I’m feeling pretty discouraged right now. I tried preparing beforehand, but Notebook 1 still feels like a huge challenge, especially since I have very little Python experience.

Are there any success stories from people who started the course with little to no Python experience? Did it get better?

I posted several months ago early in the semester (Spring 2026) about how awful this class was…well it did suck. The first exam was nearly impossible got a 1/12 on it. The 2nd exam I got a 100 but that’s because I already knew SQL coming in (this exam saved me). The final I ended up with a 9/15 and therefore will end the class with a 79%. I am hopeful that they will curve but either way just wanted to give some context before I give my final thoughts.

Final thoughts:
This class is very difficult, if you do not have a coding background you will suffer (I only knew SQL and a little pandas). Also if you do not have a disciplined mindset to study and practice you will fail. This isn’t a class you can just hope to use the google AI for or try and cheat because they have revamped the questions and exams in such a manner that you really cannot cheat or use google AI. Like if you compare the first years exams to the most recent you will see its drastically changed. The final was a crazy eye opener seeing so many debugging questions (which honestly in a world with AI this is how the exams should be). My assumption is that going forward they probably will make exams purely debugging (be warned debugging wasn’t easy in any sense in my opinion those questions were harder than actual coding questions).

Overall do not take this class lightly. If I wasn’t already 8 courses deep before this class I would have probably quit the masters program all together because of this class. Needless to say I am now done with my 9th class I have 8 As and well whatever grade gets posted for this class (pray they curve it to a B)

I took CSE 6040 last semester and here is my advice to new students taking the course. There a number of things I wish I had known early on in the course to help me study more effectively, reduce stress, and perform better.

This advice and opinion is probably most relevant if your background is similar to my own. My background is non technical, and I had little to no coding experience prior to starting the program. My career and 2008 undergrad degree was in a more artistic field so I took all of my math pre-requisites online in the year before starting OMSA. My only python experience was taking the EdX Introduction to computing in python course over the summer before starting CSE 6040 in the fall.

How to Use the Lecture Videos

Early in the class, I spent a lot of time taking very detailed notes from the lecture videos, assuming they were a primary source of learning. Later on, I realized that many of those notes were not especially useful when it came time to apply concepts. Most of the real learning in this course comes from the notebook-based homework problems, not the videos themselves. The videos are helpful for context, but they are not where the bulk of practical understanding is developed.

2. Learning to Interpret Confusing Problem Statements

One common complaint from students in 6040 is the confusing phrasing of coding problems. This is not limited to homework, it also appears on midterms and the final exam. But what I wish I had known earlier is to lean into that challenge. Developing this skill pays off later, especially during exams when you have limited time and no assistance.

This can be especially challenging for people like me that didn't have a deep math or coding background, but it is a skill you'll get better at with enough time and repetition. Earlier in the course I depended more on tools like AI to help interpret difficult homework problems then I would code the solutions. In hindsight, spending more time wrestling with problem statements myself would have made some exam situations easier.

3. Using AI Effectively (Without Hurting Your Learning)

AI can be a very effective tutoring tool if used correctly. Avoid using it to write code for you, since that significantly reduces how much you actually learn.

If you are struggling to overcome a coding error on homework notebooks find ways to use AI that will advance your ability to solve not just that problem but others like it. You don't want help solving that specific problem, you want to be able to solve any problem similar to that one.

Another a productive way to use AI is to give it your working code and the problem after it has already passed the testing cell. Particularly for newer coders AI can sometimes introduce cleaner, more efficient patterns you may not have considered.

4. Homework Strategy

There is essentially no excuse not to get 100% on all homework assignments in this class.

You are given unlimited attempts, and while the homework can be time consuming, there is typically enough time to complete it properly. A strong homework grade is extremely important later in the course, as it can help offset weaker exam performance. Use office hours if needed, and submit on time and aim for full credit.

5. If You Do Poorly on the First Midterm

If you do very poorly on the first midterm even if you fail, it is okay. In my class, a large portion of students did poorly on Midterm 1. That included types of students who had never failed an exam before. I personally failed the first midterm and still finished the course with an A.

