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Warning: CMPT 165

YOUSUCK
edited May 2010 in General
CMPT 165 is a dangerous/high risk course. Many choose to take it thinking it's a GPA booster (Course name is Intro to World Wide Web).
Extremely difficult exams + whole class is practically 3rd or 4th year students = fail

Taking it online is worse.

I was lucky and got a B+ in that course
but my friends who took it weren't so lucky...

unless you learn super fast or have some sort of experience with programming, you're going to have to study a lot for the midterms & finals (averages are around 50%, final is worth 50%)


The final is worth 50% and many don't even understand half the stuff (python, etc). The content isn't exactly difficult, but the questions are ridiculous.

Just warning those who are taking or considering taking the course, be prepared for easy assignments and exercises, and then exams that are just retarded.
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Comments

  • Ether
    edited April 2009
    Can someone take a screenshot of this and put it in the funny pictures thread? (Edit: done)

    Seriously though, the course isn't that hard. The first half should be a breeze for anyone remotely web-literate, and the "programming" half is doable if you're willing to put in the effort. For some people it may require more effort than for others, but the material is not particularly challenging.

    Besides, you can always ask for help on the forum.
  • vonnie
    edited April 2009
    LOL at this thread.
  • xxk1nky
    edited April 2009
    Don't laugh at him/her! DUDE, were you in my class taking it by DE? Atleast you were lucky. I got a D and now have to take a new course for a science credit.. fuck!
  • Guest1
    edited April 2009
    ^a D counts as a fail? Too bad... good luck with the next science course =T
  • imelting
    edited April 2009
    some ppl just aren't computer literate enough to do some of the stuf

    it was an easy course, but i can understand ppl having trouble with it
  • xxk1nky
    edited April 2009
    summerheaven;53830 said:
    ^a D counts as a fail? Too bad... good luck with the next science course =T
    It's a pass but I needed a C- for it to count as a science credit towards my WQB.
  • Ether
    edited April 2009
    Did you talk to the prof? I know a few people who have just gone and asked to be bumped up to a C-. Sometimes it works.
  • randomuser
    edited April 2009
    For all you people that say 'lol' this course is so easy take a look at the averages in the DE assignments...

    I don't get why all the CS majors and some other people keep saying lol its so easy when person after person even says its not easy for them with no experience

    I got a B or something it it, but it came with too much time and effort on my part. The concepts are simple overall, but complex individually. Like with python I could never tell what was a user defined function or a pre-existing one in Bakers DE class
  • EricJ
    edited April 2009
    getting used to programming and programming concepts can be tricky business the first time, but 165 is about as simple as they could've made it, I think.
    Learning programming through only textbooks/internets probably isn't for everyone either, so (if the online discussion isn't enough) go find a friend with programming experience and beg them to explain shit to you, and you'll be good to go.
  • IVTIVT
    edited April 2009
    YOUSUCK;53815 said:
    CMPT 165 is a dangerous/high risk course. Many choose to take it thinking it's a GPA booster (Course name is Intro to World Wide Web).
    Extremely difficult exams + whole class is practically 3rd or 4th year students = fail
    BAHAHHA


    hey buddy, what's your major?
  • schmoey
    edited April 2009
    Lmao Ether.. nice pic.

    I'm not pro or anything and this is only the second CMPT course I've taken, but I'm thinking that the problem with a lot of people without programming experience taking the course DE is the lack of constant exposure (i.e. what you might get in lecture multiple times a week). It takes time to properly develop the logical mindset needed to do programming which just doesn't come easily just by doing assignments one day a week, all last minute and stuff.

    I don't think CMPT 165 itself is problematic, but the fact that it's DE and a lot of people are taking it and barely putting in effort to actually learn. I know the course is labeled "easy" but if you don't have much experience dealing with programming or do not even have the right mindset to do so, you're definitely going to have to do the stuff on a regular basis to actually learn it. IMO, the CMPT courses are some of the most valuable 100-level courses because they can really help you develop logical/analytical thinking.
  • xxk1nky
    edited April 2009
    Ether;53833 said:
    Did you talk to the prof? I know a few people who have just gone and asked to be bumped up to a C-. Sometimes it works.
    Oh, I was going to! But the prof emailed us this:

    Hi all -- the exams are marked and the final grades are posted at go.sfu.ca.

    To everyone who has already asked for a better grade, and to everyone who is thinking about trying it: the only reasons that I will consider changing a final grade are:

    -- if you're very close to maintaining a scholarship (1 letter grade short, e.g. C to C+)
    -- if this was your final semester and need this course to graduate
    -- if there's a major marking error

    I will *not* consider any other reasons for changing grades.

    -Colin


    Douche! I WILL find an error somewhere.
  • JayDub
    edited April 2009
    That's not being a douche...
  • carsncars
    edited April 2009
    Really, he's not obligated to bump anyone's mark at all.
  • hikin
    edited April 2009
    xxk1nky;53862 said:
    Oh, I was going to! But the prof emailed us this:

    Hi all -- the exams are marked and the final grades are posted at go.sfu.ca.

