Good teacher IF you can keep up. Covers a LOT of groud quick, but is quite willing to help out durring office hours, and replys quickly to e-mail.

He helps out a lot, but you have to have the guts to stand up in class and ask the question you want. You couldnt fail this class if you tried...

This was a wonderful class. Steve gives hard assignments, but after I transfered to UCSC I was the best prepared transfer student in my class!

Great class, I learned a lot.

Steve called this "Computer Engineering for Computer Science Majors". It was a good class - I learned a lot about how the computer actually executes my programs. This was a difficult classbut easier than CIS21.

This was my first computer class. I've used computers for a long time, but I still learned a lot.

I think the last poster was in a different class than I was. The textbook was fine - amazon rates it 85% and steve talked about some its problems on the first day of class. He obviously enjoyed questions and I thought this was a good class.

Great class! I learned a lot. I liked the WebCT system because I found out how I did on the assignments right after they were due. I would recommend Steve to other students.

Steve is one of the best teachers that I've had.

Steve was a good teacher, his lectures were thorough and clear. He was approachable, but did seem a bit ill at ease interacting with humans. Good looking guy, but needs to lose the long hair.

I thought Steve Hodges was a good teacher. He made me laugh in almost every class. He was entirely knowledgable. He does everything fast so you have to stay alert. He's cute too.

I learned a lot in CS1 and CS1L. I thought I knew a lot about computers before I took these classes and thought these would just be a review, but they were very interesting.

Steve is an extremely talanted teacher that covers material well. His exams are, as some have posted, hard but they are not impossible and he is always available for question. Not a class for those that want an easy grade. Steve likes what he teaches and expects his students to like it too. Steve is definetely one the best teachers on campus.

I have always enjoyed Steve's classes. He really takes the time to share his knowledge and is generous with his time. If something is difficult to understand in lecture, Steve has always been available for questions and concerns and will even take the time to answer e-mails to help a student learn the material. Nice guy ...great sense of humor!!!

The only thing I would recommend is that you get really comfortable with C++ before taking it with Steve Hodges. He's very nice and doesn't take role, but sometimes he's a little difficult to understand and tends to meander all over the material. If you did well in Intro to C++, then you'll do fine in this class. Also, follow directions to the T.

Really nice guy, very good at what he does. Wants you to pass, so will make allowances to help you. I recommend taking his class.

Steve is an extremely nice guy and a good teacher. As others have commented, he can be a little rambling and vague at times, but for the most part he imparts his knowledge well. What I liked most about him is that he REALLY encouraged questions, and made himself available to answer them in and out of class. Yay Steve!

I've had Steve for both CS19 and CS21. Answers emails quickly, answers questions, and returns work fairly quickly with comments and suggestions on how to improve.

Steve was perfect. Still, the class dropout rate was very high (>50%). I met many of the students who started this class - most were highly motivated. So something is very wrong. The class is not serving those that it should be serving. I'd rather see the class cancelled - rather than discourage so many potential computer professionals.

I want to become a programmer but this guy destroyed all my hopes for trying to become a better programmer and transfer to a university. Programming needs to be baby-fed to the students due to the amount of exact clarity you need for programs to work. He talks about random c++ topics that dont help you, I suggest you be very comfortable with c++

ALWAYS available to answer questions by email / skype. Assigns very little work. Programs that he does assign are not easy and require you to learn, but that is the point of taking a class... Be sure to ask him any questions you have as you go, and read the book if you need help.

Loved this class! Tough assignments and tough grading but if you really like programming it's easily do able.

Steve's an excellent teacher. Very clear with instructions, gives you plenty of time to do assigned work. Not exactly great at grading your work on a timely basis, however. His exams are notoriously, extremely difficult; make SURE that you nail every assignment and pick up any extra credit offered, because you will NEED to pad your exam grades!

This guy is amazing. After transferring to UCSC I was massively over prepared.

Steve is a hard teacher, but he really knows his stuff and is a fantastic teacher.

Steve is the right teacher for such a heavy class. The concepts are difficult to grasp at first, but he clarifies in class using simulations on the board involving the whole class. As with other courses: you get back what you put in. pow(STUDY, 10000);

I took all of Steve's classes. In all of them you get the same scheme: lectures, assignments (6-8), midterm and final. His assignments are mostly from his lectures as so are his exams, and he's always an e-mail away to help you. Totally worth it.

