What is the CSE 6040 Python Bootcamp?

Overview

First of all we want to point out that participation in this bootcamp is not required for this course. However, we strongly recommend that students who are not able to complete the Bootcamp Self Assessment Notebook in the allotted time consider attending/watching these sessions.

The bootcamp provides additional instructional materials designed to help students with limited Python/programming exposure gain deeper understanding of the concepts and methods on which they will be tested in the three exams in this course. The purpose and objectives are presented in more detail in the course introduction.

When are the live sessions? Are they recorded?

The live sessions are recorded.

Exactly how to access the sessions/recordings is different across the sections in this course. You can find the details specific to your section in Piazza or your LMS (edX or Canvas).

Where are the materials?

The accompanying code materials are hosted on Google Colab. See the Colab Guide for more guidance on using that tool. The short version is (1) it's basically a Jupyter notebook and (2) you have to save your work externally (i.e. download it or link it to your Google Drive).

The accompanying videos/recordings will be available in your Learning Management System (Canvas for (O)MSA students and edX for MicroMasters students).

Should I Attend the Module 0 Sessions?

We have put together a self assessment Jupyter Notebook for students to determine their skill level with the introductory (Module 0) topics. This notebook is completely optional and will not affect your final grade in the course in any way. The notebook tests skills that are important in module 0 in a similar format to the exams.

We encourage students to go through the self assessment notebook and determine for themselves if the bootcamp would be helpful for them in the course. There is a (suggested) time limit, but you can take as long as you need to solve the exercises. As part of your self-assessment, we hope that you include the time you took to complete the notebook into consideration as the exams will be timed.

  • If you complete the notebook within the allotted time:
    • You are probably in a good place to continue without the additional bootcamp materials.
  • If you complete the notebook but exceed the allotted time:
    • You may benefit from selections of the bootcamp materials related to topics on which you struggled. Many students have succeeded in the course with limited programming and Python backgrounds. Don't panic, but realize that you may need to put in some extra time.
  • If you were unable to complete the notebook:
    • We strongly recommend that you attend (or watch the recordings of) all the bootcamp sessions. It is very likely that you will need to spend additional time getting up to speed on Python and programming prerequisites in order to succeed in this course.

Bootcamp Self Assessment Notebook

Self Assessment notebook
Self Assessment notebook solutions

Updated: 2024-01-08