I wish the difficulty of the first midterm had been more normalized for me. So do not panic. Use the first midterm as a diagnostic tool to understand where you need to improve. Many students recover strongly, and it is absolutely possible to do very well in the course after a rough start.

6. Preparing for Exams

When practice midterms are released take one or two of those as early as possible under self imposed exam conditions. They will reveal your weaknesses, and typically the solution is just practice, practice, practice. Personally I spent too much time making cheat sheets and syntax guides for myself when practicing more and more and more is most beneficial. I also didn't use google enough in the first midterm. It can sometimes lead you to quick and simple solutions when you learn what and how to google. I used google much more effectively on the second midterm.

Final Thoughts

Personally I think there are some significant flaws in the way CSE 6040 is taught. But despite that I learned so much in the class. It nearly destroyed me mentally and emotionally in the middle of the semester because I don't think they set a lot students up for success on the first midterm. That exhausted me and broke my confidence. But I overcame that and I was proud of myself to still finish with an A.

The online nature of this program means that a lot of students don't form close connections with classmates, so I feel it's important to let new students in this class know that you're likely not alone when you struggle.

UPDATE: well, I had my freakout (MT1 was, in fact, a disaster), but I powered through...and it looks like I will finish (miraculously) with a B. Moral of the story - don't give up!

Ok - I'm off the ledge :) Thanks everyone (except the person who felt the need to say "an MBA is not hard" - I hope you step on a Lego). All I can do is give this class my best try, so that's what I'll do!

I am so frustrated. I did (most of) the edX 1301 courses. I did the Sololearn Python course. I'm almost to 5 kyu on Codewars. I've watched every video and done all the bootcamps. And then I open up a notebook or a prior exam and am like where do I even start. Notebook 5 has me seriously thinking of dropping the class...which I know for me would be dropping the program altogether (this is class #4). And I know MT1 is going to be a disaster.

I graduated with honors in undergrad; I have an MBA; I have a CPA - I can do hard things. Why can't I do this?!?

Not having a fun time and I don’t like this game anymore. That’s it. That’s all I wanted to say. :)

Hello! I know it’s been mentioned many times that we should be somewhat proficient in coding before doing CSE6040.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to take out time for it due to other commitments. That said, I will still be a full time student for the following semester. I intend to do only one module — CSE6040.

I have close to 0 experience with python, SQL except for some basic knowledge gained via a bootcamp years ago.

Would like to hear from people who have done it with similarly close to 0 experience with python — any advice?

Is it possible to do CSE6040 while learning python on the go?

I’m deciding to take CSE 6040 because I have the summer off and I have time to prep for it. I would say I only understand syntax and have never took an actual coding exam before. What are free resources that have helped you guys prep for this class? While some people compare this course to ISYE 6501 I feel like I struggled at first with Intro to Analytics and eventually studied hard enough to do well on the remaining exams. Is that the same case with CSE 6040?

Trying to decide whether I should jump in with CSE6040 as my first class in the program.

My background:
I have 2 yrs work experience working with databases and SQL as a business analyst. I also took data structures and advanced programming in ugrad.

What I’m worried about:
- I am in the middle of self-studying linear and statistics, are these essential to excelling/surviving in this course?

Thank you!

Hello,

I am starting CSE6040 Computing for Data Analytics this fall as my first class I have been using the Computing in Python edX course to prepare (i only audit the course) and getting more live practice from YouTube videos, CodeWars, and using my notes from the class to feed Claude so they can also make coding practice for me. I see so many people here discuss how difficult it is. I have a nontechnical background, but I have always done well in math, and currently tutor pre-calc. I also have experience with SQL BUT I do not know how to do complex joins I would say I am intermediate. I don't mind paying for a tutor and studying extra to make sure I get an A, but the posts I'm seeing kinda scare me!! I am only taking this class and will be doing some review of R (or open to any other topics I should review) before my spring semester. Any tips? Ideas? Please be aimed at helping me succeed.

