Meet Alonzo, CS10's mascot!

Welcome to CS10! This is an introductory class designed for students who have never had formal exposure to computer science and are looking for a gentle, but thorough introduction to the wonderful world of computing in a friendly and supportive environment. This class will not only prepare students for future computer science courses, but also empower them to use computer science in their own field of study.

Throughout the semester, students can expect to explore a variety of topics, from core computer science principles like abstraction and recursion, to apply these principles by building fun assignments like 2048, Mastermind, and some projects of their own choice! What’s more? We’ll also be covering various applications and implications of computing, including topics like AI, privacy, and algorithmic bias, to explore the exciting, and frightening ways computers are changing the world as we know it. By the end of the semester, students will have learned two programming languages: Snap!, a friendly graphical language, and Python, an industry-standard programming language.

We are especially excited about bringing computing (through this course) to traditionally under-represented groups in computing, i.e., women and ethnic minorities. We are proud that we regularly have more than 50% female enrollment (with a high of 60% in the Spring of 2017), and the national exposure the course has received in the New York Times, KQED, NPR's All Things Considered, USA Today, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, and many others.