▼Fundamentals I
•Course Policies and FAQ
On this page:
Regrading
Lab quiz makeups
FAQ
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Course Policies and FAQ

Got a question about the course? Try looking through this page to find the answer before posting on Piazza. For the lateness policy please see the general information page. For style policies please see the style guide.

Regrading

Sometimes mistakes can happen so if you are confused or concerned about your feedback, please don’t be afraid to reach out to a grader for further explanation. You must submit any requests for regrading at most 7 days after the homework feedback was released. The hope is that this policy will encourage you to look at your feedback earlier rather than later, and that it will save the course staff from having to regrade homework 3 during finals week.

Lab quiz makeups

If you cannot make it to lab for some reason outside of your control (e.g. you are sick, you have to go to a funeral, etc) please email your TAs before lab and we will find a time for you to make up the quiz. If you email us during or after your lab section we will not be able to give you a makeup quiz.

FAQ

I got a zero on the automated style grader. What should I do?

Please take a look at the feedback from the style grader. To do this, click the "Grader Output" text next to the style score on the submission page. Fix the errors that you see on that page and then resubmit. You can submit as many times as you like before the deadline. Please remember to submit early and often so you have time to fix any errors.

I submitted the wrong file to the handin server. What should I do?

If it is before the deadline please go into the handin server and re-submit. You can submit as many times as you like and only the most recent submission will be graded.

If it is after the deadline please email Rebecca MacKenzie with the following information:

  • Your name and your partner’s name if applicable.

  • A link to the submission on the handin server.

  • A concise explanation of the mistake and how it happened.

  • A concise explanation of why you did not notice the mistake before the deadline.

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to change your submission but this is the best way to check.

I submitted 0.000001 seconds after the deadline. Can you remove the late penalty?

The late penalty is an automatic process that is handled by the handin server. If you submit even just the tiniest bit after the deadline we can no longer consider your submission on time. We have to make a cutoff somewhere. If you also submitted before the deadline and would like us to consider that previous submission for grading instead, please email Rebecca MacKenzie with the following information:

  • Your name and your partner’s name if applicable.

  • A link to the submission on the handin server that you would like to be graded.

I am sick/injured/unavailable. Can I have an extension?

If it is before the deadline, please email Rebecca MacKenzie with the following information:

  • Your name and your partner’s name if applicable.

  • A concise explanation of why you require an extension.

You must CC your homework partner on this email since the response will also affect them. We cannot guarantee you an extension but we try to be accomodating when circumstances are beyond your control.

If it is after the deadline we can no longer grant you an extension.

How do I check my grades for the course?

There is an estimated grade available for you at all times on the handin server. For detailed instructions on how to check that please see the handin server guide here. However, this grade is only an estimate and should not be used as an absolute determination of your grade.

Will the grades in this course be curved? What are the grade cutoffs? Do you round up?

The grade cutoffs will be determined by the instructors at the end of the semester. Until then we cannot say for certain what your grade will be. However, the cutoffs tend to be similar to the standard. In addition you should have a good sense of how you are doing in the course overall based on your estimated grade on the handin server as well as your own experience of the course. Grades for this course (and your other spring 2019 courses) will be posted on myNEU on April 30th. Until then we cannot tell you what your letter grade will be.

When will X be graded?

The course staff work as fast as we can to get you your feedback. You should receive feedback on your assignments within a week of submitting them. However, asking us when they will be done does not speed up the process and is, in general, a show of disrespect since it indicates that you don’t believe we are working on gettting them back to you.

I’m having trouble with my partner. What should I do?

Working with another person isn’t always easy. It can be frustrating to try to explain your ideas to someone else and it can feel sometimes like they are slowing you down. However, pair programming is an important life skill that will be useful to you during your time at Northeastern as well as while working in industry.

Here are some common problems that partners face:

  • Your partner is not doing their part of the work.

  • Your partner is doing too much of the work and is not letting you contribute.

  • Your partner is not showing up to agreed upon meeting times.

If you are facing any of these problems please try to work them out with your partner first but if your partner is unresponsive or does not change their behavior please contact one of your lab TAs as soon as possible so we can get you a new partner.

That said, there are some more serious problems. If you feel that your partner is harassing you in any way, or is creating a toxic environment when you are together, please contact Rebecca MacKenzie, your professor, and/or Ben Hescott. We hope this does not happen to you but if it does we hope you will talk to us about the problem so that we can find a solution as soon as possible. We will respect your privacy if you come forward with such an issue and we will not ask you to disclose anything that you are uncomfortable sharing.

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