Many people are interested in learning to program a computer. But taking CSE 142 (and its follow-on CSE 143) may not be the right move for everyone. Here's information that may help you decide.
If you are
read no more. CSE142 is the course for you!
Otherwise, it might or might not be. Read on...
CSE 142 at the University of Washington is a foundation course. It is designed primarily for matriculated undergraduate students who need a serious and rigorous introduction to programming and computer science, and have the time and energy to put into a fast-paced and sometimes demanding experience. Not everyone fits this description.
Find yourself in one or more categories in the list and read what our experience tells us about your groups. Then if you don't think CSE142 is the right course for you, take a look at some alternatives.
| Category | What you may face |
| Might be interested in a computing career, but have little previous background | Don't be scared away! This course has no prerequisites. Many bright and hardworking students succeed with no previous programming experience at all. |
| In some non-technical major, and just want to know more about computers | May or may not be what you are looking for. You learn about computer science, not about how to use computers better or how to master applications. Might be way too much work for what you really want out of it. CSE100 (see below) might be a better fit for your interests, but students also report it to be challenging and time-consuming. On they other hand, you might find CSE142 really fascinating, in a way you never expected. It could change your life! |
| Community college transfers | Some
community college programming courses transfer automatically as CSE142
on your transcript. Check the link to see if a course you have taken
qualifies. Courses not on the list may transfer as CSE1XX or may
partially transfer with some other designation. If you have direct transfer credit for CSE142 on your transcript, you can't get credit for repeating 142 at UW. Please read the next block of information for more advice. |
| Have already taken a programming course somewhere |
If you had a course in Java which was fairly rigorous, took an object-oriented approach, and had you writing some substantial programs, and it wasn't too long ago, you should be ready to start with CSE143. If you had a C++, or C#, and it was fairly rigorous, took an object-oriented approach, and had you writing some substantial programs, and it wasn't too long ago, you might be able to start with CSE143. Looking a a recent CSE142 web might help you decide. If necessary, talk with a CSE undergraduate advisor or a CSE142 or CSE143 instructor once you are on campus. If you have studied a language other than one of these, or it has been a while since your first programming experience, you should probably start over with CSE142 at UW. Talk to an undergraduate advisor if you are unsure. |
| Graduate students | Registration priority goes to matriculated undergrads.
If space is available, you can register after the priority students. Please consider: this is a time-consuming course which won't count toward your degree program. Can you really afford the time? It won't look good to have a low grade or a drop on your transcript. |
| Students in biomedical areas | See "graduate students" above if that applies. There may be a course (see MEDED in the table below) that would be more suitable anyway. |
| People working full-time | If you have a busy work schedule, this class may be bad news. The course is structured with the assumption that students are attending daily. There are frequent, inflexible deadlines. |
| People wishing to make a change in career | Passing this course by itself won't prepare you for an entry-level job as a programmer. It will prepare you for vocational programming coursework elsewhere (see some suggestions below). |
| Returning students | Many students, even with advanced past coursework in other fields, are taken aback by how different programming is from anything they had ever attempted. Just being a skilled computer user is of little help. Great frustration can result. You might want to do some browsing in the bookstore (or on our Web site) to get an idea of what the subject entails before deciding to register. |
| Non-matriculated students | You may have trouble getting in at all because enrollment priority goes to matriculated students. |
| Auditors | In our experience, auditors rarely get much out of the course. Most people need the commitment implied by a grade in order to keep them attending, studying, and doing the homework on schedule. Under University policy, we are not required to grade work turned in by auditors, so you may find it difficult to assess your progress. |
| UW staffers | (see "people working full-time" and "non-matriculated students" categories as applicable) |
Also see Computing Study at UW Outside of CSE
| Option | Description | Notes |
| CSE 100 | This course teaches some programming fundamentals in the context of general Information Technology fluency. | This course is ideal if you don't plan to continue in programming but are curious to learn more about how computers work. It also would not be a bad choice as a warm-up if you are insecure about your readiness for 142. |
| Community Colleges | Many community colleges offer a variety of beginning programming courses. Some of their courses are fast-paced and intensive (like CSE142 at UW.) Others take a slower pace. Some courses use languages (such as Visual Basic) which may suit some people's needs better than Java/C/C++. Often the courses are in evenings, which is better suited to working professionals. There are some 32 CC districts around the state. Closest to UW, check out North Seattle CC and other Seattle CC campuses | Be aware that not all CC courses will transfer as credit to the UW |
| UW Extension | UW Extension offers a variety of multi-course "Certificate" programs,. These are a great choice if your primary interest is refocusing your career. The courses are offered at times convenient for working professionals. Some of the Extension programs carry UW credit, and some don't. One which does is the Beginning Programming Certificate, which covers the same material as CSE142/143. In fact, a series of seven certificate programs can even lead to a B.S. degree in Computing and Software Systems | Extension has completely separate procedures for admission and registration, and a different fee structure. |
| MEDED 531 | An broad introduction to computing and programming, aimed at graduate students in medical and biological fields. | Part of the new Biomedical and Health Informatics graduate program. Contact Prof. Ira Kalet, ikalet@u.washington.edu |
| UW Campuses at Bothell and Tacoma | UW offers a full degree program at the Bothell and Tacoma campuses. However, students entering the program are already expected to have mastered programming basics. | |
| INFO 344
LIS 545 (formerly 575?) |
"Web Tools and Development"
"Programming for Information Systems" |
Among many information technology courses offered by the Information School |
| Self-study | For self-motivated learners who do not need academic credit. There are many books and on-line materials to help people learn programming. A huge amount of material from previous quarters of UW's CSE142 and CSE143 is on-line, including lecture notes, slides with audio, lectures on video, as well as homeworks and tests, many with solutions. |
First version Tuesday January 9, 2001 (MD)
Last revised Saturday July 12, 2003