Fall 2021

CS 300 - Programming II

Instructor: Hobbes Legault

Requirements: Required for CS

Workload: Every week there were 1 programming assignment and zybook readings. There were also 10 quizzes (Lowest dropped for every 2 weeks) and 3 exams. I spent about 6-8 hrs per week.

Comment: This is my first CS class here at UW-Madison and it was not too bad. The class uses Java and we went over concepts on GUI, OOP, complexity, recursion, data structures, etc. I had some programming experience in high school but was not as rigorous as CS 200, so I had a rough start for this class. But as the semester progresses the class felt easier. Hobbes is a nice professor. She's really energetic and her lecture is very interactive. I def recommend taking CS 300 with her.

Difficulty: 4/5

Recommend: 4.5/5

CS 252 - Introduction to Computer Engineering

Instructor: Karu Sankaralingam

Requirements: Required for CS

Workload: There were 8 HWs and 4 projects, and 4 exams. I spent about 4-6 hrs per week.

Comment: This class covered the foundation of how a computer works. We learned about binary, hex, logic structure, LC3 assembly language, basic computer organization, etc. This class is essential for computer engineering and computer architecture, also for software/hardware classes. Getting an A in this class is easy as exams (online) were almost identical to HW. HW can be a little bit tricky so you might need to be careful. Karu is an amazing prof. He made this class to be a little bit more interesting than it usually is.

Difficulty: 3/5

Recommend: 4.5/5

Math 234 - Calculus - Functions of Several Variables

Instructor: Autumn Kent

Requirements: Required for Math, Satisfies additional Math requirement for CS

Workload: There were weekly HW, activities, discussion quizzes, and 3 exams. I spent about 3-5 hrs per week.

Comment: The 3rd calculus class here at UW-Madison. If you are majoring in Math, you should probably consider Math 375-376 sequences as it covers more rigorous content and prepare you better for higher-level classes. If you are majoring in CS, you should also consider this class as it unlocks lots of higher classes and the content is not too difficult. The class is just like any calc 3 class and covers vector calculus, derivative and integral of multiple variables, etc. I found prof Kent's lecture a bit useless after the 2nd midterm and is always hard to follow. Plus her handwriting is so hard to read. There was a lot of study by yourself. There were a lot of practice exams and worksheets available so just do those and you should be fine. Be careful to not trip in the exam as it weighs 84%.

Difficulty: 4/5

Recommend: 3/5

ENGL 100 - Introduction to College Composition

Instructor: Anja Jovic-Humphrey

Requirements: Comm A

Workload: There were 2 essays and 1 presentation. Very light workload.

Comment: If you are an international student, you might need to take the ESL sequence. If you are like me who went to high school overseas that uses English as the official language, then you should take this class (you will be told by admission which class to take).

The class is very easy. For the first assignment, you can write anything for ~5 pages. The second one is a research paper on a topic that you are interested in, where you need proper citations and write about 10 pages, then do a presentation. I spent about 10 hours on both assignments in total.

Anja is a really nice professor. She always encourages students and gives detailed feedback. As long as you do the work you will get A. However, I do think she made this class too easy (but I have no complaints 😄).

Difficulty: 1/5

Recommend: 5/5

ASIALANG 103 - First Semester Japanese

Instructor: On record- Takako Nakakubo, Actual Instructor - Kenia Hara, TA - Betsy Rock

Requirements: None, but if you are majoring/minoring in Japanese then you need this class

Workload: Attendance is mandatory, there were lots of weekly assignments. There were also a few quizzes, and exams. I spent about 2-3 hrs per week.

Comment: Japanese classes are really good here at UW. The class size is small and instructors really care about students. We had class every day, with the instructor giving lectures on MW and TA leading discussions on THF. My instructor was Hara sensei. She's my favorite teacher here at UW-Madison. She likes Japanese pop culture and is also a Key fan - the first one I have ever seen in real life. The workload for this class is huge if you have no Japanese experience before. I self-studied a little bit before and am also a fan of Japanese culture so it is not too bad for me. If you have any space in your schedule and want to learn Japanese, I strongly recommend taking it.

Difficulty: 1.5/5

Recommend: 5/5

MUSIC 41 - Concert Band

Instructor: Corey Pompey

Requirements: None, but if you are a music performing major for wind instruments you are required to take part in an ensemble.

Workload: 4 hr of rehearsal per week

Comment: Concert Band is for music majors and advanced non-majors and requires audition. I played trombone in high school and would like to continue, thus I auditioned and was placed in a concert band.

There are 2 concerts in the fall, and then we also had to play for winter graduation. It was fun but a bit too much commitment for a non-music major student, especially if you are double-majoring or studying CS. Overall a fun experience but I did not continue as I want to put more time towards my main majors. (But you will get A if you just show up to all rehearsal and concerts)

Difficulty: 2/5

Recommend: 3.5/5