Tell me about it.

The book costs $0.75 to $4.75 on amazon.com so i'm assuming the class can't be hard

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8/17/2010 2:31:58 PM

Who's teaching it?

Also, a cakewalk for a 400-level.

8/17/2010 2:33:27 PM

Arne Nilsson?

Alexander Cakewalk or regular Cakewalk?

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8/17/2010 2:40:22 PM

lol oops

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 3:05 PM. Reason : ]

8/17/2010 3:04:34 PM

The prof is about 90 yrs old and has a quiet mumbling drone, as he reads verbatim through a different powerpoint every lecture.

HW 15%
Midterm 35%
Final 50%

Mostly written homework, network topics and different protocols and such, occasional very simple math. (calculating transmission times or something) Maybe some shortest path stuff or packet size math.

8/17/2010 3:05:09 PM

Mmm...407...was that the intro networking class? Yeah, I had some Chinese dude that I barely understood, and the class average on the midterm was around 50 percent. Somehow I pulled off an A in that class, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you why. I can tell you that it's boring. Veeeerrry boring.

8/17/2010 9:00:10 PM

http://www.wolftech.ncsu.edu/tracster/distributions/ECE/407

8/18/2010 10:16:04 AM

sweet that means i'll get a B

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8/18/2010 12:24:43 PM

holy shit going to this class is going to be awful, hopefully i can get this B without attending

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8/19/2010 9:19:38 PM

Just don't be that douchebag that walks into class late, turns in the homework on the table, and then walks right back out, right in front of the professor.

8/19/2010 11:31:57 PM

Hm you must've met Nilsson then. He needs life support. His grandkids were around to invent the internet.

8/20/2010 11:02:06 AM

as long as you don't come in 5 mins late whats wrong with that?

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[Edited on August 20, 2010 at 12:14 PM. Reason : ]

8/20/2010 12:14:23 PM

There are complete solutions to the homework on the internet.

8/20/2010 9:08:43 PM

The class participation has already dropped by about 50%... I think there was like 15 kids in there the other day.

Where the heck are you getting your book info at? I can't find that book anywhere less then $60ish

9/6/2010 1:43:44 AM

idk... remember that room was entirely filled the first day of class. Attendance is probably at 30%. Participation is still just the one guy on the front row who asks questions, the weird guy who yells shit out from the back, and the black dude who asks questions in every class.

i sat in the back of class the other day and counted 7 people who weren't on their laptops

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[Edited on September 6, 2010 at 11:18 PM. Reason : ]

9/6/2010 11:16:29 PM

So is this test next week going to be hard? i've only been to class once

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9/29/2010 1:57:13 AM

No clue! I've only been going to class on homework days...

Hopefully it'll be easy with open notes/ computer... but his test in 220 were not easy.... and the tests are worth a TON in this class... 30% midterm 50% final

9/29/2010 11:08:59 PM

Its not that bad, expect some question that you can't quite find in the book or isn't quite the same that everyone will miss.

9/29/2010 11:27:36 PM

Guess i should buy a book, and print out all of his notes.


I'm probably just going to copy/paste & organize his slides into an easy to navigate printout.


We're allowed laptops?

and i get the feeling that everyone's 220 tests are hard, because its the basis for just about every other class that isn't 100% programming oriented

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9/30/2010 1:32:47 PM

F!@$ the test was beast! I bombed it didn't know we could use laptop!

10/5/2010 11:05:37 PM

I'm definitely going to bitch if i didn't do well.

The website syllabus clearly says "No Laptops" But i think i got at least an 80.

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10/5/2010 11:25:07 PM

Yeah it definitely wasn't that easy..... A few weeks ago someone bugged him enough to let us use laptops during the exam and he allowed it.

10/6/2010 6:25:31 PM

Lol, that was the "people who come to class" advantage.

10/6/2010 8:32:34 PM

grades for the exam have been posted... but it sure wasn't what I was expecting......

10/8/2010 8:23:42 PM

Has anyone talked to him about getting extra partial credit on their exams yet?

10/15/2010 10:24:16 AM

yea i went to his office got +15 points on my 39 so 54!biatches!! and asked will there be some sort of extra credit in the future he said yes.

And what was the avg that some guy with the grades came up with?

10/15/2010 3:49:03 PM

He said it was in the mid 50s, not counting people who didn't show up to get their exams back / people who left. I changed this class to credit only because i'd rather not deal with this again in december, though i did go into Cecelia's office and she said due to the number of complaints, something would have to be done about it.

A 54 is still a D correct? lol

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10/16/2010 12:43:55 AM

I'm beginning to think that this gets said every semester, it certainly isn't the first time there has been a large number of complaints after a Nilsson 407 midterm, and not the first time they said they'd 'look into it.'

