| Information | Review |
|---|---|
|
Runzhou Tao
Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/24/2025 |
Take this class if you are interested in quantum computing. The professor is very kind and he does his best to try and explain the concepts taught in class. However, I don't think he's super effective in teaching the material. However, his grading is very fair and he does care for the students. He answers any questions students have. As for homework, the written homework is very lengthy but very insightful for exams. The coding assignments are also straightforward. |
|
Runzhou Tao
CMSC457 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/23/2025 |
This class is hard and will probably be your biggest commitment for the semester. Find a good group to work on the homeworks with. Do exercises in the textbook in preparation for exams. Make sure you have a strong understanding of linear algebra. The lectures were alright, but sometimes felt weak conceptually and mathematically. After reading the assigned text, the lectures suffice in filling in any gaps. I strongly suggest reading the assigned parts of the textbook before every class. This class was 40% homeworks (3 written assignments, 2 coding), 20% midterm, 20% final, and 20% research project. The written homeworks were tough, but had many opportunities for extra credit. The coding homeworks were very short and easy. The midterm was very tough. The final was a bit easier (potentially because I finally locked in), had multiple choice extra credit, and was online/open-note. The group research project could either be a summary of past research or include an original contribution. We were expected to write at least 10 pages and give a presentation to the class. The grading was pretty lenient. In both exams, the grade was made to be out of 50 instead of 54 (on the midterm) or 60 (on the final) which helped a lot. We also had a chance for extra credit by presenting on the first day (right before the final). He’ll make sure there is enough extra credit for a good grade distribution. Our online final was week 13, then we did presentations. Before that, we had a few light coding lectures and 3 special topic lectures by the TAs that were only tested by extra credit multiple choice questions on the final. This class felt very front-loaded. If you get through that, the special topics, coding, and presentations will be easy. |