Getting Help¶
Having questions or getting stuck on something is entirely expected in the learning process. If you find something challenging with your studies, that is a sign you are learning! Learning is not something that you need to do alone though! In fact, connecting with your peers or asking a member of the course staff for help can add extreme depth to your knowledge.
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Synchronous Help (Office Hours): One place to go to get help is our Office Hours hosted throughout the week. TAs staff office hours for many hours a day to provide you the help you need when you need it! This is a great place to go if you want to review a particular course concept, work on a practice problem with the help of a TA or your peers, or get help on a Creative Project or Programming Assignment if you are running into difficulties.
Tip
A common misconception is that you can only go to office hours with specific homework questions. That is not true! If you have any questions about course concepts (e.g., from class that day), you are super encouraged to go work on that concept with a member of the course staff at office hours! Getting help with a concept earlier, when you first are feeling unsure, is much better than saving it until you need it on the homework.
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Asynchronous Help (Ed Discussion): With a class of our size, directly emailing a member of the course staff is not always recommended. There are many of you and only few of us, so if you email one person directly we can’t make a guarantee how quickly we can respond! To alleviate this one-on-one communication of email, we have a course discussion board that will be a much more lively place for discussion and a way to make sure you can are helped more quickly. The message board is set up so that all of the course staff can help you, which will make it more likely for you to receive a quicker response!
Ed Tips
- If you are asking a general question about the course logistics or content, you can make a public post. This way other students can benefit from seeing your question, and you can even answer each other’s questions to share your perspectives!
- If you want, you can choose to post anonymously so that other students in the course can’t see your name. Note that anonymous posting does not hide your identity from the course staff.
- You’re encouraged to answer each other’s questions as well! Explaining a topic to someone else (even on a discussion board) is a great way to help you better understand the material. The course staff will still look over student answers and can nicely point out some misconception if there is one so that everyone benefits.
- If you have a question that’s pretty specific to your homework solution, or, is about some personal details that you would not want to share with the class (e.g., DRS accommodations), you can make a private post on Ed that is only visible to the course staff. This way, any member of the staff can respond to get you the help you need!
- For sensitive matters that you only want to discuss with Tristan or Hunter, you can instead email Tristan and/or Hunter directly if that makes you feel more comfortable. Note that the response time for our email is longer than posting on the Ed board.
- If you are asking a general question about the course logistics or content, you can make a public post. This way other students can benefit from seeing your question, and you can even answer each other’s questions to share your perspectives!
Instructor¶
Office Hours
Hunter Schafer he/him/his
Hi there! 👋 My name is Hunter! I’ve lived in Seattle for almost my whole life after a brief stint in Alaska, where I was born, and a couple of years in Minnesota. I did my undergrad and masters here at UW in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and now, I work here full-time on the Allen School faculty!
Funnily enough, I had absolutely no idea what computer science was when I started at UW. I took CSE 142 on a whim and enjoyed it enough to continue on to CSE 143, but not enough to commit to it as a field of study. It wasn’t until I became a teaching assistant for the 14x series did I really find my passion for computer science: teaching computer science. Since then, I’ve shaped my college and post-college career around teaching computer science. Since graduating with my masters, I’ve worked here at the Allen School as a Teaching Professor.
Outside of school and work, I usually spend most of my time hanging out with friends: just enjoying quality time or going out and exploring new restaurants and coffee shops. While living through the inside-times, I’ve tried to make a routine with some of my available free time: I’ve gotten into reading and cooking more regularly, I started practicing yoga, and I even tried my hand at streaming on Twitch (all while drinking questionably unhealthy amounts of coffee).
Talk with me about your favorite coffee shops or restaurants around Seattle, I’m always looking for new places to check out! Good book, podcast, or game recommendations are great too!
Office Hours
Tristan Huber he/him/his
Hi, I’m Tristan!
I grew up in Seattle and have lived here most of my life, excepting a few years spent in New York City.
Way back in 2014 I graduated with a BS in Computer Science from UW‘s Allen School. For me, discovering computer science was a happy accident, I was hooked after taking 142 on recommendation from a friend. After college I spent several years working for Palantir and then Google, including helping with their educational outreach programs. Lately I’ve been on sebatical from the industry, and I’m excited to return to UW as a temporary lecturer for CSE 122 this spring!
When I’m not working or teaching I enjoy hanging out with my dog Cheddar, working in my woodshop, and reading. Come on by my office (CSE 216) to chat and hit me with your best book recomendations! Looking forward to an excellent spring quarter with y’all!
