CMPSC 311- Introduction to Systems Programming Module: Exam - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CMPSC 311 - Introduction to Systems Programming

CMPSC 311- Introduction to Systems Programming Module: Exam Preparation

Professor Patrick McDaniel Fall 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?