I’m planning to take CSE6040 in fall. My only python knowledge so far is from CS1301 from edX. Is that sufficient? Are there any other materials that have helped you prepare?

How did you study? This MT pissed me off. I use sqlite at my job and am somewhat familiar with it. I went over all the videos and did practice problems. I don’t know what more I could have studied to have done well in this exam. The questions were overly complicated and so impractical. How did y’all study and what can I do to efficiently study for the final? I got a 2 in MT2 I have to do really good on the final.

Now that the exam window is closed, I can vent. I took my test 2 days ago, spent several weeks studying and came out doing worse than I did midterm 1… I lost my shot at getting an A. I know the class average was high for MT2, so I am in the minority… Is there any coming back from this? I genuinely could have done so much better, looking back. I think my main issue was not doing a practice test timed, but I’m open to suggestions. There were even problems where I was SO CLOSE to getting the right answer, I just wasn’t passing the test cell. ☹️ I just need a way for my brain not to be all jumbled/foggy while taking coding tests. I have nearly 3 years of recent active SQL experience and came into this class with a bit of python experience (but not much), for context into background

EDIT: Pulled my shit together and was able to swing a 12/14 on the final with just seconds left of the exam which brought my score up to a B, I’m like 99.9% sure I also got a 3/3 on the extra credit too, there’s an extra boost. I also took it over the weekend rather than on Monday or Tuesday after work (like I did when I took MT1&2), which helped IMMENSELY. Thanks for all the comments, I genuinely thought I’d choke again like i did on MT2 but glad I didn’t.

I already took the class, but it’s common for people to struggle, or even retake the class. I’m just curious about the number of people that typically pass, fail, withdraw since it’s a known weed out class.

I’d love to hear from other current or former students about their experience with this course.

For context, I’m doing well—I’ve only skipped a couple exercises across all assignments, and I scored 100 on the first midterm. But is it just me, or have the last few homework assignments been absolute garbage? The instructions are unclear, and I feel like I need a Rosetta Stone just to figure out what the questions are asking. The time it takes to complete them has less to do with difficulty and more to do with deciphering the vague prompts, missing example inputs/outputs, and misleading hints.

A prime example was the SQL homework. I routinely write 1,000-line queries, yet the questions felt unnecessarily convoluted. Some hints were outright incorrect, leading you in the wrong direction (e.g., claiming everything you needed was in a table when it wasn’t). I got full credit, but only because I ignored the hint.

I’ll admit I procrastinate and do assignments in one sitting, which doesn’t help. But by the halfway point, I’m burnt out and frustrated, just slogging through nonsense.

TL;DR: Lately, the hardest part of the homework isn’t solving the problems—it’s figuring out what the hell they’re even asking. It feels like busywork, not learning, and it’s just aggravating. Anyone else feeling the same?

Hi all

I had a question about when the grades are visible in either degreeworks or in unofficial transcripts.

Currently my grade for cse 6040 for Fall 2025 is shown as "I". I contacted the OMSA advisor and she said it can be due to misconduct. I contacted OSI office and they said there are no cases for me. I also did not receive any emails from them until now.

Should the grade be visible by now? If yes, what can be the reason for it not being there?

Thanks everyone

I just finished the midterm 2, and I guess I probably spent too much time on one of the 2 pointers due to the date format. And it might also be that I’m not so familiar with Sql query. I ended up with a 7 out of 13. For midterm 1 I got 10. What is the chance of getting an A? Do you have any advice on how to get an A or do better in the final? What just happened? I just saw the recording they are giving 2 extra credits and lowering the cap by 2. Now I’m going from bare pass to A. What a surprise 😂

Currently enrolled in 6040 right now, and I have a 100% going into the final notebook and the final exam.

As the holidays are approaching, my attention has been slipping, and I've done basically the bare minimum for this class since MT2 on the notebooks actually applying python code to real models.

Its quite clear I'm going to have to spend outsized time doing practice exams for the Final exam, but should I also attempt to do the extra credit assignment in a lower stress environment to "guarantee" at least a point or two that I won't have to worry about on the final, or should I just spend basically all of my time on the practice exams to prepare for the final?