Teaching Assistants¶
Andrew Awada he/him/his
Quiz Section: AS
Hi I’m Andrew and I’m a Junior studying Computer Engineering! This will be my 6th quarter TAing the intro series, and I’m super excited to get to know you all! Outside of that, I love running, hiking, and doing pretty much anything outdoors. Looking forward to making sure 122 is as fun as possible this quarter :)
Audrey Lin she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AH
Hi there, I’m Audrey! I’m a sophomore majoring in computer science with a minor in music and math. In addition to being a TA, I’m a violinist, cyclist, and video game lover. Looking forward to a great quarter with everyone :)
Evelyn Yang she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AK
Hi! My name is Evelyn and I am a senior majoring in computer science. I am a Myers-Briggs INFJ and an enneagram type 1. I grew up in the Seattle area and some of my favorite things include cats, reading, and spending time with friends!
Joe Spaniac he/him/his
Quiz Section: AO
Hi there! My name is Joe and I’m a senior in the Allen School this year. I happen to have a niche interest in theatrical lighting design, so if you ever want to talk shop about your favorite musical or play I’d be happy to hear about it! I also got into crocheting this summer so if you see me around with a bag of yarn that’s probably why. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the IPL this quarter!
Melissa Lin she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AE
Hi everyone! My name is Melissa and I’m a BS/MS student. This is my 3rd time TAing CSE 122, but 8th quarter TAing overall. Some of my hobbies include crocheting, bouldering, exploring different cafes in Seattle (please share recs!), and watching Netflix shows (some favs are Gilmore Girls, Brooklyn 99, and Avatar The Last Airbender). Super excited to meet you all! Feel free to reach out to ask questions or just to chat about anything :)
Poojitha Arangam she/her/hers
Hey everyone, I’m Poojitha! I’m currently a junior pursuing a double degree in Computer Science with the Data Science option and Mathematics. I grew up in Mukilteo, WA, just outside of the Seattle area. This is my 8th quarter TA! Outside of school, I love to go hiking, play tennis and badminton, spend time with friends and family, bake sweet treats, and visit new places.
I’m really excited for CSE 122 and meeting all of you! If you have any questions this quarter or just want to chat, please feel free to reach out any time.
Ambika Shastry she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AR
Hi, I’m Ambika! I am from Bellevue, WA, and am a freshman intending to major in Computer Science. I enjoy dancing, reading, and watching movies in my free time. It is my second time being a TA for CSE 122! I am looking forward to meeting and working with everyone :)
Autumn Rhee she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AD
Hi, I’m Autumn! I’m a second-year student majoring in Computer Science, and I’m thrilled to be a TA for CSE 122. Outside of classes and coding, I love sampling new foods, walking my dog, and watching the sun set. My favorite season? Probably Winter. Excited to meet all of you soon!
Ayush Agrawal he/him/his
Quiz Section: AJ
Hi everyone! My name is Ayush and I am a sophomore majoring in CS from Kirkland, WA. This is my second time TAing and I am very excited to meet everyone. Outside of school, I love playing tennis and doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, watching football, and spending time outdoors. I’m looking forward to working with all of you this quarter!
Ben Wang he/him/his
Quiz Section: AI
Hi everyone, my name is Ben and I’m super excited to be your TA this quarter! A little about me: I was born in Chicago and currently live in the greater Seattle area. Outside of class I enjoy playing basketball, reading science fiction, and watching The Office. I also recently got into collecting hot sauces. Feel free to reach out with any questions or if you just want to chat!
Colton Harris he/him/his
Quiz Section: AH
Hey y’all! I’m a second year majoring in computer engineering with a minor in physics. I’m also really into board games and graphic design. If you have any good board game recommendations please reach out! I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can this quarter :)
Di Mao she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AJ
Hi! I’m Di, a second-year excited for the quarter :>. Academically, I’m fascinated by the intersections between computer science and neuroscience. In my free time, I’m listening to music, probably kpop, and creating art. Currently, I’m an artist for Grey Matters, a neuroscience journal here at UW. I’m excited to meet you all, feel free to swing by my office hours to chat!
Eesha Kunisetty she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AB
Hello! I’m a CS major and I’m excited to TA CSE 122 this quarter. I like trying new foods, crafting things, whether that be knitting, crocheting, or quilting, and watching travel vlogs. Don’t be shy to reach out and I’ll do my best to get us through the quarter!
Elizabeth Shirakian she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AA
Hey, I’m Elizabeth! I am a sophomore majoring in computer science and I’m really excited to be a 122 TA again this quarter! Outside of school I enjoy writing music, I teach at my local Armenian school and I am a film fanatic so let me know if you have any tv recommendations! :)
Jacob Juras he/him/his
Hey everyone! I’m a sophomore studying CS and I’m so excited for my first quarter TAing 122! In my free time I love to thrift, lift, and play with my fat cat. Looking forward to meeting y’all!
