Goals : The primary goal of the course is to understand what careers in computing are like The secondary goal is to make you more successful in your studies, by helping you develop useful working skills and practices.
Method: You'll complete a series of short assignments, detailed below. You'll participate in discussions with people (some of them alumni) who will share their experiences in a variety of computing-related careers.
Why this class is offered: Over the years it has happened that many students in the College of Engineering become juniors, seniors, or even graduate, without knowing what a career in engineering would be like, and therefore without knowing whether such a career is what they really want. This happens because engineering curricula often emphasize technical preparation in the various fields, not showing what real engineering work is like. It's obvious why this is a problem: students may make late (and expensive) changes of major, or may find after graduation that they've started a career they dislike. More subtly, they may miss opportunities to prepare themselves fully for what they do want to do, by not seeking appropriate work experience during their student years, for example.
This course attacks this problem head on by giving you the chance to see early in your studies what computing careers are like and how to prepare for them. It will also give the opportunity to think hard about what you really want to do, and how you can best develop your interests.
Another common problem is that students have trouble developing the habits of work that engineering study requires. There has been a trend recently for some high schools to require very little homework, for example; work habits that get you through such a high school program, or even allow you to excel there, will not get you through CU. Even students with well-developed work habits face new challenges: you may find it hard to balance the need to study against the temptation to dive into a new and exciting round of socializing, partying, and skiing. On the other hand, many of you will be holding down jobs, and will be trying to put more than 24 hours in each day to keep up in your classes while paying your bills.
We'll do some things in this course to help you deal with these issues. You'll have the chance to see where your time really goes. And you'll have the chance to assess and discuss how well you are meeting your goals, and what you could do to improve.
I hope these goals seem important and worthwhile to you. But experience in the College also shows that they do not seem important to everyone, until it's too late. Anyone can see the value of developing better work habits when they are suspended for unsatisfactory grades. Anyone can see that work experience in their field is valuable when they don't get an interview in senior year with an attractive company and their roommate does. Another issue is that even someone who realizes that learning about careers, or time management, is valuable, may not devote time to it because other needs always seem more pressing, like doing the next problem set in physics.
That's why we strongly urge all of our students to take this course. It's good for you, whether you know it or not, and it's more important than you may think at this moment.
As it happens, my personal philosophy of education is opposed to required courses. I think you have to develop your own judgment and responsibility, and that having decisions made for you can get in the way of that. And I hate being in a room with people who are there because they have to be, not because they want to be. To reduce this discomfort, I'll be doing my best to make the time you spend on the course interesting as well as useful. My aim is that at the end of the semester each of you will feel that your time has been very well spent. If you do not feel that way, I'll buy you lunch as partial compensation.
Attendance: You should attend the weekly meetings, but you are not strictly required to. You are responsible for knowing about any changes to assignments that might be discussed in class, and for turning in work in class.
Grading: Completing the required assignments adequately and on time will earn a B. Not doing that will earn a lower grade. To earn an A you have to propose and carry out an approved extra project, as described below. Extra projects will not be approved unless you are keeping up with the required work.
Workload: You should expect to spend about two hours per week on this course, besides time in class, on the average (some weeks will be lighter, others heavier). You can spend more time if you want, of course, but let me know if you find that it is taking you more time than that just to keep up.
A word to the advanced student: One of the problems in any course is that people come in with different amounts of background, and so defining activities at the right level for everyone is hard. I expect that some of you will already know quite a bit about careers in computing, through work experience you already have, or through family connections. Some of you will already have great work habits and time management skills. In designing the activities for the class I've tried to choose things that will be valuable to people at all levels, though in different ways. But please let me know if you feel that I'm asking you to do something that does not seem worthwhile, or if some modification would make it more useful for you. I also hope that you'll share your experiences and skills with the rest of the class.
Required assignments:
Important notes: All required written work ( other than filled-in forms) must be produced on a word-processor unless explicitly instructed otherwise. Why? Partly because that's how things are in the real world, partly because studies show that handwritten coursework is evaluated less positively by instructors, so it's in your interest to do things this way in all your classes, and partly because it takes a little more advance planning to get work done this way, which is good.
Submissions must be uploaded to www.turnitin.com on the day the assignment is due. In addition, bring a hardcopy (print out) of your submission to class.
All written submissions should be no more than two pages in length, and should be as clearly and well written as you can make them.
All written work must be ready at the beginning of class on the due dates indicated in the calendar (below), so that it can be discussed in class that day.
All submissions must include your name.
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Career interests essay. Imagine yourself looking back on your life from near its end, sixty or seventy years from now. What do you want to see? Describe the accomplishments, contributions, pleasures, or whatever that will be important to you. Then describe the career path you plan that will get you there. In preparing this essay, emphasize what is important and rewarding, not what is easy or familiar or “realistic”. Remember, this is your life you are thinking about.
Why? Taking some time to think about what you want to do in life, and why, will be a big help in reaching your goals. Also, this information will help me and other members of the class get to know you and help you get where you want to go.
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Time log. Most people have no idea where their time goes, which makes it hard to manage time effectively. Keep a log each day for one week (Monday, 9/15 through Sunday, 9/21) of how you spend your time. Aim for accuracy at least to the nearest hour, and to the nearest half hour if possible. Here are the categories last year’s class agreed to use in the logs; use these categories in your log.
sleep, eat, homework, physical activity, class, work(paid), travel/commuting, hygiene/laundry, wasting time, TV/movies/listening to music, video/computer games, phone, socializing, extra curricular, creative, other.
For students with Macs, I suggest using Office Time.
VERY IMPORTANT: In addition to the log, submit a summary showing the totals for the week for each category.
Keep your log as you go through each day of the week, taking time frequently to note what you been doing. Don't try to fill in each day by looking back at the end of the day: you won't remember very well. Some people set their watches to go off every 30 min to remind them to note what they have been doing each half hour. Be sure to include the weekend!
Why? If you are like most people, you'll be feeling pressed for time. But the log will probably show that there's lots of time that you could use differently. For example, by combining eating or exercising with socializing you may free up time for other things.
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Faculty interview report. Find a partner in the class and set up an appointment to interview a faculty member in CS or a faculty member in another department whose work involves computing. Plan an interview in which you learn their perspective on computing (what's interesting and important about it) and also about any research opportunities for undergrads they may know of. Carry out your interview and submit a brief summary of it. (Note: you and your partner will visit the faculty member together, but you must each submit your own report.)
Why? Studies show that students benefit greatly from direct contact with faculty, but often are hesitant to approach them. This activity forces you to take the plunge and talk to some faculty member. Also, CU is a research university, meaning that faculty work is divided between teaching and research. Thus CU offers you the opportunity to