    To everyone who has already asked for a better grade, and to everyone who is thinking about trying it: the only reasons that I will consider changing a final grade are:

    -- if you're very close to maintaining a scholarship (1 letter grade short, e.g. C to C+)
    -- if this was your final semester and need this course to graduate
    -- if there's a major marking error

    I will *not* consider any other reasons for changing grades.

    -Colin


    Douche! I WILL find an error somewhere.
    uh... that proff seems OVER generous from what hes offering. most proffs give you your final mark and thats that, unless there is an error.
  • buflibufli
    edited April 2009
    oh and this is why B grade avg study habits don't get you through comp sci :P
  • JayDub
    edited April 2009
    In Comp Sci you can't just read over your notes and think you can BS your answers.

    You have to know the material and you have to practise it. It's like math, that is what CS is, it's applied math.
  • online predatoronline predator
    edited April 2009
    I could see this course as one that cs studs would recommend other cs studs to bump their grades up which is probably why its full of 3rd/4th year students
  • Agentbob
    edited April 2009
    bufli;53868 said:
    oh and this is why B grade avg study habits don't get you through comp sci :P
    Lies.
  • buflibufli
    edited April 2009
    online predator;53879 said:
    I could see this course as one that cs studs would recommend other cs studs to bump their grades up which is probably why its full of 3rd/4th year students
    PREREQUISITES/COREQUISITES:

    Students who have obtained credit for or are currently enrolled in a
    computing science course at the 200 level or higher may not take CMPT 165
    for further credit.     Students who have taken CMPT 118 for credit may not
    take CMPT 165 for further credit. However, CMPT 165 may be taken to
    replace a low grade in CMPT 118.
    .
  • online predatoronline predator
    edited April 2009
    Oh well and I was hoping to take it to bump my gpa up higher. turns out i can't hahahaha
  • ian
    edited April 2009
    seriously? i took this with like 5 or 6 friends and all of us got grades in the A range (most of them have 2.2 - 2.7 gpa so it's not like they were geniuses).

    maybe it's harder by DE but i had A. Lavergne and it was the easiest course i ever took. we spent like a week going over margins and padding. hell, one of our labs was to create folders for each of our assignments on our ftp, which took like 3 minutes.
  • kc2k8
    edited April 2009
    From what i've read once you reach 200 level comp sci courses you can not take cmpt 165, so its definetly not 3rd or 4th year comp sci students and he didnt state that, but a 3rd or 4th year student with no programming expirience really isnt at an advantage....
  • buflibufli
    edited April 2009
    kc2k8;54013 said:
    From what i've read once you reach 200 level comp sci courses you can not take cmpt 165, so its definetly not 3rd or 4th year comp sci students and he didnt state that, but a 3rd or 4th year student with no programming expirience really isnt at an advantage....
    thanks for repeating my post at the top of this page which had the course outline listed... in bold font...
  • Agentbob
    edited April 2009
    ian;54011 said:
    seriously? i took this with like 5 or 6 friends and all of us got grades in the A range (most of them have 2.2 - 2.7 gpa so it's not like they were geniuses).

    maybe it's harder by DE but i had A. Lavergne and it was the easiest course i ever took. we spent like a week going over margins and padding. hell, one of our labs was to create folders for each of our assignments on our ftp, which took like 3 minutes.
    Did you look at the assignments for this semester's CMPT165 DE? It's actually quite tricky for a course full of people who have no prior programming experience.
  • kc2k8
    edited April 2009
    bufli;54014 said:
    thanks for repeating my post at the top of this page which had the course outline listed... in bold font...
    That's where I read it! What happened to SFU TUBE?
  • JayDub
    edited April 2009
    Agentbob;54015 said:
    Did you look at the assignments for this semester's CMPT165 DE? It's actually quite tricky for a course full of people who have no prior programming experience.
    Wow... 'cause creating a login to compare two variables is really hard...
  • vonnie
    edited April 2009
    Agentbob;54015 said:
    Did you look at the assignments for this semester's CMPT165 DE? It's actually quite tricky for a course full of people who have no prior programming experience.
    I had no programming experience whatsoever before taking CMPT165. I did fine *shrugs* I didn't find it that difficult either.
  • Agentbob
    edited April 2009
    JayDub;54020 said:
    Wow... 'cause creating a login to compare two variables is really hard...
    Didn't they have to create an address book where you can add and search? I thought it was more than just a login screen.
  • buflibufli
    edited April 2009
    kc2k8;54016 said:
    That's where I read it! What happened to SFU TUBE?
    its just chillin waiting for our group members to finish exams so we can start working on it again (if all goes to plan were scheduled to meet with the dean in May so were hoping for the best)
    the site has a few usability issues we need to work out and styling that needs to be fixed before then
    but overall functionality from what we set out to achieve is there

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