Jasmine Herri she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AQ
Hi everyone! My name is Jasmine and I’m a freshman majoring in computer science. Aside from coding, I love reading, web design, and creative writing, especially poetry. If anyone wants to chat about Shakespeare or complain about Wix, I’m your girl! I’m thrilled to be a CSE 122 TA this quarter and I look forward to meeting all of you :)
Jaylyn Zhang she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AG
Hi, I’m Jaylyn! I am a sophomore majoring in Computer Science. In my free time, I love hiking, drinking taro with milk:D, and exploring Seattle with my friends. I am also really into oil pastels recently. Super excited to meet you all!
Jin Terada he/him/his
Quiz Section: AP
Hi! My name is Jin and i’m a 4th year finishing up my degree in Electrical Engineering! I love my major because i’m super interested not just in software but hardware as well so it’s a perfect middle-ground for me to explore both coding and hardware :) I care about education a lot and will always be here to advocate for and support your success in this class <3Outside of school, I love playing tennis and doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, watching football, and spending time outdoors. I’m looking forward to working with all of you this quarter!
Kevin Nguyen he/him/his
Quiz Section: AL
Hey everyone, I’m Kevin! I’m a second-year studying CS, and I’m excited to be a TA for this course. Outside of school, I enjoy watching basketball, working out, and hanging out with my friends. I’m looking forward to a great quarter with you all! Feel free to reach out to me anytime :)
Leon Li he/him/his
Quiz Section: AE
Hey everyone! I’m Leon and am currently a senior studying computer science. Outside of classes, I enjoy watching/playing sports, trying out new restaurants, eating hotpot, and recently started reading more (just finished Harry Potter)! I am super excited to meet all of you and look forward to a great quarter :)
Megana Kommareddy she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AF
Hi everyone, I’m Megana! I’m currently a second-year studying computer science, and I’m really excited to TA this quarter! In my free time, I love running, reading (let me know if you have any good thriller recs!), and watching TV shows! I can’t wait to meet everyone this quarter, so please don’t hesitate to reach out :)
Mia Yamada-Heidner she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AG
Hi! I’m Mia, and I’m a second-year CS major from Seattle. This will be my fifth quarter as a TA but my first time TA-ing for CSE 122. Outside of class, I enjoy reading, discovering new music/podcasts, going on walks, and trying out different boba places. Excited for a great quarter with you all!
Rishi Bathina he/him/his
Quiz Section: AN
Hi, I am Rishi! I was born in Atlanta, GA and moved here almost 8 years ago! This is my second quarter as a TA. I am a Sophomore here at UW and my second quarter as a part of the Allen School. Outside of school I love boxing and playing baseball. I am excited to introduce Computer Science, and I hope you will love it as much as I do!
Rucha Kher she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AF
Hi, my name is Rucha and I’m from Bellevue, WA! Currently I’m a sophomore studying computer science and this is my third quarter as a TA. Outside of school I love to bake, binge watch movies, and go on hikes with friends & family. Looking forward to meeting you all this quarter :)
Shivani Modi she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AM
Hello, I’m Shivani! I’m studying computer science and am from Sammamish, WA. Outside of classes, I spend most of my time getting coffee (cute cafe suggestions are always appreciated), listening to music, and meeting with friends. I’m excited to TA 122 again this quarter and get know you all! Feel free to reach out with any questions or just to chat :)
Shreya Nambi she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AN
Hi! I’m Shreya and I’m a sophomore studying CS. This is my third time TAing the intro series, and i’m super excited for this quarter! Outside of school, I love gaming, sunsets, taylor swift, kpop, and marvel. Looking forward to meeting everyone :)
Steven Nguyen he/him/his
Quiz Section: AT
Hey y’all!! My name is Steven and I’m a second-year studying computer science. I’m from Vancouver (WA, not BC!) and in my free time I love exploring the PNW with my pals. Some of my biggest passions include binge watching TV shows (currently watching Ted Lasso + The Last of Us), swimming, attending concerts, and winning free Starbucks at UW football games (I know, little bit odd but I have a strategy). Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or just wanna chat :)
Yijia Zhao she/her/hers
Quiz Section: AC
Hey everyone! My name is Yijia Zhao. I’m a second-year majoring in computer science. I’m from Wenzhou, a small city on southeast of China and I lived in Seattle for five years. I love baking and watching anime in my free time. I’m looking forward to working and having fun with you all! (^▽^) WAKUWAKU