Dear students, 

I'm looking forward to our first meeting in a couple weeks! To prepare for class, please review the syllabus/calendar/etc I've posted at http://bc-cisc3130-f17.github.io/.

In particular, please take note of a few specific things:

1. I'll be teaching the class using "Team-Based Learning." Several of you have had this experience with me before; others have been in other classes organized this way. If you're new to Team-Based Learning, please read the main page of the site carefully (and if you've been in my courses before, you might want to read to see a few small changes I've made).

2. Please check the calendar (http://bc-cisc3130-f17.github.io/calendar) for the reading I expect you to have done before you come to the first day of class (posted under "Class 1"). The books for class are all open-source; they are available in electronic format for no cost, and in some cases you can get printed copies for a minimal price. (This calendar will be updated frequently with additional links and changes. I will email you to let you know of major changes, but you should check every couple days.)

3. Also, please fill out the short survey you'll find linked in the calendar under "Class 1." This mostly is about making sure we can communicate during the semester.

4. Finally, we'll be using the GNU C Compiler collection (including GNU make) to build our programs. You'll need version 4.8 or later. If you have access to a Linux system, that should be sufficient; you can also install GCC fairly easily on a Windows or Mac machine; see https://gcc.gnu.org/install/binaries.html. If you have a laptop you can bring to class, please plan on doing so--our classroom is not a computer lab, so we'll be relying on laptops to do in-class exercises.

Until we meet,
Scott Dexter