Teaching

...begin by assuming a perfect sphere...

Good Afternoon Professor
 
My name is [redacted]. I am a freshman majoring in Computer Science. I was part
of CS 240 this Spring Semester. I wanted to take a moment to thank you for
teaching me this semester. It truly has been a privilege to be taught by you.
 
First, I want to thank you for always keeping the classes exciting and fun. For
so many of my classes whenever I didn’t feel like studying, you were able to
motivate me every time. Moreover, I really want to commend your patience with
all of us, you were so understanding all the time.
 
Finally, I want to thank you for your teaching style. You went over every topic
in such detail in your lectures and the engaging methods of your teaching with
the best mixture of humour made it even more exciting for us. I also appreciate
the fact that all the videos and lecture notes were provided on Brightspace
which really helped me in studying and reviewing the study material outside
class. It greatly added to my understanding of the course.  
 
Your understanding and compassion for all students are admirable qualities.
Thank you for making this semester so transformative.
 
With gratitude,
[redacted]

Good evening!
I'm [redacted], and I took CS 240 this semester. I wanted to share the
impact of this class on me.

I was very worried about this class because I had no experience in C. This
scared me because I had Java experience, but CS 180 was quite difficult for me.
Nevertheless, I loved this class and learned so much: of course, how to program
in C, but also how to be a better programmer in general. This class wasn't easy,
but I believe most valuable things aren't. 

I spent countless hours in office hours and lab sessions, and this experience
amplified a lesson I've been learning during my time here: it's okay to ask for
help. I would be embarrassed to ask for help, because I didn't want to be
perceived as dumb, but not asking for help just meant wasting time, and losing
out on valuable insight. 

I also wanted to commend the TAs for this class. They've been extremely helpful
not only in helping me completing the homework assignments, but in understanding
what I was coding, and why I was doing it. 

I'll be honest, I was initially perplexed and frightened at the prospect of
handwriting code for the exams. Looking back, I see the value of doing so.
Handwriting code and the emphasis on code standard is part of the reason I can
say I'm a better programmer: I can understand concepts and write effective,
readable code. 

When I first entered the realm of computer science, when taking an intro to
python course my junior year, I heard about working through binary trees and
linked lists for coding interviews. Back then, this seemed like a monumental
feat, something I would not be able to do. Here I am now, traversing trees and
linked lists for homework AND understanding why and how. There was really no
reason for me to convince myself that I couldn't do it. 

All in all, taking CS 240 was such a rewarding experience in that it helped me
think through coding problems, to understand what was needed, and how to fix
errors that popped up.

I also wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed the trivia breaks, and the
piano performances even more! I've been wanting to practice more throughout the
school year, and seeing you play encouraged me!

Thank you!

[redacted]

Dear  Professor, Turkstra
This weekend I will be graduating with my BS in Industrial Engineering. As I
look back at my 4 years of Purdue education, I remember profoundly you and your
CS180 I took in Fall 2018.  

Your teaching has helped me a lot to gain a foundational knowledge in
programming.  Through you, I learned more than the Java syntax and OOP, I
started to think in Object Oriented design and structure.  It is so rewarding
when you can translate a problem or an algorithm into a working program. All
thanks to you, you have greatly influenced my life and soon work. I still have
my notes and often refer to them.  

Also I want to thank you for helping me with a letter of recommendation when I
tried to transfer to UM to be closer to my parents due to health. 
Thank you very much for the course and for knowing you. I enjoyed every minute
of your lectures as well as our interactions.
 
BTW I left you a small thank you gift at your door.

Warm Regards, 
[redacted]

Hello,

I took your CS307 class last spring and your CS240 class the spring before that.
I just wanted to reach out to you to say thank you for teaching the courses the
way that you did. Especially CS307. Without that course, I would be
significantly less prepared for this career fair. Working on a large project
gave me so much experience. I loved working with the scrum model and having a
team. I also love how it was very open ended which made us put more effort into
the project and care more about it. I'm not sure how many students thank you
after your classes so I figured I would let you know how much you've helped me
grow as a programmer.

Sincerely, [redacted].

