AP Computer Science A
Mr. Seibel (he/him)
What does the A stand for? Nobody knows.
This is the harder of the two AP computer science classes.
You should probably have taken AP CSP or Intro to Programming or have equivalent coding experience before taking this course.
However if you have a logical mind and are up for the challenge it is possible to do well without prior experience.
A real, text-based programming language.
Has been around for decades.
Also quite a nice language at this point, though maybe a bit out of fashion.
Used in the real world: Netflix, Minecraft, parts of Twitter (R.I.P.), Android phones.
If you like creating things.
If you like solving puzzles.
If you like understanding how things work.
There are a lot of details that you have to get right.
It can be very abstract.
Those two things are usually at opposite ends of the mental spectrum.
AI is extremely good at coding.
What does that mean for us puny humans?
Learning to program is still good for your brain.
In a world where there is an explosion of software due to AI, being able to understand what’s actually going on may be even more criticially important.
Some fraction of the knowledge and skills related to writing code that I’ve developed in 30+ years of programming is probably no longer necessary.
Some other fraction of the knowledge and skills I’ve devopled are what allow me to do amazing things with AI coding tools.
I still have very little idea how big each fraction is and what’s in each category.
This is an AP class and there’s an exam in May.
I don’t love the College Board or its curriculum but if you learn what I want to teach you, there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to get a 5 on the exam.
And you’ll actually know enough about programming to be ready to take my advanced class or CS courses in college.
Expect to get stuck.
Even the most experienced programmers get stuck.
When you get unstuck is when you learn the most.