The Computer Science Experience¶
COSC 10001 · Fall 2026 · Wednesdays 9:00–9:50 AM · RJH 333 Instructor: Bingyang Wei · First class: Wed, Aug 26, 2026
If you read one thing, read this¶
This is a 1-credit seminar about what computer science actually is: the whole map of it, not just one corner. Over fifteen Wednesdays you'll meet artificial intelligence, security, systems, networks, data, open source, and the people who work in each. Then you'll pick a direction on purpose instead of by accident.
About half of this class has never written a line of code. That is expected, it is planned for, and it is not a disadvantage. Nothing here assumes you arrived knowing anything.
You are also in Intro to Programming
That course teaches you Java from the bottom up: variables, types, loops. This course works from the top down: what an algorithm is, how to break a problem apart, and how to use the tools professionals actually use. The two fit together on purpose. This course does not teach Java.
Do these five things in your first week¶
Start now, not the night before. One of them takes days to be approved.
- Create a GitHub account with a username you'd put on a résumé
- Add and verify your
@tcu.eduemail on that account - Apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack ← takes several days; everything else waits on it
- Watch your email for the class Slack invite
- Complete the Day 1 survey ← scan the code below
Full walkthrough: Accounts & Tools.
Where everything is¶
| Page | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Schedule | Every week, what to do before each class, and every deadline. Start here on a normal week |
| Syllabus | Grading, policies, what's expected. Read it once, early |
| AI Policy | How to use AI here, and how to say that you did |
| What to Read | Where to spend ten curious minutes a day on computing |
| Opportunities | Hackathons, research, internships, clubs, and when you have to act |
| Ship-It Project | The thing you build. 20% of your grade |
| Accounts & Tools | Every account and install, in order |
Three things this course is trying to do¶
Show you the whole map. The middle of the semester goes to a different corner of the field each week, several of them with a guest who works in it. You cannot choose a direction you've never heard of.
Build a cohort. You'll be in a pod with a peer mentor, a student who was sitting where you are now. Attendance and participation are 20% of your grade because the room only works if you're in it.
Teach you to work with AI, early and honestly. You'll be directing a coding agent on your own code within the first month, for real work. The one rule is that you say what you used and what it got wrong. See the AI Policy.
Everything required in this course is free
Every tool is free for students, usually through the GitHub Student Developer Pack. No assignment will ever require a paid subscription. If cost is ever a barrier, email me. There is a loaner laptop path too.
The last day¶
Wed, Dec 9 is Demo Day. You'll stand next to something you built and explain it to your classmates. Everyone ships something. That's the whole point.
Found a typo? You can fix it yourself: click the ✏️ icon at the top of any page and propose the change. Fixes are welcome any week, from anyone, and yes, yours goes live on this site.