I don't think this class is hard for most of the people taking this but I struggled significantly this semester. I attended every class and attended office hours but I didn't get a good grade on any of the tests. I've never had exposure to CS in any form, not even in other languages or in high school. I think those who are the most successful have seen Python in some form or another. Maximize your chances by knowing how to use python before going in. I dreaded this class because no matter how hard I studied I couldn't bridge the gap. The tests are very similar to other semesters and I did them before tests but still did badly. To a certain extent, it's silly that you have tests in a CS course (my e school friends also agree) since in any real world situation, you'd have access to the internet to troubleshoot. I simply didn't have enough time on the tests to finish all the programs since I needed time to think about my solution since I had never taken a CS course before. I was able to do all the programs on the previous finals when I had time to think and fix my solutions. Cohoon is a nice guy but he teaches through examples and not on how to approach a problem generally. I really didn't vibe with his style at all and ended up teaching myself before tests. The wording on his exams (and just generally) is really confusing and often gave me trouble. I could tell the TAs agreed when I'd ask for clarification and they looked so confused as well. I really don't recommend this class if you don't have some foundation. Flee, my dude, flee and go far.

The class was pretty straight forward. I think the GPA scale speaks for itself. This year (Spring, 2019), the average on the final was 84%. The average for the course was 86%. Pretty low level of work required between classes. Biggest thing is don't fall behind.

I took this class as a 4th year to get an introduction to what programming was like and it was by far one of the easiest classes I have ever taken at this school. The stuff we learn in class is so easy to understand the homework that's given only takes 10 minutes maximum and it matches exactly what we do that day for class so you can always do it in class while he's teaching so pretty much no outside classwork. The exams are a breeze if you make sure to study all the homework from that unit you will do really well. I suggest taking notes in class I did that and it helped a lot; as long as you are somewhat attentive in class you will get an A.

Took this class as a non E-school student with no coding experience to learn about the basics of programming and I got exactly that. Professor Cohoon is brilliant and I really enjoyed going to lecture. Homeworks took very little time to complete- maybe 20-30 minutes max when they started getting more difficult. Towards the end of the semester, Cohoon barely assigned homework and everything we had to submit was done in class, which was nice. Tests. First test was the easiest thing I have ever taken in college. Second test was more difficult, but nothing impossible. But the final absolutely ambushed me. I spent hours re-doing all of the homeworks and understood all of the in-class material/assignments just to get to the final and see that Cohoon gave us questions and concepts that we neither had practice with, nor were even introduced to. His wording is also very confusing and unless it somehow just "clicks" for you, you will leave the exam wondering if partial credit will be able to save you.

Insanely hard final and very unfair representation of our work. Wasted all my time studying to take something completely different. I would strongly not recommend this course.

If you're interested in coding but have no experience with CS, definitely take this class over the other options. Cohoon wants you to succeed. The work is reasonable and TAs can help you if you are stuck, so take advantage of that. The best way to study for each test is to go through the past tests and homeworks multiple times.

I loved this class a lot but it was challenging at first. It takes a while to start thinking in terms of coding. Make sure you have a friend to work with. The TAs can be helpful if you get the right one. I managed to survive the class with an A- although I never payed attention in class... I figure that if you enjoy a puzzle and actually pay attention, you can for sure get an A.

Cohoon is a character...he tries to make class engaging and fun. His teaching style is not the best, however, as there's no good way to take notes since he pretty much goes through examples rather than ever say exact methods/steps to approach a problem. Class seemed fine until days before the first test where I felt like I knew nothing, because each homework was only one problem time and were super easy compared to practice exams. Go to TAs if you need help, they're good at explaining things in ways he doesn't. Exams are part written/MC-defining functions and finishing little pieces of code- but the bulk is programming on the computer, which is good because you can test your code to make sure it works before submitting. I ended up with an A in the class, it's definitely achievable as long as you prepare and study before the exams. Little weekly work.

this class can be very stressful and exam question can be confusing. I manage to get a A but if you have no experience coding I suggest that you go to TA office hours. All and all very boring course.

If you would consider yourself to be somewhat tech-savvy despite never having learned CS, this class will be a breeze. I always did the homeworks during lectures and did well on the tests after studying for them the night before - it definitely helps a lot that the programs are done on the computer, so you can test them and make sure they work before you submit them. Cohoon is a well-meaning, kind professor and while lectures are kind of boring, it's a good intro to programming if you have an otherwise difficult courseload!