS 145 if you are really good at math.

[Prabhakar Ragde]

Ah, I forgot that 134 was still around when you were transferring. The 3xx/4xx applies to that as well. But it's gone now.

[Punmaster]

Jeremy, if you do end up taking CS135, may I suggest you choose your electives carefully.

I have friends that made if through CS135 and CS136 with no prior experience, and are alive and well. But it will likely consume a lot of your time. So pick electives that are easy (eg. taking PHYS121 OR PHYS111 if you took physics throughout high school), or those that have small work loads.

[jcollins1991]

Punmaster @ Thu May 20, 2010 9:25 pm wrote:

Jeremy, if you do end up taking CS135, may I suggest you choose your electives carefully.

I have friends that made if through CS135 and CS136 with no prior experience, and are alive and well. But it will likely consume a lot of your time. So pick electives that are easy (eg. taking PHYS121 OR PHYS111 if you took physics throughout high school), or those that have small work loads.

I'm just going to say in terms of electives, while PHYS121 is fairly easy for many reasons, PHYS122 is EVIL... Your time will be much better spent on your main courses... If you want easy courses take ECON101 or ECON102, or something like SOC101 where everything is just common sense junk...

[chrisbrown]

jcollins1991 @ Thu May 20, 2010 8:50 pm wrote:

Assuming that was directed to me... gr12 cs was like sleeping, even up to where I am now (cs241 and 245) everything has been a light jog, except for the cs136 final which definitely hit me like a truck >__<... Though to me easy is anything I can figure out eventually XD...

Oh sorry, I thought you were starting first year this September. I guess everyone has a different experience.

Edit: case-in-point: I loved 122.

[Euphoracle]

CS135 is a good pace for newbies. If you've never had any formal teaching on the subject, it's arguably better (depending on how you would have been taught and from the looks of the highschools around here, it wouldn't have been much). CS136 is a bit different because you won't have your hand held as much. You'll be expected to review lectures and understand some more subtle concepts that are trying to be taught under the guise of simple examples. The C compiler is not as friendly as the scheme interpreter, but those in the class who were making an effort managed to succeed without too much difficulty.

CS145 is for people who want a challenge, want to learn and have interest in solving problems (probably the course I should have taken but oh well I didn't do enough research before enrolling)