Dear Dr. Turkstra,

I wanted to extend a personal thank you for being one of my (and first!) CS
professors at Purdue. I’ve just been notified that I have been offered a full
time position at Eli Lilly after I graduate in the spring! I took your CS180
section in Fall 2018 and CS240 in Spring 2019. Your passion for Computer
Science, C, Linux, and so much more helped get me to where I am today. I will
never forget the WinDOZE joke - and how I learned over the next few semesters it
was no joke. You’ve successfully converted me to Linux. 

Purdue students are lucky to have you guide them into this fascinating field and
show us how many different paths we can take. My undergrad has been interesting
to say the least going through a global pandemic and half of it online, but
that’s what us CS majors do. We adapt to new situations and “try it out” (that
was one of my favorite answers that you gave when someone asked “what happens if
you do this?”)

So again, I thank you sincerely for all of your help and passion in your role as
a professor. I can’t wait to see the impact I can make on my field and share the
knowledge you’ve shared with me as well. 

Boiler Up!

Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hi,

I just wanted to say, congrats on being voted best professor!  I didn't vote
because I didn't really know about that, to be honest, but if I did I would have
voted for you.  You have made me fall in love with C and not even just that,
computer science in general.  I was told this class was going to be really hard
in a bad way and that I would dread it every week however that is just not the
case.  I love when the new homework comes out each week because I look forward
to doing them.  I also love using a terminal which I know many students do not
but you did an amazing job at helping me through it and making it easier and
more enjoyable.  This class has been a blast and I will miss it in the future.

Thank you for everything thus far!

[redacted]

Good evening, Professor Turkstra! I'm [redacted].
I just want to say thank you for the past fall semester. I really like your
amazing lectures and I also appreciate your patience in email and office hours.
It's been a wonderful experience for me in CS240, and I get an A at the end. I
found your class meaningful and helpful, and I've learned a lot in it. 

Hope you have a fantastic break and Merry Christmas!

best, 
[redacted]

Professor Turkstra,
 
Hope you are doing well! I just wanted to thank you for making my college
experience memorable and for getting the opportunity to work as a TA with you
for three semesters. I really enjoyed working as a TA for CS 307 and CS 240 and
learnt a lot during this time.

Also, thank you for all that you do for your students! I really enjoyed your CS
180 class and was actually excited to come to class every day. I am very
thankful for passionate professors like you!

I hope to stay in touch and I will be joining Oracle as a software engineer
after graduation.
 
Thank you,
[redacted]

Hello Prof. Turkstra,
 
I wanted to begin this email by thanking you (and the rest of the people who
helped run the CS 240 course) for adapting the course to an online course so
well.  In my opinion, the transfer of this course to online was the best out of
any of my courses this semester and I think a large part of this was due to the
helpfulness of the professors, GTAs, and TAs in lectures/office hours/Piazza.  I
also enjoyed watching your lectures as they were very engaging (and often funny
at times!).  The last thing I wanted to thank you for was replacing the last two
exams with the project.  I personally really enjoyed the challenge and the
development of a larger project than just our homework assignments.  It also
seems like a more realistic expectation from a software developer than an exam,
so thank you.
 
[...]
 
I hope you have a great summer!
 
Thank you,
[redacted]

Hello, hope you are doing well through all of this. My name is [redacted],
and I am a current student in your CS240 course. I know a lot has been going on
in figuring out the course workload recently, but I am here to thank you for
your commitment to the course throughout all of these changes. This course,
although it has proved a challenge, has genuinely helped me in my understanding
of functional programming. The "iTunes" project has done a great job of
introducing me to a more realistic work environment, and has severely aided in
my practical understanding of the language as a whole. The work that we have
accomplished so far has pushed me to work alongside my boss this summer in the
production of a small web REST API and corresponding front-end. But as a closing
statement, thank you. Your course, although likely not the same opinion that
others hold, has been greatly appreciated. Thank you for your commitment to our
education throughout all of these changes.

Sincerely,
[redacted]

Dear Professor,

I wanted to let you know that I found your latest lecture on Buffer Overflows,
System Calls and Assembly very interesting. I loved the way you explained the
concepts and it made me want to engage more in the topic of system security. I
was wondering how I should go about doing this apart from taking the security
track in Purdue, perhaps a project or anything else.