Bottom line NCSU ECE does a piss-poor job representing the networking side of the house, it's practically an afterthought, and with Cisco right in their backyard, you'd think they could try a little harder to help tailor interested students into that kind of specialization.

That being said, Nilsson will employ some kind of curve at the end, I'd say switching credit-only is a stupid choice unless you got like a 10 on the midterm, and it still isn't that hard to get a decent grade in the class.

I also have absolutely no sympathy for someone who never goes to class, I've had two classes with Nilsson, and I managed alright.

10/16/2010 2:11:47 AM

Didn't ask for sympathy. This class blows, worse than 220, 200 lab or any other class i've taken in my entire life. I only took it because a faculty member (not going to name names lulz) told me it was an easy A. I don't consider having to go to different people's offices to try to get points back after the fact an easy A. Of course nothing serious will be done, the guy is on tenure.

http://www.wolftech.ncsu.edu/tracster/distributions/ECE/407/Spring|Fall/2010|2009|2008|2007|2006|2005|2004|2003|2002|2001|2000/Nilsson,Arne

yeah that looks pretty normal to me


The dude just mumbles through his slides verbatim. I changed to credit only sitting IN CLASS he refused to work that last exam problem that was about 4 short lines of algebra and 20% of the test because he didn't have the solution? Your primary research interest is networking and you can't work out the queuing delay for 3 packets?

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10/18/2010 4:58:24 AM

gdr's are in wrap now? that's ghey

10/18/2010 5:45:57 PM

Quote :

"The prof is about 90 yrs old and has a quiet mumbling drone, as he reads verbatim through a different powerpoint every lecture."

-8/17/2010

10/18/2010 8:55:03 PM

I am taking this class next semester. The instructor is M. Sichitiu though.

Does anyone know if he is he better or worse than Nilsson?

10/19/2010 1:53:36 PM

We had this issue last year with him, he ended up giving massive credit on his exams.

I had Sichitiu for 470 last year, pretty down guy.

10/20/2010 4:50:48 PM

I plan to take ECE 470 next semester... Has anyone taken this class? There's not much feedback on the school tool on this site...

10/21/2010 4:29:39 PM

Its a lab class. Just do the lab, its mostly packet captures, work with some old ass cisco gear and setup some linux boxes to be routers etc.

Btw for anyone taking 470 I have my book still Ill sell for cheep and will throw in some extra stuff I have still from the class.

If you want to see the lab, PM me as I have access in it right now for a project.

10/21/2010 4:43:06 PM

Does anyone know if we get to use laptops for the final exam?

12/3/2010 11:38:48 PM

depends on the professor. Nilsson was ready to give us anything.

if anyone wants the 470 book i have it.

12/4/2010 7:49:42 PM

Final grades are up in the Grade Book... I'm glad I stayed in this class! haha

12/17/2010 4:13:22 PM

end up with a b+ was hoping higher but screw up on midterm

12/18/2010 1:09:24 AM

Same my midterm was a 46

12/18/2010 7:41:16 AM

On the class website it said my final letter grade is B+, but on PackPortal it said B-. So I emailed the TA (knowing emailing to Neilson is pointless) and he said that I should have a B+. So I forwarded him the email (so did the TA) geeze I hope he clear this shit out...he is ridiculous.

[Edited on December 20, 2010 at 3:39 PM. Reason : Cause he is old.]

12/20/2010 3:38:27 PM

Yeah. The exact same thing for me too... Had a B+ and it's showing a B- on mypacks

an email to the professor did nothing but him sending me a blank email response back 4 hours later

12/20/2010 4:55:46 PM

It's still showing the wrong score. I emailed/called him, no response so far. Anyone else have the same problem?

12/21/2010 2:26:56 PM

Yes, he must have done it to everyone.

The TA said hes told him as well and that he doesn't have the power to fix it himself

12/21/2010 2:47:54 PM

I just talked to someone who got an A on wolfware but C in mypack, so most likely Nilsson screwed up the data entry part. He's most likely on vacation as well. This could be screwy for someone on financial aid.

12/21/2010 3:57:14 PM

it looks to me that he didn't add his curve to the grades that are on MyPacks... but if someone really went from an A to a C then that would mean he gave different curves to everyone... which is weird too

12/22/2010 3:08:55 PM

I wouldn't put anything past this guy.. he is a total nutjob and failure. He'll probably end up saying the C will stand. Major douche.

12/22/2010 5:56:03 PM

how many people got lower grade than posted on wolfware? anyone got higher grade? he is not responding to email...might be oot. might have to talk to townsend.

12/23/2010 12:18:42 PM

Everyone Ive talked to has gotten a lower grade

12/23/2010 6:12:25 PM

Glad I dropped this bitch

Sucks for anyone who 'earned' a c but got like a d or something. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.

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12/23/2010 11:00:06 PM