Comp Sci Information

  If you are taking an introductory Computer Science class this semester, including any of COMS BC1016, COMS W1001, COMS W1002, COMS W1004, ENGI E1006, COMS W3107, then you are encouraged to also consider applying to participate in Columbia’s Emerging Scholars Program COMS W1404 (ESP).  ESP is a once-a-week one-credit class graded on a pass/fail basis that gives first and second-year students a unique opportunity to learn about the field of computer science and enrich their experience in introductory-level CS courses. The focus of ESP is group problem solving.  In each session, a peer leader presents a set of problems from a specific field in CS, and students work as a group to come up with algorithmic solutions and analyses of the problems. In addition, students  discuss the real-world applications and potential social consequences and ethical ramifications of each field. ESP’s self-contained workshops demonstrate the collaborative nature of computer science and how it is focused more on problem solving than on programming.  It’s a great way to connect with a community of other CS-interested students while learning more about the broad applicability of computer science.  New this semester, there will be an opportunity to choose a Barnard-only (or mostly Barnard) section (assuming sufficient demand).  More information and application instructions are at https://www.cs.columbia.edu/esp; application deadline is Monday, September 12.