Welcome to CSE 351!
- The most important information throughout the quarter will be found on the (course policies), the (course materials and assignment specs), and the (this week's course events).
- All announcements for this class are made via the (NOT email), so make sure you are enrolled on Ed and checking regularly.
- Use the menu bar at the top for navigating to other useful tools and references.
Weekly Calendar
To sync with your Google Calendar, click on the plus icon at the bottom, or the following links: , , , .
Asking Questions & Getting Help
It is very important to us that you succeed in CSE 351! Outside of lectures and sections, there are several ways to ask questions or discuss course issues:
- Find a study group! This quarter, all assignments, other than exams, can be completed and submitted in partnerships (labs) or larger groups (reading, homework), allowing you to discuss material, code, and debug together.
- Visit support hours! See the for current availability, noting that all support hours this quarter will either be in-person or virtual, but not hybrid.
- Make a public post about course content on the , where they benefit the whole class. This also allows other students to answer your question so can receive a faster response. This is the best way of asking questions about class-related topics.
- Make a private post to just the course staff on the with any issues you would prefer to discuss privately or questions that involve solutions or partial solutions for ongoing assignments.
- Request a 1-on-1 using If you feel like you need extra time, can't make it to support hours, or want to discuss something privately, please feel free to request a 1-on-1 from the staff!
- Send to the course staff. The instructor will try to address the issue and share it with others only as appropriate, but will not have a way to reply to you without addressing the whole class.
Course Staff & Mini-Bios
Staff Mini-Bio: Ellis
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC PATH?
I grew up in LA. I got started in CS playing with Lego Mindstorms as a kid, but I didn't take it seriously until high school, where my teachers inspired me to pursue it further. I came to Seattle for school, and I'm now a BS/MS student planning on graduating in Fall.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
I love video games (my favorite is Hollow Knight), knitting, metal music, and playing French horn.
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
I performed with Seattle Symphony my freshman year at UW!
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
351 takes up most of my time, but I'm also doing research in the systems lab and hopefully playing horn in my free time.
I grew up in LA. I got started in CS playing with Lego Mindstorms as a kid, but I didn't take it seriously until high school, where my teachers inspired me to pursue it further. I came to Seattle for school, and I'm now a BS/MS student planning on graduating in Fall.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
I love video games (my favorite is Hollow Knight), knitting, metal music, and playing French horn.
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
I performed with Seattle Symphony my freshman year at UW!
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
351 takes up most of my time, but I'm also doing research in the systems lab and hopefully playing horn in my free time.
Ellis Haker
(he/him)
ehaker1@cs
Lecture A
Staff Mini-Bio: Jiawei
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC PATH?
- I was born in China before moving to the US when I was six. I lived in Louisiana for a couple of years before moving to Auburn, Washington when I was thirteen. After I finished high school, I came to UW and I just finished my second year!
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
- I love swimming, cooking/baking, and driving!
- I am conversationally fluent in Mandarin Chinese!
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
- One of my favorite memories is experiencing snow for the first time. I was probably nine or ten but I've always lived in a warm place so the only place I had ever seen it was on screen. The snow was only a couple of inches but it was beautiful and I made a snowman!
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
- Second quarter TAing!
- INFO 200, SOC 225, and MUS 116
- Trying to hike more!
- I was born in China before moving to the US when I was six. I lived in Louisiana for a couple of years before moving to Auburn, Washington when I was thirteen. After I finished high school, I came to UW and I just finished my second year!
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
- I love swimming, cooking/baking, and driving!
- I am conversationally fluent in Mandarin Chinese!
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
- One of my favorite memories is experiencing snow for the first time. I was probably nine or ten but I've always lived in a warm place so the only place I had ever seen it was on screen. The snow was only a couple of inches but it was beautiful and I made a snowman!
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
- Second quarter TAing!
- INFO 200, SOC 225, and MUS 116
- Trying to hike more!
