There is an amorphous set of things computer scientists know about and novice programmers don’t. Knowing them empowers you in computing, lessens the friction of learning in other classes and makes you a mature programmer.
The goal is to give you a sense of what’s out there, what you can expect and how you can learn more later when you need to.
Bring a device to class! Anything that can run ssh is fine! We won’t be needing it all the time but we will be doing some in-class activities.