Welcome to Grade 12 University Computer Science.
We are going to be programming in C# using Microsoft Visual Studio Community Edition. You can download the latest version it here for free. Make sure to choose the Community Edition:
https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/
Make sure that you select the option to install Unity as well if you want to use it for your final project.
Install Git.
Make a GitHub account. Use a personal email address so you don't lose access after you are done school.
https://github.com/
Add the GitHub extension for Visual Studio:
We will be using Visual Studio 2022 to write console and Monogame applications.
We will also use Git version control. Please create an account at GitHub.
At the end of the course, there is a substantial programming project that you will need to complete.
Learning to program isn't easy. It takes effort and concentration. Try to do the following things while working through the course material.
1 - Listen
Pay attention to demos, explanations etc. when I am talking to the class.
Even if I am talking about something that you have already completed, hearing/seeing it again can further reinforce and clarify things and give you a better understanding.
2 - Read EVERYTHING
I wouldn't go through the effort of typing something into a tutorial/document if I didn't think it was important.
3 - Experiment
Try changing example code and predict what will happen.
If you have an idea of something you would like to do or try that is different than what I have put in my tutorials....try it out.
4 - Practice
There are programming tasks in various topics that I am not collecting/marking but have provided a link to solutions instead. Attempt to program these on your own, and compare your solutions to mine.
There are many ways to achieve the same result while programming. Seeing how different people think is important.
Ask for help when you are stuck.
5 - Go Beyond
I often have additional challenges added to assignments. Try some of them. Come up with your own. It will help you learn better and I will take additional features into account when I'm marking. It may even be fun.
Take pride in your work, and make the effort to make things look complete and professional. Examples:
Spelling, grammar, capitalization etc...
Make clear prompts, instructions and descriptions of results in your programs so the user knows exactly what to do, and what results they are getting.
If programming a GUI, pay attention to symmetry, layout, color and ease of use are all things that can really take a program to the next level.