FAQ

For Current Students

Quiz

Q: Is the quiz open-book or closed book?

A: It’s open-book. Though you might have a hard time answering them if you don’t know and understand the content.

Q: Will the correct answers of quizzes and explanations be provided? Should I ask on Piazza if I have any doubts about the quiz?

A: You’ll get to see answers to the quiz post the deadline. If you have any questions feel free to ask them afterwards.

Project

Q: How can we access the sample solutions? I don’t think my code is the best and want to look into some references.

A: You’ll need to come to OH to discuss that.

AIV

Q: Can we use some portion of the official docs for the library?

A: All official docs are fair game to students, and we expect you to use them as you work on the assignments. Please, however, add any references to the docs if they include more than 2-3 lines of sample code that you are pulling from. It helps us attribute your code to the right location.

Q: Can we use such and such Medium articles?

A: It depends. You should ask us on Piazza if you have any questions. In general, the rule of thumb is that, if the page contains more than 2-3 lines of real code, I’d avoid it. The official docs, coupled with the primers, should be enough for most assignments.

Note: You should always write your code from scratch in this course, copying as little code as possible. If you have general concept questions, say “why is this particular thing the way it is”, these are wonderful Piazza questions! Please ask them, as we love to answer those questions!

Q: I’m stuck on some error message. Can I cite the resource that helped me out of it?

A: Yes. You’re allowed to search error messages and use their results to help you out. You will need to cite any and all such resources of that type. We understand that using such resources is recommended for this approach, but we also would like to remind you to make it clear wherever you are taking this code from and to take the time to understand why it works, as that can be very important for future solutions. The projects on this course build on one another conceptually–not understanding some tool will come back to haunt you later on.

Q: What is checked for an AIV?

A: All submissions are checked, not just the last submission.

Q: Some algorithms usually have a single type of implementation. If the majority have implemented it similarly, will it be an AIV?

A: In our experience, this is not the case. Given that we ask for variations on these algorithms, students tend to implement these variations rather differently. While the high-level idea might be the same, the exact lines of code you’ll put in to solve that problem will be different enough for AIV purposes.

Q: ​​If I looked up the official document of Pandas to find the right function to use, for instance, the conversion of timestamp, we shall include the document in the reference if we take more than 2-3 lines from the documentation. But I basically just looked at the examples of functions and learned about their use. Do I need to include the official doc in my reference in this case?

A: Usually, unless you actually use more than 2-3 lines of the code from examples or illustrations of official documents, you do not need to cite them in references as you are expected to look up the definitions of APIs and functions using the official docs.

Q: ​​Will using only one line of code from an online resource cause an AIV?

A: If you put it in references and cite it accordingly you should be fine.

Q: If I looked up some functions in the Numpy documentation to know how to use the function, I don’t need to add it to the reference, right?

A: You don’t need to.

Q: I submitted the project but forgot to add the source of a Medium article I referred to. My code is quite similar to the one in that article despite some subtle differences. Should I re-submit the project with the reference file?

A: Yes, please.

Grade

Q: Will a grade scale be officially released for the course (the numeric cutoffs for each letter grade)?

A: We don’t release one, namely as it depends on the distribution of grades in a single semester.

Q: I saw the requirements to get a pass grade in this course:

For all students, to be considered a passing grade in the course, these two conditions must be met: - All projects must be attempted, and at least some grades before the deadline must be non-zero. - Each of project 2 (Problem Representation), project 6 (Model Deployment and Comparison) and project 7 (Evaluation Optimization) must achieve at least 80%.

Does that mean that none of the quiz scores count for the grade? Also, are the scores for other projects beside project 2, 6 and 7 count for the grade?

A: To clarify:

1. These are requirements in addition to getting a passing grade in the class. Thus, you’ll need to get at least the grade that your program specifies as a pass to pass the course (usually close to a C-, but check with your program for specifics).

2. Quiz scores count for your grade, so they’ll be important to passing due to the above grade requirement.

3. As stated in the snipped you have posted, you need to get a non-zero grade on each project to pass, beyond the grade requirement.

OPE

Q: What is an OPE?

A: Online Programming Exercise

Q: In this week’s OPE, in our group, not everyone gets to play a different role. Is this to be expected?

A: Yes. It’s meant to simulate a realistic environment, where everyone does not always have a role.

Q: Do we have access to past OPE questions after our session and time in the future?

A: You can always download the OPE questions if you submitted them on Sail(), but otherwise no.

Q: ​​I missed the OPE. Could the questions which were asked during the OPE be shared after the deadlines so that I can practice on my own?

A: The goal of OPE is to test your collaborative skills, so it doesn’t make sense for you to do it alone. I don’t think you should worry about practicing questions because each OPE is on different topics and the Primers provide enough practice.

TA/RA Opportunities

Q: I am interested in becoming a TA for the next semester. When will the opportunity become available and what do I do to prepare myself to be considered?

A: An announcement for TA positions will be posted on Piazza during the last few weeks of the course. We are looking for students who are both exceptional academically and enthusiastic to help other students succeed. To be a potential candidate, you should excel in the course and be an active member on Piazza answering public questions and/or offering complementary. These are two important factors to be considered for the TA position.

Q: I am interested in becoming a RA for the next semester. When will the opportunity become available and what do I do to prepare myself to be considered?

A: An RA’s duty is to assist with course development and other course-related research activities. RA positions are not available every semester, but keep an eye out for future opportunities should one arise.

For Incoming or Prospective Students

Q: Where do I find information about the course content?

A: To find information about the course content including learning objectives, project descriptions, and conceptual topics, please see the Syllabus.

Q: I’m not sure if I have met the prerequisites of the course. Where do I find the course prerequisites and how do I prepare for them?

A: Please find the prerequisites under Syllabus/Overview. Also, feel free to check out the recommended preparatory courses to better prepare yourself for 11-637 under Related Courses/Preparatory courses for FCDS

Q: How do I register for the course?

A: For current and incoming CMU students, please register using the Student Information Online (SIO) system. For non-CMU students, please Contact Us.

Q: I am on the waiting list. What should I do?

A: We periodically admit students from the waiting list to the course roster if space allows. If you have a special or urgent request, please Contact Us.