I appreciate the time you spent reading this email and thank you again for the
wonderful lecture. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sincerely,
[redacted]

Dear Dr. Turkstra,

I was helping my little sister with homework and realized it is Teacher
Appreciation Week. I wanted to tell you that I am lucky to having attended your
course and further connected with you. I cherish every bit of advice and tip I
got from you, and the support you have given writing me a letter of
recommendation. . Thank you for your passion and dedication – I appreciate you.

[...]

Truly, [redacted]

In the first full semester affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Professor
Turkstra was able to make our asynchronous CS240 course lively, engaging,
and challenging in a satisfying way.  His lectures were something to
look forward to during the weeks, and I gained a lot from his passionate
teaching style.  Prof. Turkstra went above and beyond to make the class
as similar and it could have been in-person, and I commend him for the
extra effort taken in connecting with his students and providing clear
and helpful instruction outside of the lectures.

I had this professor for CS240 in the Spring of my freshman year. The
class was hard and in the middle of the semester, we were hit with the
Covid situation. He was not the professor of my section, but he taught
both sections. He had the best lectures I have ever had in Purdue. He
was precise, clear, and very passionate about his subject. He would help
everyone and care about our academics and was aware and understanding
of our circumstances. He made me really like my major.

• By far one of my favorite teachers here at Purdue. He loves teaching cs and it is so enjoyed having him.
• He explains topics very well and is very proficient at using the terminal and programming in front of the class.
• The instructor is really funny sometimes which makes attending his lectures a pleasure. I also really enjoy Purdue Trivia breaks.
• Your passion for CS is very evident, and you bring good energy to class to help learning.
• This class has a nice balance of difficulty. It is not an easy class, but the consistent and well-thought out structure means I don't have to worry about what comes next. Prof. Turkstra did an excellent job of teaching this class. He seems like one of the few professors that genuinely love teaching students. He always takes time to answer any questions that come up during lecture as well as office hours. He is very approachable and does everything in his power to help people pass this class.
• Seems very invested in the work that he does and cares about having students understand the content.
• Prof. Turkstra is very welcoming and friendly. He really enjoys teaching which is evident in his lectures. I hope he continues to have the same amount of passion and dedication towards his students and teaching.
• I really enjoy Turkstra's teaching. You can tell he's really passionate about what he's doing, and also understands how confusing the concepts can be when first learning them. I was really worried about this class going in, but honestly I get enjoyment out of the class and the work doesn't ever feel like its a chore for me. I think the homework assignments are fairly interesting, and really helped me solidify the content. I'd say I hope that Turkstra keeps teaching in this way, bringing up the coding examples in vim, changing things and showing the change in output, and allowing questions to be asked during this too. The homeworks are also laid out really well, so I think keeping the structure that way in the future would also be beneficial for future students.
• Great passion for the subject, which shows in well organized and presented lectures. Great in spending time for office hours and after class to answer students' questions individually. Definitely has a deep understanding for C/Systems and shares this understanding well.
• Professor Turkstra is great. I really enjoyed his lectures. My favorite part of his lectures were the live coding segments, because those kept me captivated and I was able to see and visualize what I was learning in the course. I also like how the code that was on the slides is what he programmed, because it allowed me to go back to my dorm afterwards and try it out for myself.
• Great structured lectures, and funny jokes during the lecture.
• Very organized class and lectures. Really shows care and understanding of students and material.
• The homework assignments in this course were honestly really fun, they were a good challenge and definitely helped me understand the material better as well.
• The homework assignments help to deepen understanding of the lecture material and the tests are then based off of the practiced material. Very helpful.
• Passionate teacher
• The instructor explains concepts very thoroughly and provides plenty of examples as well as additional help.
• Well-developed homeworks and lectures
• I really liked how he ran lectures because it could easily get boring in a cs lecture, but he always breaks up class with the purdue trivia, and also he tries to make it more fun. Also I like all the in class coding examples because they really help visualize the actual implementation of the code.
• Interactive, engaging in lecture.
• I really like how you show us the code running in terminal in lecture, as that gives us a good idea on how to write it, and also what problems could arise.
• I like how interactive the professor in lecture. I appreciate the variety of trivia breaks/ slides, answering questions, and coding.
• The homeworks really help you learn what you need to learn and the quizzes reinforce some of the more abstract knowledge we learn in class.
• He was always well prepared, and even went above and beyond trying to make the class more fun and engaging with live demonstrations, Trivia Break, and fun interjections on the material. It's clear he deeply cares about the material and his students, and his enthusiasm for teaching shows in every lecture. His energy took what could have been a mediocre and boring course and made me instead feel excited and eager to come to lecture.
• Great, funny, informative lectures. Fun homework assignments.
• I love your enthusiasm for the class and your live coding.
• He teaches the course well and always accepts student input, and takes a small break for trivia in the lecture, which is something that I appreciate.
• He always welcomes questions and keeps us on the same page as we proceed through the lesson. The trivia breaks are also a great way to learn about Purdue history.
• He is knowledgeable in what he's teaching during lectures and he is a friendly lecturer.
• I really think his lectures are very helpful, well structure, and his style of teaching is really great. his knowledge of the subject and care for his students shine through.
• Professor Turkstra has easily been my favorite CS staff member that I have interacted so far with! He is funny, very intelligent in the field of C programming, and is a delight to have as an instructor for CS240! I am very, very satisfied with this semester with him!
• I really enjoyed the class and having Professor Turkstra as a professor for CS240. He always made lectures interesting and the energy he brought to the class made it a lot better than it would have been without. The homework problems were really helpful in terms of providing examples and how to apply learning concepts to actual code.
• Prof. Turkstra really teaches with enthusiasm which makes every class very interesting and informative.
• Great teacher
• explains extremely clearly, very dedicated to students and encouraging, truly brought me a passion in learning C
• Professor Turkstra explains concepts really well and always makes sure to clear any confusions. His exams are also fair as they test on what we have learned instead of making it unnecessarily difficult. I hope he continues to teach in this manner.

