I.
Hate.
This.
Class.
Honestly, at this rate this class can DIAF. I’ve learned NOTHING aside from total unpurified hatred for how idiotic people can be in this class, specifically those who are [supposedly, though I've seen no proof of this] teaching the class.
The class is CS2261 - Media Device Architecture. It’s supposed to be about making GameBoy Advance games via a program called Visual HAM. The first day of class, I was informed that Macs cannot run this program, nor are there any equivalents of Visual HAM for the Mac atmosphere. The TA’s (Teaching assistants) flat out told me to pirate Windows for use in Bootcamp or Parallels. That should’ve been the first red flag.
But I kept on. I soon discovered that not only were the TA’s inattentive in lecture (if they showed up at all), but they were incapable of teaching or even basic communication with the class. Labs (which is claimed to be mandatory but the syllabus has no allocation for it to be incorporated to our grade) were and still are a joke, where nothing is taught, the class is too busy (and too loud) trying to teach themselves, and the TA’s have both an inability to convey information (try projecting your voice past a sensual whisper to your laptop, Peter - for that matter, learn the C language at all, really) and no reign of control over the class. Lectures were comprised of two professors - Bill Leahy and Aaron Bobick (I assume that’s his name, but he came to class and taught maybe a total of 3 times this semester - must be nice not having a care in the world about the class you’re co-”teaching”). Bill does a good job teaching, but without communicating with the TA’s, the class is essentially divided. Aaron wastes his time trying to be hip and funny, failing miserable and placing emphasis on “fitting in” with us rather than teaching us.
Not to mention that coding for the GameBoy in C is so proprietary it’s ridiculous. There’s no relaible resources, TONC sucks, but best of all was the “mandatory” C book we HAD to purchase which I haven’t found a use for at all - as it truly is useless. $45 right down the toilet, essentially.
Ah, and the grading scheme. 75% projects, 25% tests. That’s ALL we were told. Final project? Does it have a different weight? No clue! Does attendance in lab (despite claims) count at all? Who knows! As of Drop Day, we had about 6 grades turned in - maybe half were graded for the progress report. It’s now 2 weeks until finals and nothing in the past 6 weeks has been graded. I have no idea what my grades are. GO DO YOUR JOB AND GET OFF FACEBOOK, TAs. CHRIST, YOU’RE BEING PAID FOR THIS SHIT. IF YOU CAN’T COMMIT TO IT, DON’T SIGN UP FOR IT.
Which brings me to the point of the Final Project - make a game. Last semester got 5 weeks and 4 milestones to prepare the final copy. We get 2 milestones and 8 DAYS. 4 for a beta, and now we were JUST told it’s due Thursday. THURSDAY. FUCK YOU. LEARN TO MANAGE TIME. GRADE MY OTHER SHIT FIRST, ASSHOLES.
I would be writing all of this on a class evaluation form, but it looks likely that we won’t even get one of those.
Fuck this class. This is for you:
“Hi CS2261, I’m a Gigantic Idiot.” - Peter Watanabe [Never has a truer statement been made.]