CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming

CMPSC 311- Introduction to Systems Programming

Module: Exam Preparation

Professor Patrick McDanielFall 2014

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

Exams •  Q: Why do we give them?•  A: To make you study the material.•  Implication: if you understand what

the professor wants you to know (outcomes), then you know what will be on the test.

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

311 Outcomes? •  Terminology: abstractions, application space, …•  Concepts: isolation, caching, …•  Language primitives: addresses, strings, structs, …

•  Interfaces: file I/O, memory management, …•  Tools: compiler, debugger, linker, …•  Skills: calculating address, coding with strings, …

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

What do I ask in exams? •  Terminological/definition questions (8 questions)‣  Asks: what are the terms and ideas (most regurgitate)?

‣  Form: short answer (1-2 sentences, sometime a single word)

‣  Weight: about 40%

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

What do I ask in exams? •  Conceptual synthesis (2 questions)‣  Asks: explain the course concepts and apply them?

‣  Form: long answer (1-2 paragraphs)

‣  Weight: about 20%

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

What do I ask in exams? •  Skills demonstration (4 questions)‣  Asks: show mastery of skills taught in class and assignments?

‣  Form: word problems

‣  Weight: about 40%

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

How to study? •  Focus energy on the slides and course assignments. •  Book is there for additional information, there may be

a short question about content.

•  You should be able to perform any skill taught in class.

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

How to take? •  Read the questions very carefully.•  Answer what you know first.•  Only try to figure out how to perform an unknown

skill after you have done everything else.

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

Getting Meta … •  Studying is the act of …‣  (a) preparing your mind to accept new information and

connections,

‣  (b) consuming the data

‣  (c) retaining it

•  To be effective, you have to address these three things or you won’t do it well …

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

Preparing your mind … •  Our brains work best when fresh and free of

distractions … the implication being …‣  Study when your body is ready (morning or night)

‣  Study where you are comfortable (library, your favorite chair) and minimal distractions (soft music, no TV, ..)

‣  Study in bursts (procrastination is death), take breaks to sustain productivity (5 minutes tops)

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

Consuming the data … •  Out brains are really large pattern recognition

machines that crave structure … •  How you organize the information you collect when

studying is critical‣  The list method

‣  The diagram method

‣  The sentence method

‣  The annotation method

‣  The highlighter method

•  They vary in effectiveness-how well the material translates to a model in your head?

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

Retaining the data … •  The key to long term memory (and thus education) is

fostering connections and ensuring repetition•  Committing to connections‣  This is where the output consuming part is … it should

reflect a lattice of ideas and connections (diagrams, ..)

‣  Study the connections between concepts …

‣  Memory degrades quickly (exponentially) …

•  Repetition‣  Brains need repetition to garner mastery

‣  Procrastination/cramming prevents mastery

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

How about some freebee questions?

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming Page

How about some freebee questions?