Of CMU’s various schools, each major has a specific guideline of classes, especially for freshmen, to enroll in. As a Tepper student, I have Business Computing, Principles of Macroeconomics, and Multivariate Analysis. For one of my free class spaces, I decided to take 15-112, the infamous introductory programming course.

To my slight surprise, it’s been a lot of fun so far. Having zero previous programming experience, I’m learning everything entirely from scratch and it’s interesting to say the least. 15-112 introduces you to the language of python and a new way of thinking, a creative path that focuses on general overviews and understanding the big picture. There’s no more individually catering to single cases; general, but versatile thinking is the new requirement. We haven’t explored much past the initial layers of commands yet, but Professor Rivers (and the TAs, I imagine) come up with intricately creative problems.

As for the gritty side of 112, it is a lot of work. There are review videos and examples to learn from, co-lab problems to work on, homework problems to complete, and a quiz each week. That being said, according to past students I’m still on the easy part of the course.

For future students, don’t be discouraged from taking this course. It’s a great doorway into programming and can cater to any school. In this age now, programming is a much more widespread skill and having a basic knowledge is integral. Honestly, I’m excited to see what I learn next.