CS 61A Resources

By Allen Guo

Last Updated: 10/24/2017

About Me

• Email: allenguo@berkeley.edu
• Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm (in 400 Cory)
• Anonymous feedback form: link
• Pre-section playlist: link.

Discussion Slides

• Discussion 0 (8/24): link.
• Discussion 1 (8/31): link.
• Discussion 2 (9/7): link.

Learning Python

• The official Python tutorial: link.
• Practice problems:
  • Beginner practice problems: CodingBat.
  • Harder problems: 99 Prolog Problems.
    • Many of these are beyond 61A's scope. Focus on the ones with a single asterisk (*).
    • These questions were written with a different language (Prolog) in mind, but you should be able to translate them to Python.
    • You can find answers here.
  • Programming puzzles for the mathematically inclined: Project Euler.

Part I: Functional Abstraction

• Need practice with recursion?
  • Do some problems from String-2 and List-2 at CodingBat. Force yourself to use recursion instead of loops or built-in functions.
  • Similarly, check out the lists section of 99 Prolog Problems.

Part II: Data Abstraction

Part III: Objects and Sequences

Part IV: Interpreters and Data

• Confused about quotation?
  • Refer to this SO post.

Inspiration and Wisdom

• "Advice for Computer Science College Students" from Joel Spolsky, blogger extraordinaire and cofounder of Stack Overflow (among other things).
• "How To Be Effective" by Philip J. Guo (no relation).
• "The Comparison Trap" by Lauren Bacon.
• "Why SICP Matters" by Brian Harvey.
• 50 Ways to Excel in Your First Job (and in Life) by Antonio Neves.

Internships and Interviews

• From r/cscareerquestions: internships FAQ and resume advice.
• Curated list of companies accepting applications: link.
• Passing the average interview requires knowledge from both 61A and 61B, so plan to study ahead.
  • The most popular interview prep book is CTCI. It's worth getting.
• Freshmen are at a heavy disadvantage compared to sophomores and juniors.
  • Take advantage of freshmen-specific programs. See here.
  • If you get a lot of rejections, don't take it personally. Try again next year!
• Coding interview tips: link.
• Lists of practice questions: link 1, link 2, link 3.

Life After CS 61A

• CS draft schedule (i.e., who's teaching what): link.
• Crowdsourced advice from the CS Facebook group: link.
• HKN's guide to EE/CS courses: link.
• Course advice for aspiring data scientists, by Khoa Tran: link.

I Still Have Questions!

Email me at allenguo@berkeley.edu.