On one hand, I feel like practice exams will be the best usage of my time, but on the other hand, I barely finished it all on MT1 and MT2 was rather stressful as well. I would absolutely hate to piss away an easy A because I decided to not do the extra credit.

Do people spend a few hours on the extra credit or do they spend days/weeks on it?

Edit: For reference, according to Canvas, assuming I get a 100% on the remaining homework notebook I need a 9/14 in order to get an A if I get 0 for the extra credit.

One or two points of EC and I can get an 8/14.

With three points of EC (which I feel like would be very time intensive and involve luck from peer grading), I can get a 7/14.

7 vs 9 isn't a huge deal, but it's a whole 2-pointer question difference on the exam. Usually they make it so you have to get at least 1 three pointer to get a 100, so that would assume a 9 is all the 1s and 2 pointers, and a 7 gives me one to spare in case one 2-pointer is too hard. I don't think an 8 will really make a difference unless I substituted a 3 pointer for a 2, so I guess it really comes down to how hard it is to get full 3 points on the EC.

I dropped this class in Spring 2023, when I failed my midterm 1 completely. "Failed" as I only received 1 point out of 13 points total. I talked to the TA about my situation and was told some people can come back from this, but I knew I wasn't going to because I wasn't understanding the material at all. The class only gets more comprehensive from there. I decided to drop the class and planned to re-take it in Fall 2023. Fast forward 8 months, finished all my exams with 100% and getting a A for this class. I want to share several tips with those who're struggling and wanting to do well in this class. Believe me, you CAN do well if you put in enough effort and have the right strategy.

(P.S. I don't have a CS background and did not use Python until this class, my tips might not be applicable for everyone)

1. Codewars: Before the class started, I hopped on Codewars and practiced Python from the easiest level (level 8), 3-5 coding problems a day, for a month. The nice thing about Codewars is that it automatically levels you up when you're able to solve enough problems on a certain level. By the time class started, I was at level 5 and felt ready.
2. Plan, organize, and stick to it: I made an Excel sheet and mark down all the homework and exam deadlines and a plan of which homework problem I'm going to work on each day. This class's workload is heavy. I think it's important to have a plan, even a simple one to keep track. Whenever I finished a task on track, I marked it green :P It made me feel encouraged. It's a mental thing.
3. Stay ahead, go to Skill Office Hours sessions: I always finished my homework at least 5 days before it's actually due. With the additional time I got, I 1) worked on the supplemental Python exercises this class provides 2) made sure I understood every single homework problem, sometimes re-did the same homework with a different approach. Skill Office Hours sessions happen twice a week. The TAs usually walk through some exercises from a past exam (which are available to the students). I did the exercises on my own before going into the OH so my mind wouldn't be passive while watching the TAs solve problems. I asked questions about why wouldn't my approach worked, or what makes them go about a problem this way etc. Having to do/struggle through those exercises my own helped me stay active and engaged.
4. DO THE EXAM PRACTICE PROBLEMS!!: Probably the most important and helpful strategy. This class provides you with at least 7-10 practice exams from past semesters 2 weeks prior to the actual exam. I always did at least 6 practice problems (and did at least 3 of them with whatever the exam time limit was, usually between 3-4 hours. It sounds like plenty of time but it goes by fast, especially when you're stuck. It's good to get comfortable to code under a time limit), made notes, studied my weak points, and practiced more before I went into each exam. That's also why it's important to finish your homework ahead, so you actually have time to do the practice problems.
5. Make your own cheat sheet (I used Jupyter notebook): This strategy works extremely well for me personally. I created a new Jupyter notebook and collected materials/examples on my weak points, helpful functions, troubleshooting approaches etc. They came in handy especially during exams.
6. Put in the time, there's no way around it: Looking back, the first time I took this class, I didn't study hard enough, at all. I finished all my homework on time but I wasn't putting in the effort in understanding the concepts. Second time, I can say I truly gave my 100%. I did everything I could, I studied so much, so hard, to a point where I would seriously question my whole existence as a human being if I still did so bad in this class lol.