I took CS 11 online, and it was fantastic. You could go to class in person, watch live on ccconnect, or watch later in the archives. Or any combination of the 3. I imagine this class is better online. It helped to watch the lectures &follow along with his code, pausing on his code when necessary. I didn't have any programming experience & no textbk

I recently transferred to a University and I must say, Steve really prepares you. His CS 19, 20J classes where probably the toughest as it challenges you to finally see the world like a programmer. CS21 was by far my most favorite class, algorithms are amazing! Now that I am at my University, I notice I miss having teachers like Steve, great teach!

An okay teacher. Despite having 2, 3-hour classes a week with him, his lectures were informative and easy to listen to. he explains everything and doesn't rush through it. Beware though, not much structure, and textbook reading is all on you. His grading can be seen as strict, maybe even harsh, so make sure to read those instructions carefully.

Steve is definitely the best CS teacher I've ever had. I took two of his classes and then switched to UCSC. I got credit for three classes at UCSC, and every class I've taken since has felt like review. Steve tends to go a little off topic sometimes during his lectures, but that's a good thing. He gave a very solid understanding of computer science

Not an easy teacher, but I'm learning a lot about programming from him.

Steve will teach you very good code practices that will come up in the professional world, and doesn't hold your hand for a lot of it. You will rarely get a direct answer from him because he wants you to discover it. Learn to draw pictures to trace your programs. His tests are murder.

Kind and funny, but lectures can drag on. Sometimes explains concepts well and sometimes just writes code on the board. Usually walks through code steps on the board with visualizations. Very nitpicky with grading, make sure to read his program style guide online. Exams require memorizing algorithms, sometimes verbatim. Assignment grading is slow.

I think Steve gets a bad rap for his unclear grading criteria. It's true he is very nitpicky but it is for good reason. He takes of points to teach you bad practices. The first time you take him it is very hard to follow along but once you get used to him you will learn a lot. CS19 and CS20J finals are absolutely brutal.

I took 3 semesters of coding classes with Steve. I earned an A, B, and C. He is very knowledgeable but won't just give you answers when you ask questions. The assignments and test are difficult and I've had my fair share of let downs, but the skills I learned have been well worth it and the most helpful out of any coding classes I've taken.

Steve's the GOAT. Took transferring to UC to realize just how much he sets u up for success. Grading is meticulous, but if you work for it, you should pass / ace the course. Future professors may not even look at your code, rather just the resultant output. Steve's analysis of every individual's source code goes above and beyond to make you better.

Very strict grader, but sets you up for success by emphasizing good practices. Lectures are very material heavy but teach a lot. Some may find exams difficult because they test thorough comprehension. Has good lab hours and always willing to help.

Probably my favorite professor ever by far!! His assignments are definitely tough but he pushes you to write good clean code. Lectures were always very helpful IMO and he has very accessible office hours and is always willing to help you. Not an easy A professor, but you will learn a lot!

CS-19 was not an easy class, but can certainly be passed with an "A" if you put in the effort. The only difficult part of the class was creating robust programs in C++ that could pass all the required test cases and using OOP principles properly. Make sure you attend lectures and office hours (if you can) and this class shouldn't be too difficult.

Grading isn't always clear cut. Be sure to read the assigned readings to get an idea of what the main ideas are in each topic. Prepare to answer questions quickly in exams or you will run out of time. Overall he's a decent professor that understand his field of computer science. You can't go wrong with him.

Many say Steve is old-school, which is valid but for the best in many ways imo. I learned a lot in his classes (CS11, 21, 24) and they definitely weren't easy. Unclear grading and instructions; utilize his many office hours (very helpful) and see tutors. Arbitrary grading and point penalties at times. Work hard and take good notes in lecture!!

His Data Structures class is excellent, I would recommend taking it as long as you can follow the textbook and his pseudo code you will pass the class. His tests are mainly just memorizing the algorithms you are being taught and coding them on paper. His Discrete Math class felt a bit unorganized and poorly put together. Go to his office hours

First time teaching Python. Assignments were carryovers from Java, unadapted for Python. His curriculum didn't change much for Python either. He teaches great practice and will set you up for success wherever you go in programming. If you want to do well, find him outside of class and speak about programming with him, you will learn a lot.

Awesome lectures. Unfortunately I missed some because it's only one day a week and I kept forgetting to go. Missing just one or two classes makes it very easy to fall behind. Zybook is worth 35% of your grade, it is a bit busy-worky, but it's guaranteed points. "Lab hours" have zero direction from teacher. Be prepared to figure stuff out yourself.

Really great assignments & super knowledgeable. He's extremely willing to help you understand course material IF you seek him out. He's unorganised when it comes to lectures, but for this class that's not as much of a dealbreaker. His tests are pretty easy, just be prepared to memorise a few algorithms. Stay ahead on the coursework and you're fine.