Practice makes perfect, yes I can prove it

CS 473: Head-banging


Each student must register for one of five head-banging ("discussion") sessions, held every Tuesday 4:00-4:50, Tuesday 5:00-5:50, Wednesday 2:00-2:50, Wednesday 3:00-3:50, and Wednesday 6:00-6:50, all in 1214 Siebel Center. Attendance is strongly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Head-banging sessions are opportunities for you to develop your problem-solving and presentation skills. After an initial presentation by one of the course staff, you will work in small groups (no more than 5-6 students each) to solve problems we suggest, with feedback and suggestions from the course staff and each other. If necessary, we may also briefly review material from the lectures, but we will not present any new course material.

We will post each week's head-banging problems on Thursday, after everyone has had a chance to work on them from scratch. We will not provide solutions to the head-banging problems, either in person or on the course web pages. We are happy to provide feedback on your attempted solutions, not only during the actual head-banging sessions, but also in office hours and on Piazza. We also strongly encourage you to continue working on head-banging problems on your own and with your study partners. But the solutions aren't the point; the goal of the head-banging sessions is to practice.

Please attend only the head-banging session for which you are officially registered. Unfortunately, because of this semester's record enrollment, you may only change sections is by swapping with another student. Students who would like to swap should contact one of the TAs.


 

When you are solving a problem, don't worry.
Now, after you have solved the problem, then that's the time to worry.
— Richard Feynman (reportedly written on his blackboard at the time of his death in 1988)
Student: Whenever there is any question, one's mind is confused. What is the matter?
Master: Kill, kill!
— 曹山本寂 / Ts‘ao-shan Pen-Chi / Sozan Honjaku (c. 900)