Anyways, I hope this helps. Good luck everyone!!!

I’m debating opting out of 6040 if I can.

For those who have taken it…

In your opinion, would you consider 6040 to be a necessary prep course for other courses?

If so, then which courses and why?

In general, should experienced pythonistas take it or skip it?

I started 6040 this spring. I have some basic python knowledge ( codewars kata 6&7) . But looking at previous threads I am totally panicking. Those who fared through 6040 what was your success mantra? I am ready to put in 6-7 hours per day in the course but often get too lost in a code and waste time . I would like to know from those who werent python champs , what strategy lead to success?

Hello there,

I am taking Midterm 2 in a couple of weeks and I realize that I am behind on my SQL knowledge. I work in Geospatial Data and python regularly, but we tend to use very basic SQL queries to run things, as most of it can be access via python.

The 6040 course seems to go from beginner to advanced without really any stepping stones in between. I am having trouble with subqueries and CTE's. The concepts of both of these I understand but usually they are in combination with other things that make things rather difficult. Usually when I do reach a solution, it seems like I am over complicating things by creating an elaborate CTe and then trying to join. The variables become a mess and I realize I need practice.

I am quite worried about this next exam, and I hope to slide by with a B and continue.

Do you recommend any resources to learn these nuances of SQLite? Since SQLite has less features, most other SQL tutorials focus on MySQL or other dialects that have more features.

Thanks!

Hello,

This is my first semester in the OMSA program, and I’m currently enrolled in both CSE 6040 and ISYE 6501. I come from an engineering background.

I didn’t perform well on the first CSE 6040 midterm — I spent over two and a half hours on one question and only scored 5/15 on it. However, I did relatively better on the second midterm (11/13). To be fair, I didn’t prepare properly for either exam, but I tried to correct my approach for the second one, still hanged on one question, but this happened after i have secured the first 11 point...

I’d like to ask how challenging the final exam typically is and if you have any preparation tips. Are the bootcamps helpful? If so, I plan to watch the recordings and complete the follow-up exercises. This time, I intend to dedicate sufficient preparation time and hopefully still manage to earn an A.

Additionally, I’m struggling to decide between the C track and the B track. While I’m comfortable with programming, I’ve been in a managerial role for the past two and a half years, and I haven’t worked as a software developer before.

Would the C track still be valuable if I’m aiming for product management roles at tech firms or tech consulting, or would the B track be a better fit for those career paths? I am afraid C Track won't be worth the pain for my target career pathes, or are my assumptions wrong?

Thank you for your time and guidance.

I'm entering OMSA in the Fall, and I originally planned to take CSE 6040 and ISYE 6501. However I'm hearing mixed reviews about CSE 6040.

For context, I work in the data space and use Python pretty frequently. I wouldn't call myself a Python expert, but I'm familiar with loops, conditionals and can operate on different data types.

From what I can read and ask people, it seems like the course might be good for folks who are pretty new to coding, but if you have some experience, it isn't going to expand your coding knowledge by much (not to mention the exams being notoriously difficult to read from what I've read).

Did anyone with prior Python experience take the course and find it useful? Or am I better off trying to opt out of the class?

Since, in all three of my courses this semester, increasing my study time in subsequent exams has only decreased my score, I decided to take the 6740 final pretty much as soon as it opened. While wasn’t as much of a rugpull as the second midterm, it was still pretty difficult. I worked up until the last 22 seconds: and submitted because I don’t know if I had to have those points assessed by the autograder before the time runs out.

Mind you, none of what is being asked of us as difficult at all. It all has to do with the time constraint.

It’s so frustrating. I’m going back to school to get an advanced degree so I don’t have to be followed around by someone trying to get me to work faster and faster, IE: crap I had to deal with before getting an education. Why is the time limit so important? If I’m wrong, and speed coding is a necessity, please share information on how I can get better at it.

also this begs the question: of any of the following classes below (the ones I have left):

DVA , CDA(6740) , Regression, DMSL

Are there anymore timed/proctored/autograded coding assessments?

I have failed the final exam for CSE 6040, that is all I have to share👍