• Great lecturer with fun and interesting lectures.
• The instructor creates a very positive environment in the class with plenty of jokes and tries to cheer everyone up. I also really like the Purdue Trivia breaks which are a nice break from the subject matter.
• Engaging lectures and great live coding
• Dr. Turkstra is a fantastic teacher who makes learning really enjoyable! I hope he continues to do the Purdue trivia breaks during future lectures, as learning lots of new information at once can be overwhelming so having a break helps me process things.
• Dr Turkstra is very knowledgeable in his field, and is friendly to talk to after his lessons. He is clearly passionate about not only his field, but also Purdue.
• Prof Turkstra made it very clear that he was willing to help us throughout the semester if needed. He always made efforts to communicate with us about office hours and other extra ways to get help for this course.
• Dr. Turkstra clearly cares so much about his students. He set realistic expectations for this class while also stressing the resources we have available and personally making himself available to answer any questions students had. Before starting this year, I was concerned that our professor would be someone who didn't want to be teaching a freshman class & who wouldn't make it their first priority; I am so excited that that wasn't the case.
• Professor Turkstra was very effective at lecturing and providing examples which clearly outlined the material that needed to be learned.
• He welcomes questions in class and cares a lot about the learning of the students. He's very open and is honest with the students about his own knowledge and what he has time for. He always welcomes people to come in for additional help.
• I like how the professor show us coding examples and run them during the class. It makes it easier for me to understand the course content.
• He loves CS and is very enthusiastic about the class and wants us to succeed.
• Turkstra does a great job of explaining complex topics and gives a lot of information in an understandable way.
• I like that everything we learned was relevant to what I already knew about coding, and our projects and homeworks really pushed us to actually put our knowledge to the test. Also, Turkstra obviously is really passionate about teaching, and that's appreciated.
• This class is excellent in every respect; looking forward to being in another class taught by Dr. Turkstra next semester. Coming in with Java experience, I thought CS180 would be a bunch of busywork, but I was surprised that the homework and projects, though easy, were thought-provoking (it's not easy at all to find the best implementation). Beyond knowing the subject matter extremely well (which would already make him better than most professors who teach "programming" at Purdue), Turkstra shares a lot of wisdom with us. He talks about the human aspect of software development, the value of commenting, and the _process_ of writing code rather than the code itself. Not something you can get from a private tutor, even at $90/hr. In additional to this, Dr Turkstra communicates the subject matter extremely well. Computer science is more an art than fact regurgitation, and he structures his lectures with this in mind. He is very accessible in his office hours/after class.You can tell he really likes teaching. Great sense of humor too -- a fellow XKCD reader.
• Dr. Turkstra generally does well presenting the information clearly. He maintains a relaxed environment in the lecture and it seems like he cares about the students.
• Professor Turkstra approaches computer science topics with excitement and tries hard to get students interested in the subject. Great sense of humor, positive personality, and his lectures are never boring.
• The lectures are very informative and in depth
• I came into Purdue with a pretty limited knowledge of computer science. As a result, CS 180 was one of the most challenging classes I've ever taken in my life. However, despite how intense the course was on material, I found Dr. Turkstra's lectures to be light-hearted and like a break from the intensity of actually learning the material outside of class. I really enjoyed Professor Turkstra going on tangents about tech and what he knows because it's inspiring for me to hear about how all the dry coding now all ties back to the bigger picture which is the tech industry as a whole.
• He made the lectures interesting to attend with both lots of interesting information, an engaging teaching style between the way he lectured and his live examples, and his interesting stories and trivia really livened up the class. I hope he continues this in the future, because it really made my first semester here a fantastic experience and showed me just how fun classes could be.
• Prof. Turkstra was genuinely brilliant. I enjoyed every single lecture of his, he is incredibly engaging and an amazing lecturer. I enjoyed the fact that he uses Linux for his demonstrations. I ask a lot of questions during my classes, and Prof. took the time to answer all of them with great care. I'll miss his class next semester!

