Overall a decent subject and not difficult, especially if you're interested in Python. It does start off quite slow and easy but rapidly progresses into more intermediate Python. There's also weekly Grok worksheets which were very engaging and great practice for writing code so it's crucial to keep up to date. The projects involved problem solving and were easiest to score high marks on (since Grok automatically checks code). The final exam went much better than anticipated for me, and wasn't too daunting since the exact structure and question types for each section were clearly outlined in revision lectures.

As someone who has never done any kind of coding/computing before I found this subject very interesting but challenging. It required a lot of time each week to keep up with the work and the projects took a lot of time as well. The content was super interesting though, and all the tutors/lecturers were super helpful, having heaps of time we could go see them (online) to get help with the worksheets. They were all very supportive. I'd definitely recommend if you have a strong interest in computing but be aware it takes up a lot of time.

Grade: H1 (90) Workload: Let me just preface by saying this subject is NOT a WAM booster if you are new to programming like me. The Grok worksheets require weekly commitment, but they are a fun and engaging way to learn python. While I didn’t really watch the lectures, there are some examinable concepts on the lectures that are not covered in the weekly grok worksheets. So I ended up having to binge a couple of those lectures in Swot vac, but it wasn’t too bad and I reckon you can get away with not watching lectures if you are a good self learner. While the first project isn’t too bad and possible to complete in a few days of intense work or a week of more relaxed work, the second project is a different story. The second project requires at least two weeks of work to get a high mark (I’d say a couple hours everyday, but this is variable depending on how difficult you find the questions), especially since the project’s instructions can be quite confusing at times by design. This means you need to be organized and give yourself enough time to ask the faculty or other students for help and clarifications for the project. The MST for us was held a week after the mid semester break. It was definitely a step above in difficulty compared to the practice materials, and I ended up not doing the best on it (60%). Luckily it was not counted towards our final marks because of technical difficulties during it, but I highly recommend doing some past exam questions that are part of the four question types on the MST, because the practice materials they give you for it may be too easy and not representative. The final exam for us was open book and had no theory questions. This meant that most of the swotvac workload was based on just grinding out practice exams in preparation, similar to a math subject. The final exam was hard in that it was difficult to score full marks (last question still be giving me nightmares), but it is not impossible to get a pass if you work hard and do as much practice exams as you can. I’d say about 70% of the marks are achievable by everyone as long as you use good exam technique. Overall though, unless you are a god programmer and/or high iq genius, DO NOT think this subject is one that you can put on the back burner. Administration: Despite a couple of technical hiccups with the MST, I’d say the teaching staff is great and really helpful. They really care about teaching us and Tim and the tutors are always on the subject forum answering people’s questions in detail. From the few lectures I watched, the lectures seem generally well made and structured. While I found Tim a bit hard to understand and retain information from on 2x speed, Nic was a really clear and understandable teacher even on such high playback speeds. In terms of marking, I think it is a tad variable in how you are marked for the projects. I got lucky in that whoever marked my projects seemed a little lenient, but some tutors can be a little tougher in how they mark things like the approach of the code or the clarity of code comments. Enjoyment: I’d say this subject was pretty enjoyable. While it did become more difficult towards the second half of the semester, I never felt like I was totally out of my depth. The feeling of getting your code to work perfectly is unparalleled in the satisfaction you get. I will put a disclaimer though, which is that this subject really isn’t for everyone. If you are a mathsy type of person though, you will definitely like this subject. I reckon the best way to find if you are compatible for this subject is simply just to have a shot and pick it, especially if you are a first year or this is a breadth subject. If you don’t like it, just withdraw before your census date. A couple of my friends did this and there’s nothing wrong with quitting a subject that doesn’t mesh well with you. If this subject does mesh with you, you are in for a good time and you will develop some great and relevant skills.

One of the best subjects I've taken at university. Incredibly well-run, catered to students who might only have a casual interest in programming. Very fun, very enjoyable, and very well-taught. Not at all hard to do well in. Highly, highly recommend.

Highly enjoyable subject. Gets you properly familiar with Python and covers basic programming principles well, although algorithms are not touched at all. A great introduction to programming nonetheless.

Chris is fantastic

You'll probably hear this from everyone, but honestly its so true - this subject is perfect. Tim is so engaging and fun so the lectures feel real breezy. You'll have a good ol' time on Grok and before you know it you'll be able to write Python like it's your native language. Highly recommend!

Very fun subject. I found it very easy though that was because I had programming knowledge before taking it. Chris and Nic were very good lecturers, I really enjoyed their lectures including all the guest lectures, which featured people from different industries like cryptography and robotics. From memory the assignments can get a bit tricky though they are specific, small problems so if you try a bunch of different ways to solve the problem eventually you'll get the right one. Overall this subject was fun, and Grok is an intuitive way to start learning to code.

Challenging subject for sure but extremely interesting and helpful !

A challenging subject for me as I couldn't think in the more logical & scientific way that Python wants you to work in. Very interesting though, and a great subject to get basic coding skills that will really help you in whatever degree you're doing (I did this as a breadth). The lecturer was really engaging and is clearly very passionate about the subject, as are all the tutors. As long as you keep up to date with all the Grok worksheets and actually take the time to work on the projects and not leave them until the last minute, you will be able to be successful in this subject!