Computer Systems
Completed: Fall 2023
Grade: A
Course Description
Introduction to computer systems from a programmer’s point of view. Machine level representations of programs, optimizing program performance, memory hierarchy, linking, exceptional control flow, measuring program performance, virtual memory, concurrent programming with threads, network programming.
Reflection
I made a joke in my CS2420 reflection that I wrote the most code line-for-line in that class, well I spent the most time hour-for-hour programming in this class. With the course jumping straight into the deep end with x86 assembly and my first time coding in C it truley was an experience. I would consider this course a spiritual successor to CS3810 in that it continued the focus on hardware and building low level systems to integrate with said hardware. This was also the first course where textbook study was REQUIRED for success. The multitude of complex topics that require a detailed understanding of to implement correctly were countless. As a Linux entusiast I thourougly enjoyed this course and would dare to call it one of my favorites.