Every student must register for one of the four head-banging sessions, which are held every week Tuesday 5-6, Tuesday 6-7, Wednesday 2-3, and Wednesday 3-4, in 1111 Siebel Center.Head-banging sessions are opportunities for you to practice your problem-solving and presentation skills. You will work in small groups (no more than 5-6 students each) to solve problems that we suggest, with feedback and suggestions from the TAs. The TAs will also review any material that a significant fraction of the students appear to be struggling with.
We are happy to provide feedback on your attempted solutions—that's precisely what the head-banging sessions are for. However, we do not plan to provide official solutions to the head-banging problems, either during the sessions, on the course web site, or during office hours. We strongly encourage you to present your own solutions to your section. Presenting your solutions will help you master the course material (so you'll do better on later homeworks and exams) and develop your presentation skills (for later oral homeworks). Students will receive a modicum of extra credit for presenting a solution in section, even if the solution is incorrect.
We strongly encourage you to ask questions about head-banging problems in office hours and on the course newsgroup, and to continue working on them on your own and with your study partners.
At least one problem on each midterm, and at least two problems on the final exam, will be taken directly from problems in the head-banging sessions.
Please contact [one of the TAs, to be determined] if you wish to attend a different head-banging session than the one you are registered for. Currently there is plenty of room in the 6:00 Tuesday and 3:00 Wednesday sessions, but the other two are nearly full.