Dear all,

Welcome to Programming 1! My name is Paul Neve and my job is to introduce you guys to programming.

I believe very strongly that learning programming should be fun and engaging. Some of you will doubtlessly be approaching this module with some trepidation. Do not be afraid! The computer cannot bite, error messages can’t hurt you. In the first weeks of the module we will be trying to get you to think logically and break programmatic problems down, which is the fundamental skill required to be a good programmer. All other things follow that. There will be no incomprensible program code in the first few weeks, we start off with visual problems and programs which hopefully should be good fun to engage with. We present introductory programming in a unique way here at KU – no other university has the same approach or tools as us, and it is something of a speciality of ours. At the heart of Programming 1 is a belief that everybody can learn to program and everybody can have fun while doing it. Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t going to be easy. It will be hard work, and you will get out whatever you put in. But if you are willing to put in that work then by the end of the academic year you should have an excellent foundation in programming.

The important things first:

• Please check your timetable on OSIS regularly as the times and dates of sessions are subject to change. (This applies to all modules, not just Programming 1)
• Also be sure to check your KU email for additional information about where to go and at what time. Any changes may take a couple of days to filter through to the timetable so if there is a need to move something in a hurry, Studyspace and your email is where it’ll be.
• It is CRUCIAL that you attend ALL of your scheduled classes. There will usually be one lecture and one workshop per week allocated to you. BE AT BOTH EVERY WEEK. The workshop assumes you’ve been to the lecture so if you dodge the lecture and only come to the workshop you will be lost!

I am looking forward to meeting you all!

All the best,

Paul