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COMP2100/2500
Help

One of the most important attributes employers are looking for in graduates is self-regulation. In the context of getting help this means:

1. understanding the nature of your problem;

2. identifying the kind of help that you need; and

3. finding out where to get it and how to ask for it.

In this course you can get help from yourself, from your peers, from unit staff and from other resources.

This page is here to give you some suggestions on where to look for help if you need it, and on what you can expect from each of the available options. It also sets out the limits and boundaries for some of those options.

The different avenues for help are listed in the order that I believe you should follow when you encounter a difficulty that might require help.

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Yourself

Very often when students ask for help, the answer to their problem is staring them in the face. Yet for some reason they are unable to see it. I believe that you are your own first, and very often best, source of help. What can you do to help yourself if you face a difficulty?

When you encounter a problem, take some time to sit with it. Reflect. Perhaps you will discover that your difficulty is caused by a defect introduced at a higher (design) level? Examine your thoughts and your feelings. It is not uncommon for people to ask for technical help when in fact what they really need is reassurance. Is this what you need? It is also quite common to encounter problems when we are tired, stressed or anxious (about work or any other aspect of life). At such times it can help to just stop and give ourselves what we need. What do you need to do in order to support yourself through a stressful or anxious time?

Many people find it helpful to write about it and your engineer's notebook is the right place to do so. Writing can help you clarify your thoughts. It also allows you to look back over your notes next time you're in a similar situation.

If your problem really is of a technical nature then often the information is available but may be hard to find. Here are some places where you might find useful information.

• The Javadoc documentation for the Java 1.5 standard libraries. This is available on the Sun Java website where there is lots of other information: language specification, tutorials, FAQs, forums... you name it. You can also browse the API docs locally at ??

• The Unix manual pages: at the command line type man followed by the name of the command or utility you need help with.

• The C standard libraries are also documented in the man-page system.

• The GNU info documentation: type info or select Help -> Manuals -> Browse manuals with info in Emacs.

• The reference books listed on the reading page.

• It's amazing how much information there is about computer stuff on the net. If you have a question, you can often find out a lot about it by just typing it into Google.

If your process makes you realise that you need help from other sources your next best option is your peer group.

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Your Peers

One of the most useful sources of help when you have a problem is to ask a fellow student. Make a conscious effort to get to know the other students in your tut/lab group during the first couple of meetings.

There are, of course, limits to what you should ask of your peers, or to what you should answer if asked. The communication skills and teamwork experience gained from working with your fellow students is of great value, which is why you will be doing your assignments in pairs, but so is the learning that takes place from figuring things out for yourself.

When it comes to assignments you should be very careful when discussing problems with students other than your partner. There are serious penalties for submitting assignments which are not entirely your own work. You should avoid any detailed discussions with other students about algorithms for use in assignment solutions, as this can lead to implementations that are not sufficiently original to be considered your own work. Obviously you should never ask to see, nor show anyone, the actual source code of an assignment solution.

For more information about plagiarism, its definition in the context of computing courses, and the penalties and procedures involved with cases of plagiarism, see the Department's Student Handbook.

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Unit Lecturers

The lecturers for this unit are Dr Ian Barnes and Mr Richard Walker.

Most problems which cannot be solved using the methods suggested above should be addressed by e-mail to us at the unit email account comp2100@cs.anu.edu.au.

If you would like to talk with Dr Ian Barnes in person, then you can check my home page for details of my office hours, or email me for an appointment.

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Tutors

Your tutors are not paid to spend time helping you out of class, so please don't ask them to. This is particularly important since some of them may be later-year students who you will probably see around the labs. They are paid for only a small number of hours each week, and have their own lives to lead, and their own assignment deadlines to meet. It is most unfair to pester them while they are “off duty”.

Your tutor is the one who marks your assignments. If you have a problem with the way your assignment has been marked, then take it up first with your tutor. You can always talk to the lecturer about it later, if you are unable to resolve the matter with your tutor.

If you don't know what lab group you are in or who your tutor is, that information is available through Streams. The best way to contact your tutor is at your next class, but if you can't wait, then their contact details are below. Remember, you should contact your tutor outside class time only in relation to marking problems and only if it can't wait until your next class.

Dr Alexei Khorev	abx105@rsphy1.anu.edu.au
Dr Tamiru Jarso	Tamiru.Jarso@maths.anu.edu.au
David Excell	daxl@msn.com.au

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Office Staff

You will probably have little reason to contact the office staff in relation to COMP2100. If you do need to, the department office is located in room N340 on the third floor of the Computer Science and Information Technology Building. The office is open at the following times on week days.

0900-1100

1130-1230

1330-1600

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The Technical Support Group

If you have a problem that relates to your use of the computing facilities provided for COMP2100, then you should consult the Technical Support Group (TSG). Your lecturers and tutors are not system administrators. Problems with the course, see us; problems with the system, see the TSG.

You can contact the TSG by sending email to consultant@cs.anu.edu.au or by going to the TSG web site and following the "DCSStudentUserDocs" link or the "Consultant Programmer" link.

If you can't use the computer system at all, you can go to the TSG in person. They are located on Level 2 of the Computer Science and Information Technology Building (up one level from the computing laboratories). Turn left as you leave the stairwell (towards the bridge to the Faculty Office and Engineering) and the TSG are is immediately on your right.

[ANU] [DCS] [COMP2100/2500] [Description] [Schedule] [Lectures] [Labs] [Homework] [Assignments] [COMP2500] [Assessment] [PSP] [Java] [Reading] [Help]