Advanced Topics in Computer Science: Computer Systems (OCS35) Course Tips

Are you a student of Advanced Topics in Computer Science: Computer Systems (OCS35), looking for advice on how to succeed? Are you considering taking OCS35? We interviewed a peer tutor for this course, and here’s his advice about success in OCS35, as well as general information about the course.

Course Overview

Advanced Topics in Computer Science: Computer Systems is the most advanced computer science (CS) course offered at OHS. It acquaints students with a software-oriented background to hardware and low-level programming. Students will see the hardware-side of topics they had learned in previous classes, such as memory management, the representation of integers, and how the code they write (say, in Java) is converted to code in a lower-level programming language.

The instructor for this course is Dr. Thananjeyan.

Course format and workload

• This course has a textbook, though it is not required that you do reading before class. However, the teacher will reference the textbook during class and the textbook is still a valuable resource if you’re confused. You can choose, based on how much time you have and how helpful you find the textbook, if you want to do the reading.

  • The instructor does not assign particular pages of the textbook to read. Instead, you can figure out what reading will accompany each class by looking at the schedule document on Canvas.

• Before class, you may (in addition to or instead of the textbook reading) wish to look over the class slides. The course follows the textbook closely in some places and diverges from it in others. Thus, the slides may be a good place to go for a preview of the topic before class.

• During class is the primary time when you will learn material. Much of class consists of the instructor explaining the given concept. Sometimes students will also do practice problems during class time.

  • Never be afraid to ask questions in class! Asking questions doesn't mean you're not smart or not a good student. And most likely, if you have a question, so does someone else in the class—you’re probably not alone.

• Typically every week, sometimes every two weeks, there will be an assignment to complete.

  • These assignments require less time to complete than those for OCS25, Data Structures and Algorithms in Java. Assignments for Advanced Topics in Computer Science: Computer Systems usually take about 1-2 hours to complete.

  • There will typically be 3-5 questions on the homework, requiring students to do things like write code or explain what a given piece of code does.

• After class, either while completing the homework or after completing the homework (say, when reviewing for exams), it is highly beneficial to do the practice problems in the textbook.

• There are three pen-and-paper, in-person proctored exams: a fall midterm and final, and a spring final exam. In the spring semester, there will not be an exam classified as a midterm, only a final, and there will also be a final project.

  • Please note that the difficulty of the exams may be surprising compared to the difficulty of the rest of the course. The fall final has proved especially difficult for past students.

Available supports

• Peer tutors are students who have previously taken the course and are available to help students

• Peer tutors can be reached through appointments at the Writing and Tutoring Center. Schedule an appointment here: Stanford OHS Writing & Tutoring Center (mywconline.com)

• Many peer tutors are also easily reachable through Pronto. Feel free to message a peer tutor if you’re stuck on an assignment and need a nudge in the right direction!

• Your instructor is also there to help you

• Instructors hold office hours once or twice a week, where students can come to discuss course topics.

• Note that you do not need to have a particular question to attend office hours—you can come to discuss a general topic, explore an idea you have, ask a specific question about homework, and much more! At office hours, anything goes, not just specific questions on assignments.

• You are never inconveniencing your teacher by attending office hours—they want to talk to you.

• If you find it hard or embarrassing to ask questions in class, office hours can be a great place to ask questions, when you can just talk to your instructor 1-on-1. It is very normal to feel hesitant about asking questions—you are not alone! However, since all the material builds on previous material, making sure you find a way to ask any questions you have is very important.

• Instructors can also be reached by email. You might decide to email your teacher, for example, if you have a (relatively quick) question that needs to be answered before their next office hours.

Exams, exam preparation, and projects

There are three pen-and-paper, in-person proctored exams: a fall midterm and final, and a spring final exam. In the spring semester, there will not be an exam classified as a midterm, only a final, and there will also be a final project.

Strategies that past students have found helpful in preparing for exams:

• Review the slides from class

• Complete practice problems from the textbook

• Try teaching the problems to someone—and that “someone” could just be something inanimate, like a stuffed animal or a Pixel. In the process of trying to explain the concepts, you will come to a better understanding of them yourself and will hopefully find any gaps in your knowledge.

• It can be helpful to re-do the homework problems and make sure you feel very comfortable with them. Some exam problems will likely be very similar to homework problems, though also be aware that there will be some problems that are different from the homework problems.

• Also be prepared that some test questions are likely to ask you to apply or explain concepts, so be sure that you have grasped topics on a conceptual level.

Information about the final project:

• Students will not have as many assignments to complete during the spring semester to give them time to work on their final project.

• For the final project, students will work together with a partner.

• The final project will not take an enormous amount of time. However, it's still not the sort of thing that can be done all at once. Don't put it off! Starting early will give you time to ask any questions you have and to do your best work. It doesn't hurt to finish your project early, so try to finish as early as possible.

Note: if you use pencil on exams, it can come in very light when a proctor scans your test paper. Be aware, and try not to write too lightly, as the scanning will make it even lighter.

Outside resources

In general, for Advanced Topics in Computer Science: Computer Systems, the course materials (e.g., class slides, the textbook) are sufficient for understanding the concepts and studying for exams. Sometimes, explanations of concepts can be found from outside sources, like YouTube. However, there are fewer available outside sources for OCS35 than there are for earlier CS courses. For the most part, the class materials should be sufficient.

Other tips for success

• Pay attention in class as much as possible, and always ask questions in class when you have them. Everything builds on previous topics, so if you don’t ask questions and get a full understanding of the material as you go along, you will struggle more and more throughout the year. Deeply understanding the core concepts of OCS35 is very important.

• Never be afraid to reach out for help—teachers and peer tutors need not be scary; they want to help and support you.

• Start the homework (or at least look over it) early, before the corresponding class(es) if possible. You will likely have a question about it, whether that question is a conceptual one or just clearing up some wording.

• Even if you decide not to read the textbook before each class, or feel like it isn’t helpful to you, try to do the practice problems from the textbook. This is especially helpful when preparing for exams but is also helpful when doing assignments to help you understand the concepts better.

• The difficulty of exams may surprise you. The exams in OCS35 have historically been very challenging, especially the fall final. Study as much as you have time to, and see “Exams, exam preparation, and projects” above for more study tips. If you don’t do great on a test, this is common, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you will get a poor grade in the course as a whole.

Note: the first couple of homework assignments at the beginning of fall semester may not appear directly related to what you’re learning right then. Don’t be concerned—this won’t continue. It’s just the first couple of assignments.

Overall, OCS35 is a course where it is relatively easy to do well if you pay attention in class, ask questions when you have them, plan ahead, do homework and practice problems, and study for the exams. The difficulty of the exams may surprise you, but it is still entirely possible to do well in the course. And if you ever have questions or need help, there are many people who want to support you.