This meta-document is intended to help you focus your efforts and navigate all the reading material that is thrown at you in the first week of class. In what follows, you will find links to all important resources, with the most important ones listed at the top.
The contents of the notes above are the most important things for you to take away from class. If you learn literally nothing else, you’ll still be able to succeed on exams, and you will be prepared for what’s ahead in your CS education.
These are almost essential. You could learn programming without actually compiling anything, but it’s highly unlikely (and it wouldn’t be much fun!). The reality is that you will need tons and tons of practice. The links above cover helpful tools for practicing programming. Also note that these are meant to be hands-on: each one asks you to try things out on your computer as you go. Don’t just read the tutorials, but perform them.
These are important tools that we will make use of, but it isn’t essential that you master them right now. Consult these references as needed.