CSSE TUTORING CENTER

CS Tutoring Services

Cal Poly’s Computer Science Department offers free tutoring for all students taking CSC courses. We offer help at all scheduled times primarily for students in CSC/CPE 101, 202, 203, and 225. We can also help with basic C and systems concepts, but we will not help with 357 projects or assignments. Depending on the tutors on duty, we may also offer help for other CSC courses, including 123, 349, and CPE 133, 233.

If you need help outside of class and office hours, the tutoring center is for you. We focus on near-peer tutoring which means that we are run by students, for students. We are committed to providing computer science and debugging assistance in a safe environment and we work with our faculty advisors to make sure that our help is as quality, up-to-date, and accessible as possible.

What We Will Do

We’ll help you figure out course material that you’re having trouble understanding on your own. This material may include:

• Basics of programming in Python, Java, or C
• Debugging techniques and independent problem solving
• Data structures
• Unix shell commands
• Text editor operation

Our goal is to give you the tools you need to solve problems.

What We Won’t Do

We won’t do your assignments for you, help you through an entire project, or do generalized code reviews. We will give you explanations of concepts and guidance on how to proceed with your assignments and any bugs you run into

Want to be a Tutor?

If you’ve passed CSC 357 (or are currently enrolled, or have equivalent experience) and want to be a tutor, please email one of the current head tutors. Tell us about yourself and attach a resume, and we’ll schedule an interview!

Tutoring Center Hours

The tutoring center is held in Building 14, Room 309 all weekdays. We’re open from 2-8 PM Monday through Thursday, and 2-6 PM Friday. Tutoring starts the second full week of the quarter and continues through Week 10. Tutoring is not available during holidays or long weekends.

In-Person Tutoring

1. Come to the lab and work on a personal laptop or one of the school computers
2. When you have a question, write your name and what class it is for on the whiteboard
3. A tutor will call out your name when it is your turn to be helped

Policies

• You must be present to be helped. If we cannot find you, we will skip you
• Collaboration policies of professors still apply in the waiting room. Do not share code with other students or violate your professor’s policies

If you have any questions or comments or if you are interested in becoming a tutor, then please email one of the the current head tutors listed below or Dr. Ayaan Kazerouni (ayaank@calpoly.edu).