You should have a strong knowledge of C or C++ before taking this class. The professor is old-school and has a dry sense of humor and is very self-assertive. He goes a great job of preparing you for exams. What he says will be on the test, is on the test. The homework assignments are very time-consuming and difficult. If you don't have a really good handle on C or C++, this will be the hardest class of the semester. If you are stuck, so is everyone else, so your best bet is to work on them homework as soon as assigned and go to both the Professor and the TA's office hours every time you are stuck, otherwise you can spend hours and even days trying to get your code to work. Seriously, don't take this class if you haven't programmed in C before. You should at least try to complete a C tutorial book before this class, preferably the semester before registering for OS.