TESC Computer Architecture Course

[ryoder]

I am "taking" this course right now and it is going pretty well.
I put taking in quotation fingers because I have access to a January syllabus and have the book. I am working the problems and have completed all the assignments for week 1 and 2 plus some for week 3.

This course is not easy but is not impossible either. The weekly assignments take many hours to complete because you have to teach yourself the topics and then practice them before being able to answer any questions.

I am googling, downloading other references, watching youtube videos etc in order to grasp the concepts and complete the work.

If anyone else is taking or will be taking this class, let me know and we can share notes. I have come across some great resources online that have helped me out a lot.

Hopefully by the time I start the course at the beginning of August, I will have 5 weeks of work complete. This will really take the edge off since I have a 6CR environmental science course and a little bit of MBA course work to complete at NCU.

[SandraNC]

My son will be taking this course in September, so I'd be interested in your experience. Keep us posted!

Sandra

[ryoder]

I am doing pretty well in this course even though it hasn't started yet.
I just finished my 7/12 assignment.
The online syllabus I am using is probably the same one the course will use but who knows. I don't actually start the course until the beginning of next month but by then I hope to have most if not all of the assignments already done.

This course is not easy but with repeated reading of several sources online and in print, the material sinks in. There are youtube videos I watched on floating point math and modulus division that helped.

I learned basic assembly language using the MARIE tool which is really kind of fun. Student Resources -- Essentials of Computer Organization and Architecture, Second Edition


This site has a great little program which lets you build logic circuits graphically and actually run them by clicking on toggle switches and hooking up clocks.

Logicly - A logic circuit simulator for Windows, Mac, and Linux - logic gates, flip-flops, computer architecture

[SandraNC]

These are wonderful resources! Thanks for sharing.

Sandra

[ryoder]

I finished all of the coursework in the syllabus I found online. Now I just have to wait for the class to start and begin feeding the mentor my assignments. Hopefully the syllabus I found will contain the same homework assignments as the class but if not then I will consider it time well spent practicing.

[beargins]

I'm taking comp architecture at TESC right now... I'm really disappointed at the book, its definitely written for a lecture/lab environment where an experienced professor can elaborate on many of the topics in each chapter. The topics are extremely fun though. I also find myself rereading the chapter and referencing All About Circuits : Free Electric Circuits Textbooks.

Merry Christmas folks!

[ryoder]

Let me know if I can be of any assistance. Most of the content is fresh in my mind and I have some of my study resources.

[beargins]

Let me know if I can be of any assistance. Most of the content is fresh in my mind and I have some of my study resources.

ryoder I tried to pm you but your inbox was full. I'll write again in a couple hours.

[beargins]

When you took your midterm, were you required to be there at 8:30 or 10:30 am? I'm trying to schedule for the exam, but the only options showing up under the scheduler are 8:30 and 10:30. I don't get off work til 4 so I'd like to take the exam after work.

Anyone else encounter this problem?

[bricabrac]

Are you scheduling the exam at the school? You might want to choose a proctor (local library) which would then open up your scheduling options.