Student Stories

"The skills I developed in this course transformed my understanding of what I’m capable of as a learner. Entering with absolutely no coding experience, I felt completely lost during the first few classes  as the logic and structure were entirely foreign to me. There were many moments when I wanted to give up, but I was consistently encouraged to keep going, and I committed to daily consistent practice. Over time, the challenging assignments became opportunities for discovery, and I found genuine joy in watching my basic skills come together to build something much more complex. By the time I completed my final project, I couldn’t believe how much we had learned in just 14 weeks. This course not only taught me the foundations of computer science but also showed me that persistence, support, and practice can turn confusion into confidence."

"The challenges I faced during the course helped me overcome my doubts about whether I was suited for exploring computer science concepts. I'm aware that I'm more of an artist and that my passion for music runs deep. However, as a music technology enthusiast, I've come to realize the strong interplay between the music industry and computer science, which is why I chose to dive headfirst into this course without any prior coding experience. Professor, aware of my lack of background in the subject, never boxed me in or labeled me. Instead, she provided the right tools to help me grow. Also, this course has helped me consolidate concepts—such as those learned in object-oriented programming—that I now see reflected in environments like MAX (used for audio creation), making my learning both practical and rewarding."

"It has been an amazing journey that provided rigorous training in research methodology and professional writing. I entered my capstone project course with curiosity and many open questions. Over time, I learned how ideas turn into rigorous research through careful planning, clear methodology, and purposeful writing. I was consistently encouraged to understand not just what to do, but why each step mattered. The user study transformed my perspective on software development. I learned that building the tool is only half the battle; understanding how humans interact with it—measuring frustration, speed, and cognitive load—is what turns a project into meaningful research. I truly hope our professional paths cross again."

"The skills I gained in this course are applicable across disciplines and are essential to my growth as a thinker, communicator, and aspiring computer scientist. During my First-Year Writing Seminar Research Symposium, I applied what I learned by breaking down cryptographic principles (like factoring large primes) for a diverse audience. This helped me communicate complex ideas more effectively, and I was honored to receive first place for best presentation in the symposium."

"I decided to take Discrete Math during my study away semester at NYU Abu Dhabi. I really valued how you welcomed student feedback and adapted the course dynamically to our needs. The final unit on graph theory was both fascinating and fun. I remember one problem I struggled with, even ChatGPT couldn’t help, but your explanation finally made it click. It was a great moment that reminded me how human guidance can make all the difference."

"I really enjoyed the course, as the examples were useful and the Professor always focused on explaining the intuition behind each concept, rather than simply reciting solutions. I recently participated in a math olympiad representing the university, and the skills I learned in Discrete Math helped me solve the combinatorics problems."

"As an aspiring physics major, I always believed that math and physics are all you need to study nature. However, taking the Intro to CS course changed my perspective; it's not just about dark screens and colorful lines of code. It's about being fluent in the language of nature such that we can now engage with it in two-way conversations, which is absolutely creative and fun!"

"As someone who did not even know how to print Hello world before doing Intro to CS, this course completely changed the way I think; building my mathematical intuition in the process. While this course does require a lot of work as a beginner, it is the perfect course to show you what is expected of you as a CS major (and even broadly as an applied mathematician).

"Discrete Mathematics was a fun one, being someone who finds proofs fascinating, formally seeing how it all comes together was satisfying. One highlight of the class for me was the personal research project we undertook, it did push us to work on new things which we wouldn’t have done otherwise."