Orientation and Preparation

Before going on a hike you need to gather supplies, get to the trailhead, and have a map of where you're going. Beginning a course is similar: you should know what you are getting into, know what resources will be available to you, and gather the tools you will need.

This means you need to:

1. Know what you're getting into.
2. Know where to find the course resources.
3. Install the software the course will use on your personal computer.

1. Know what you are getting into

The official course outline. Start here. It's not exciting reading, but it is important, and will give you a clear idea what you are getting yourself into. If anything is unclear, or if you would like further information, don't hesitate to ask in class, or post your question to the Moodle Discussion Forum.

(Aside: The forum is preferred over email because the questions and answers accumulate. This way if another person has the same question the information is shared. Feel free to answer other people's questions too!)

Then you can read about:

The course philosophy

What language we'll use (and why)

How your assignments will be graded

And even What will be on the final exam!

2. Know where to find the course resources

Familiarize yourself with the two¹ (2!) course websites.

1. The Moodle site will be used for the administrative side of the course.

2. The Github site provides the learning resources. It is our online textbook.

If you like having options, there are several good free online Python textbooks available.

3. Install Python on your personal computer [Optional, but desirable]

Python is free and available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. The Installing Python page will get you started installing it on your system.

Be sure to test your installation as described on the page!