I was part of the first cohort of students to experience the new curriculum designed by Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, which involves the programming language Pyret. The course is part of the university's newly reformed introductory CS curriculum, which has faced backlash from existing and current students. Many remain skeptical about the new structure. Only time will tell whether the new curriculum will fully succeed.
Getting Started with CS 2000
The first few weeks were quite interesting. The new curriculum allowed students to go straight into CS 2100 which is the second course taught in Python if they had prior experience or took classes like AP Computer Science in high school. This was very controversial because the past curriculum required everyone to start from the beginning of Fundies although there were accelerated courses but no one even with AP Computer Science credit could skip Fundies 1.
My Choice
While I hadn't taken AP Computer Science, I had prior programming experience. However, since I primarily used JavaScript and was uncertain about jumping straight into Python, I decided to start from the beginning. I also considered the backlash from other students about allowing students to skip the introductory course, and concluded it was best to start learning Computer Science from the foundation.
The Good
Pyret is a very easy language to learn and understand. The assignments are engaging and motivate you to practice what you've learned in class. After material is presented, you get to practice it through in-class exercises. Exams are skills-based assessments that you can take whenever you feel ready, with designated exam hours each week. Labs require attendance but are graded primarily on participation rather than completion, which has both advantages and disadvantages.
The Bad
Since the curriculum is new, we encountered some issues. Most were homework mistakes that were quickly resolved once reported, or unclear instructions that were clarified when asked. Since this was the course's first offering, the early weeks were challenging as our instructor adjusted to the new Pyret curriculum.
Conclusion
If I had to choose between skipping CS 2000 and proceeding to CS 2100, I would again choose to start with CS 2000. Learning Pyret was a good experience and a solid way to begin programming and your first semester at Northeastern as a CS major. It also freed up my schedule to explore the surrounding area. I can't speak to whether the new curriculum is better than the old Fundies curriculum since I wasn't part of the old system, and I haven't completed the new introductory curriculum yet.