Jiawei Huang
(she/her)
jiawei04@uw
Section AB
Staff Mini-Bio: Micah
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC PATH?
I grew up right nearby in Everett, about 30 mins north of Seattle. I've been all over the place with my academic path; at first, I wanted to be a surgeon, then an animator, then janitor, then a medical laboratory scientist, and now I study computer science, ethics, and public policy, in preparation to work around information and technology policy. But things can always change.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
I used to draw/illustrate semi-professionally, but recently, mostly for fun. I also like to read and write both fiction and non-fiction.
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
I saw the solar eclipse in 2017. It was a hot, sunny day in a tiny town in eastern Oregon, and it was a long drive, but it turned out to be the perfect place to view it.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
I'm taking classes - Info Ethics + Policy (INFO 351), Intro to Public Policy & Governance (PUBPOL 201), and Intro to Labor Studies (POL S 249). Say hi if you're in any of them!
I grew up right nearby in Everett, about 30 mins north of Seattle. I've been all over the place with my academic path; at first, I wanted to be a surgeon, then an animator, then janitor, then a medical laboratory scientist, and now I study computer science, ethics, and public policy, in preparation to work around information and technology policy. But things can always change.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
I used to draw/illustrate semi-professionally, but recently, mostly for fun. I also like to read and write both fiction and non-fiction.
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
I saw the solar eclipse in 2017. It was a hot, sunny day in a tiny town in eastern Oregon, and it was a long drive, but it turned out to be the perfect place to view it.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
I'm taking classes - Info Ethics + Policy (INFO 351), Intro to Public Policy & Governance (PUBPOL 201), and Intro to Labor Studies (POL S 249). Say hi if you're in any of them!
Micah Chang
(he/him)
micahc03@uw
Section AA
Staff Mini-Bio: Naama
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC PATH?
I grew up near Tel Aviv and moved to Sunnyvale, CA at age ten; I then moved to Redmond, WA right before the start of high school. I took an intro to CS class in my first high school semester and fell in love with it, so I took two AP CS classes before graduating in 2021. I am now a third (about to be fourth!) year CS student here at UW.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
- Aside from programming, I also do a bit of art in my spare time. I used to paint with acrylics, but now I mostly work digitally in Procreate. It’s so much fun to work with a different part of my brain for a bit!
- I also love playing video games both solo and with friends. My favorite game right now is probably Hades. Very excited to pick up Hades 2!
- I’m bilingual (Hebrew and English, though my English is better than my Hebrew at this point…)
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
- I donated ten inches of my hair in the spring of 2023! It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
- I got to travel a lot over the years and have been to over ten countries. My favorite travel experience is a science trip to Iceland I took when I was in high school.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
- Being a TA for this class :)
- On the internship hunt!
I grew up near Tel Aviv and moved to Sunnyvale, CA at age ten; I then moved to Redmond, WA right before the start of high school. I took an intro to CS class in my first high school semester and fell in love with it, so I took two AP CS classes before graduating in 2021. I am now a third (about to be fourth!) year CS student here at UW.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
- Aside from programming, I also do a bit of art in my spare time. I used to paint with acrylics, but now I mostly work digitally in Procreate. It’s so much fun to work with a different part of my brain for a bit!
- I also love playing video games both solo and with friends. My favorite game right now is probably Hades. Very excited to pick up Hades 2!
- I’m bilingual (Hebrew and English, though my English is better than my Hebrew at this point…)
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
- I donated ten inches of my hair in the spring of 2023! It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
- I got to travel a lot over the years and have been to over ten countries. My favorite travel experience is a science trip to Iceland I took when I was in high school.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
- Being a TA for this class :)
- On the internship hunt!
Naama Amiel
(she/her)
namiel@uw
Section AA
Staff Mini-Bio: Nikolas
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC PATH?
