FAQ for people thinking about taking 6.1800

I want to take 6.1800 this term, but I haven't taken 6.1910. Can I still take it?

We are enforcing the 6.1910 this semester. 6.1800 immediately builds on material from the last half of 6.004, and for the most part does not review that content (and proceeds at a faster pace); you may not take them as co-requisites. If you feel that you have a compelling reason to take 6.1800 without having taken 6.1910, please fill out this form.

Can I take 6.1800 as a sophomore? As a first-year? I have taken 6.1910.

We strongly discourage sophomores and first-years from taking 6.1800 even if they have already accumulated the nominal prerequisites. Since this is a class where we study real systems, students get more out of 6.1800 the more experience they have in computer science. You can accumulate that experience in various ways: UROPs, other classes, summer jobs, more interaction with systems such as Athena, etc. Juniors have an additional year of such experience.

I have a class conflict with 6.1800 lectures. Will you be recording them?

No, we will not be recording lectures this year.

It's now more than two weeks into the term and I want to add 6.1800. I haven't been participating until now, but I'm willing to work hard to catch up. What are my prospects?

Much of the learning experience in 6.1800 comes from participating in recitation discussions of assigned papers. A large part of your grade depends on that participation, which you cannot make up. Thus, we don't allow adds after more than two weeks into the term, except in extenuating circumstances.

Can I have permission to register for 6.1800 as a listener?

Yes and no. In 6.1800, we regularly have a much larger enrollment than the department has teaching resources. At the same time, we would like to cater to students who want just to listen. So we offer a compromise: we have no objection to listeners attending the lectures, but we don't permit listeners to join recitations. The reason is that 6.1800 recitations are intended for discussion. Active listeners usurp opportunities that registered class members should have to participate. And passive listeners act as negative role models for those registered students who are hesitant to participate. Either way, it doesn't work very well.