CSE 29: Introduction to Computer Systems and Software Tools
Welcome to the first ever offering of CSE 29!
Table of contents
(Source: xkcd 138)
Schedule Overview
Please refer to the syllabus page for the most up-to-date information.
Lectures:
| Lecture | When? | Where? |
|---|---|---|
| C00 | Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 11am - 12:20pm | Center Hall 101 |
| D00 | Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays @ 11am - 11:50am | Center Hall 119 |
Discussions:
| Discussion | When? | Where? | TA Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| C01 | Fridays @ 4pm - 4:50pm | MOS 113 | Jerry Yu |
| C02 | Fridays @ 2pm - 2:50pm | MOS 114 | Jerry Yu |
| D01 | Fridays @ 3pm - 3:50pm | PCYNH 109 | Eric Xiao |
Labs:
(Lab schedules are subject to change.)
| Lab | When? | Where? | TA Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| C50 | Wednesdays @ 10 - 11:50am | CSE Lab B260 | Jiajun |
| C51 | Wednesdays @ 2 - 3:50pm | CSE Lab B260 | Fucheng |
| C52 | Wednesdays @ 4 - 5:50pm | CSE Lab B260 | Fucheng |
| C53 | Wednesdays @ 10 - 11:50am | CSE Lab B270 | Eric |
| C54 | Wednesdays @ 2 - 3:50pm | CSE Lab B270 | Eric |
| C55 | Wednesdays @ 4 - 5:50pm | CSE Lab B270 | Ananay |
| C56 | Thursdays @ 2 - 3:50pm | CSE Lab B260 | Jiajun |
| C57 | Thursdays @ 4 - 5:50pm | CSE Lab B260 | Fucheng |
| C58 | Thursdays @ 4 - 5:50pm | CSE Lab B270 | Jiajun |
| D50 | Thursdays @ 10 - 11:50am | CSE Lab B230 | Jerry |
| D51 | Thursdays @ 12 - 1:50pm | CSE Lab B230 | Ananay |
| D52 | Thursdays @ 2 - 3:50pm | CSE Lab B230 | Ananay |
CSE 29 vs. CSE 30
See also: From the CSE department
Some students have been understandably confused about the differences between CSE 29 and CSE 30 this quarter. The CSE department is currently revising its undergraduate lower-division curriculum. The old curriculum consisted of CSE 12, CSE 15L, and CSE 30. The new curriculum (of which you are now a part) consists of CSE 12, CSE 29, and CSE 30 (new):
| Old curriculum | New curriculum |
|---|---|
| CSE 12 + CSE 15L | CSE 12 + CSE 29 |
| CSE 30 (old) | CSE 30 (new, coming Fall 2024) |
CSE 30 (old) used to be the intro computer systems course that tought both C programming and assembly programming. Being highly dense in material, it was often considered too difficult and did not adequately prepare students for upper-division courses such as CSE 120 and CSE 123.
In the new curriculum, CSE 29 teaches the concepts from the first half of CSE 30 (old), and expand on the C-related material to fully prepare students for more advanced computer systems courses. It also incorporates content from CSE 15L, which is why the title of the courss contains “software tools”.
Starting Fall 2024, CSE 30 will also undergo changes to conform to the new curriculum. The new CSE 30 will exclusively teach assembly, and also introduce some topics from advanced architecture courses.
How should I choose in Spring 2024?
In this quarter, both CSE 29 of the new curriculum and CSE 30 of the old curriculum are being taught. If you have taken CSE 15L, you would be eligible to take the last offering of the old CSE 30 if you so choose. However, we believe the new curriculum will better prepare you for advanced computer science topics, as well as being more reasonably paced. We also have a much lower student-staff ratio, so you will be able to get much more help throughout the quarter.
If you are still unsure, please come speak to us and/or your academic advisors.