Advanced Topics in Computer Science
Unit 0: Computer Science
A bridge from AP Computer Science A into advanced honors computer science habits: design, implementation, testing, abstraction, and clear technical communication.
Unit Focus
What this unit is really teaching
Students review Java, object-oriented design, program tracing, debugging, testing, and the expectations of an advanced CS course before moving into abstract data types.
Key Topics
- +Course setup, coding environment, and Git or file organization habits
- +AP Computer Science A Java review: classes, objects, arrays, ArrayLists, recursion, and 2D arrays
- +Program design, implementation, testing, and debugging workflows
- +Abstraction, encapsulation, modularity, and reusable helper methods
- +Technical writing: explaining code, tracing algorithms, and documenting tradeoffs
- +Survey of advanced areas: GUIs, networking, cybersecurity, robotics, AI, and parallel computing
Practice Work
Implementation and analysis tasks
Student task
Refactor an AP Computer Science A-style Java project into cleaner classes and helper methods.
Student task
Write a test plan that catches edge cases before adding new features.
Need support with Unit 0?
Work through the concepts, code, edge cases, and runtime analysis with 1:1 guidance.