CSE-6040 - Computing For Data Analytics

Week 0 | 2024-01-08 through 2024-01-14

Bootcamp: Module 0: Session 1

• Read the syllabus. It's available on Canvas. It has lots of relevant information about logistics, philosophy, and expectations, all of which you are responsible for knowing and abiding by while taking this class. If you have questions about anything, feel free to make a piazza post to instructors.

• Look at the schedule. It's also available on Canvas. We pre-post all due dates and times (see below) from today so you can plan your semester accordingly.

• Learn the due-time convention. Per the syllabus, unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due at 11:59 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Learn what this means for wherever you happen to be! We will not grant any extensions because you misunderstood the deadlines. If it's helpful, please see this handy Time Zone Converter.

• Get up to speed on Python. If you are rusty on programming in any language or have never used Python, you need to get up to speed quickly. For instance, please take this week to get a head start on next week's materials. These should be available as Topic 1 and Notebook 1.

Pro-tip: Topic and Notebook referencing convention.
The assignments, which we interchangeably call "notebooks," may have one or more parts and, within each part, several numbered exercises. Each notebook part will have its own dedicated public thread. We ask you to keep any public questions about that part on the appropriate thread. This makes it easier for other students to find find related posts. It is possible that your question has already been answered.
When you want to post a question about a particular exercise, we strongly recommend using the following convention: in the subject of your post (and within it), use nb\<#>[.part#].[exercise#] to refer to a particular exercise. For example, nb4.1.2 means Notebook 4, Part 1, Exercise 2. Also, please tag your post with the associated notebook (e.g., nb4 in this example). If a notebook only has one part, you can omit the part number, e.g., nb7.2. If your question concerns the general topic (or associated readings and videos, rather than the notebook), use the appropriate tag (e.g., topic4, topic7). Adhering to these conventions help your peers find related questions and will help the instructors triage questions faster.

Special "kick-off" session: Check Piazza for the details regarding your specific section. This "kick-off" office hour is intended to answer questions you might have about getting started in the course and will be recorded in case you can't make it. (That also implies that if you choose to connect by video, you may want to brush your hair or don a disguise if that's an issue.) If you are on the fence about whether to stay, this hour is a good chance to ask questions that will help you decide.

Office hours begin next week Every Thursday from 8:30-9:30 pm US Eastern Time, the teaching staff will hold a live office hour session. These begin this Thursday.

Boot Camp: We have put together the CSE6040 Bootcamp to help students with limited Python or programming exposure. See What is the bootcamp for more details.

All official discussions are on Piazza. The teaching staff use this forum, Piazza, for general Q&A. Announcments will be posted here. Doing so helps us triage and track issues. You can post anonymously if you wish! If you need to ask a question of one of us not visible to your peers, you can do so by posting a private message. To do so, click New Post, then select Individual/instructor(s) under Post to, then type Instructors. However, we strongly recommend posting publicly; you will get a response more quickly, and it's a great way to get to know your classmates.