This course is *not* about compiler optimizations. If that's what you're interested in, don't bother taking Compilers. Rather, it's about creating a compiler for a subset of Java, written in Java. The homework assignments are all very tedious and don't require much critical thinking, but at least you get to work on the last three with a partner. Lectures are occasionally disorganized, with Soffa commonly messing up the examples and not realizing. It doesn't seem like she prepares for lectures at all. She's also unable to understand or adequately answer a lot of our questions. Isn't too hard to get an A in this class (just remember to add extra test cases after finishing the actual assignment), but overall I would not recommend it.