Welcome to the frequently asked questions section. Here you will find asnwers to commonly asked questions. You are expected to read this section before emailing any questions to the instructors.
Q1: Why do we have to write so much in this course? We are CS students! Can't we just program?
A1: While you do not need any particular writing skills to be a good programmer, you will need a wide range of communication skills (written and verbal) to be a good computer scientist. These include (amongst others):
Q2: So what does a writing TA do anyway?
A2: As your writing TA you can expect the following of me:
As your writing TA you should not expect the following of me:
Q3: I've never taken a scientific-writing intensive course, and I am a little worried.
A3: We will do our best to help you learn useful technical writing skills. We feel that all students are capable of
learning such skills given two conditions: (1) They can write English at the standard academic level; and (2) They try hard to learn by applying
oneself during the various writing assignments.
Q4: I am not a native English speaker and I have never taken a writing class before. What should I do?
A4: Unfortunately, this course does not teach you how to write in the English language, per se. We are assuming you have taken a class such as freshmen composition, which exposed you to basic English writing techniques. If you are in such a situation, you should see James ASAP. Furthermore, you should also take advantage of the resources available at the University Writing Center which offer numerous services such as one-on-one tutoring.
Q5: I am worried that we don't get enough writing instructions in class. What if I don't do well in one of my writing assignments?
A5: Unfortunately, due to curriculum requirements we cannot spend much of the lecture time covering writing techniques. Under such circumstances, the best way to learn is to apply yourself during each writing assignment. You should not worry about your grades. You will get a chance to re-write your papers using our feedback to improve your grade (except for the final draft of your term paper.) Please note that all re-writes must be submitted no later than one week after we first return your papers.
Q6: What should I do to get an 'A' in the writing component of the class?
A6: Here are a few guidelines on how to do well in the writing portion of the class:
Q7: What should I do if I have a writing-related question?
A7: Since we will spend very little time talking about writing in class, the best way to have your question
answered is to post it on the class forum under the appropriate writing section. The main reason why we prefer to use the forum is that many
students may have the same question, therefore it saves time to have the question and answer posted online.
Q8: Should I email you if I have a writing-related question?
A8: No. You should post your question on the forum instead where it will get a timely response. If you do email me a writing-related question you will get an automatically generated response asking you to post the question on the forum.
Q9: What if I post a question on the forum and I don't get a response?
A9: I usually check the forum 2-3 times a day, especially as due dates approach. However, if after 12hrs I have not responded to your post, please send me an email requesting that I answer your question on the forum.
Q10: Should I email the other TAs with writing related questions?
A10: No. under no circumstance should you email the other TAs with writing-related questions.