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Assignments
The course will have five assignments. Assignments are to be completed individually [no collaboration allowed!]. Consult each HW's description for expectations regarding submissions - format, content, style, READMEs etc.
Late submissions policy: 10% penalty per day after the deadline. Please plan your use of time wisely, don't ask for extensions because you have another project deadline, upcoming interviews, needing to travel, etc. [giving you an extension would be unfair to others who might have had similar time pressures, but did manage to get everything done].
Regrading policy: if you think that your work deserves a re-grading, please talk to your grader - if the grader resolves the issue (by pointing out what you did wrong/missed.. and therefore not giving you more points, or, giving you points), you're done; if the grader is unable to resolve the dispute, you need to see a TA about it; if the TA is also unable to settle the matter, then (and only then) should you contact the professor (me!) (who has the final say). You MUST bring up issues within 7 days of getting your HW score - late requests WILL NOT be considered!
Homework links will get published below, ongoing, when it's time for each [until then the links are 'broken'].
HW1 - published 5/25, due 6/2 by 11:59PM
HW2 - assigned 6/4, due 6/12 by 11:59PM
HW3 - assigned 6/17, due 6/23 by 11:59PM
HW4 - assigned 6/23, due 6/29 by 11:59PM
HW5: pick one: ML, NoSQL - assigned 6/27, due 7/2 by 11:59PM
Exams
There will be TWO exams: a midterm exam and a final [see the schedule for dates+times]. Please plan accordingly - these dates are NOT negotiable!. I cannot accommodate requests for 'alternative' arrangements, sorry.
Here is a 'sample' midterm exam - the actual one from a year back. And here is a sample final.
If you get a low score in an exam, please do not ask for 'extra assignments' to 'make up'! Giving (just) you a chance to raise your score would be unfair to others who also deserve similar consideration.
Please talk to a TA/grader if you have questions related to the above, or contact me.
Letter grade
The following weightage scheme will be used in determining letter grades for the course at the end of the term:
• assignments: 30% (5*6%)
• exams: midterm: 35%, final: 35%
Your final letter grade will be based upon your total % score according to the scheme shown above, the highest total in the class, and the mean score for the class - in other words, relatively, based on a score distribution 'curve' [note - curving does not mean that scores will be increased by adding or multiplying some 'curving factor']; <50% will fetch you an 'F', though [regardless of the grading curve].
Your final weighted score will NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE ROUNDED UP; IT *COULD* BE, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PROFESSOR (ME!). In other words: if you get an 86.2 or 86.6 (as an example), you can't EXPECT it to get turned into 87 - I might turn 86.6 into 87, or even turn 86.2 to an 87, but you cannot expect/assume/demand that the rounding up take place.
Cheating (DON'T DO IT!!)
If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating in other ways, your grade will suffer FOR SURE - you have been WARNED. There cannot be any leniency, second chances, forgiveness, none at all. This is SERIOUS matter that you need to take seriously, ie. be sure that ALL your work (hw projects, exam answers) are 100% your own.
As mentioned earlier, USC takes such violations seriously... Again, there is too much at stake - JUST DON'T DO IT.