I come from Renton, Washington and have been familiar with the Seattle area since I was little. I was in the running start program for 2 years at Bellevue College before coming to UW, where I am in my second year of undergrad and second quarter of being a TA. I took CSE 351 two years ago, and it’s still my favorite CSE class I've ever taken here!
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
-I enjoy reading loooong sci-fi fantasy epics. The Wheel of Time and Stormlight Archive are a couple of my favorites.
-When it comes to physical activity, I'm an avid runner – it's an activity where I can focus solely on my own mind and growth.
-My favorite games to play are 4X strategy games.
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
When my brother and I were little, we got our hands on a bottle of baby powder and poured it down the vent in our living room while it was blowing. The resulting fog and thin layer of film covering everything in the room was not taken lightly by our parents, and us hiding under our beds did not save us from the massive cleanup we had to do.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
-TA-ing for this class!
-Learning Chinese before I visit Taiwan in September
I come from Renton, Washington and have been familiar with the Seattle area since I was little. I was in the running start program for 2 years at Bellevue College before coming to UW, where I am in my second year of undergrad and second quarter of being a TA. I took CSE 351 two years ago, and it’s still my favorite CSE class I've ever taken here!
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
-I enjoy reading loooong sci-fi fantasy epics. The Wheel of Time and Stormlight Archive are a couple of my favorites.
-When it comes to physical activity, I'm an avid runner – it's an activity where I can focus solely on my own mind and growth.
-My favorite games to play are 4X strategy games.
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
When my brother and I were little, we got our hands on a bottle of baby powder and poured it down the vent in our living room while it was blowing. The resulting fog and thin layer of film covering everything in the room was not taken lightly by our parents, and us hiding under our beds did not save us from the massive cleanup we had to do.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
-TA-ing for this class!
-Learning Chinese before I visit Taiwan in September
Nikolas McNamee
(he/him)
mcnanik@uw
Section AB
Staff Mini-Bio: Shananda
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC PATH?
- I grew up in Singapore! I moved to Seattle when I was 7 and have been living here since. After attending Skyline High School, I entered UW through the Robinson Center and am now a post-graduate with a degree in Computer Science and Economics, hoping to get a Masters in CSE!
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
- In my free time, I enjoy keeping my pet birds company and dancing. - I'm also a middle sister and enjoy going cafe hopping with them (making my older sister pay of course) - Watching a movie or tv show is in my every day routine
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
- I used to be part of a rowing team but had a fear of capsizing and there was a day we did in fact capsize and it was as horrible as I had imagined.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
- TAing for an Intro to Python summer camp course! - Dance!!
- I grew up in Singapore! I moved to Seattle when I was 7 and have been living here since. After attending Skyline High School, I entered UW through the Robinson Center and am now a post-graduate with a degree in Computer Science and Economics, hoping to get a Masters in CSE!
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, TALENTS, AND SKILLS?
- In my free time, I enjoy keeping my pet birds company and dancing. - I'm also a middle sister and enjoy going cafe hopping with them (making my older sister pay of course) - Watching a movie or tv show is in my every day routine
HAVE YOU DONE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING REMARKABLE OR MEMORABLE?
- I used to be part of a rowing team but had a fear of capsizing and there was a day we did in fact capsize and it was as horrible as I had imagined.
WHAT COMMITMENTS WILL BE CONSUMING YOUR CYCLES THIS QUARTER?
- TAing for an Intro to Python summer camp course! - Dance!!
Shananda Dokka
(she/her)
sdokka@uw
Section
Acknowledgements
Many of the materials posted here were shared and refined by many staff members in previous offerings of CSE 351. This version of the course was significantly influenced by Gaetano Boriello, Ruth Anderson, Justin Hsia, and Mara Kirdani-Ryan.
This website is derived from , maintained by the CSE Lab and originally written by Xi Wang.
Though we cannot list them all, we are also extremely grateful for the contributions of countless TAs and students who have given feedback and improved CSE 351 from quarter to quarter.