With over five years of teaching experience at Universitas Global Jakarta, I have gained valuable insights on how to truly succeed in TIT20303J. My assessment criteria evaluate not only students’ grades but also how they engage with and approach the course material. TIT20303J is a challenging course, but it can be very rewarding if approached with the right mindset. Below is important advice that you should carefully follow. It is quite detailed because I continuously add tips based on common mistakes students make. I strongly recommend reading it in full to avoid those errors. Further down, you will find sections covering:
Many students are very smart and may have easily succeeded in high school without much effort, but this course requires consistent effort to succeed. This class focuses on developing competent programming skills, with material that builds progressively throughout the semester. Falling behind can make it difficult to catch up. Since most content is delivered asynchronously, many students procrastinate on watching videos and starting assignments, which is a poor strategy. A significant number of students only begin assignments on the due date and then miss deadlines—don’t be one of them.
Lecturer sometimes forget how challenging programming can be when starting out, so If you don’t understand any terms or find explanations unclear, please inform me so I can ensure you’re keeping up and adjust my language as needed. Your success depends on understanding the material, and I can’t help if I don’t know there’s an issue. The best way to get help is by posting questions on Edlink, where both the lecturer and classmates can see and respond quickly. Avoid vague questions like “My program isn’t working; what’s wrong?” Instead, explain exactly what’s happening and share relevant code snippets. You can also email me with any difficulties, ideally around 9:00 AM or 4:00 PM for a prompt responses
Common issues that occur every semester include:
Failing to carefully read exam or assignment instructions, even when they are lengthy because important details are included.
Finishing assignments early but forgetting to submit them.
Submitting the wrong file instead of the correct one.
Ignoring messages from Edlink or the class webpage, causing missed deadlines.
Skipping exams or assignments without giving a reason.
Believing you have dropped the course when it did not process correctly.
Ignoring emails/messages from lecturer, despite this, email remains the primary communication method.
While AI tools like ChatGPT can generate code, using them for assignments is considered cheating and can lead to failing the course and disciplinary action. AI-generated code often doesn’t match assignment requirements and is easy to detect. Doing your own work ensures you learn programming and perform well on exams, which are crucial for passing.
Always follow academic honesty rules: do your own work without collaborating or copying from others or previous students. Cheating is easily detected and can lead to failing the class and serious consequences. It’s better to get a low grade than risk your academic future. Protect your integrity and don’t share your work publicly.