• Professor Turkstra does a great job in making CS240 a great lecture to attend. I also like the fact that there are recorded lectures for me to re-watch if needed.
• I really enjoyed the homeworks in this class, and the grading was very straightforward. The test files and linter were incredibly useful. I also really enjoyed most lectures; I thought they were interesting and had fun learning for learning's sake. This has probably been my most helpful CS class so far.
• Professor Turkstra gives students a lot of chances to communicate with him if he is struggling. He seems very passionate about the topic and wants to see us succeed.
• Turkstra was very enthusiastic about the material he taught and it really showed. He really wanted to help us students do well in the course.
• Professor Turkstra is very passionate about the language of C and it shows in his teaching. He discusses topics that are essential for the course, but also includes parts of C that may be helpful for our futures in computer science. He cares a lot about his students and has been wonderful this semester. His lectures are interesting and promote a positive learning environment.
• Professor brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
• I enjoy the lectures and admire the passion that the professor has for the material. I like the small breaks for purdue trivia, and the material is mostly slow enough to absorb.
• The classes are fun and interesting, the professor is enthusiastic and makes the lectures enjoyable. He is very knowledgeable and will give you an answer to anything you ask about. I like the trivia breaks and the funny videos or pictures that he shows us in class.
• Communicates well Fair Cares that students learn Expects a lot from students but in their best interest
• Absolutely amazing professor 10/10. Really cares about the students, adds humor into the lectures, always keeps me engaged when he adds in purdue trivia, amazing TA's.
• Prof. Turkstra is very passionate about the material and cares that it is learned by each student. The homeworks work well in conjunction with the lectures.
• Dr. Turkstra is always upbeat and visibly interested in the topics we are studying. His slides are detailed enough that rereading them after class still makes sense, and he shows many examples of code in class that allow us to visualize how to apply certain ideas. Furthermore, his trivia breaks are a great way to help wake us back up for the last part of lectures. Whether it be cracking jokes or interviewing a squirrel, he definitely made class super enjoyable! It was a class I hated to miss.
• He does a great job in making the content interesting for us to learn.
• I really liked the relaxed atmosphere created in lecture, it's passionate about the subject and helps me stay concentrated in class.
• Honestly a really nice professor, it's clear that he's not only passionate about CS and even tries to "destress" mid-class via trivia breaks. The teaching is pretty well laid out and clear for the most part as well.

• Makes the lectures really interesting and fun.
• The professor does a great job of teaching us about the SDLC. He also makes lectures interesting, and the tangents (although they do use time, I think are necessary for capturing our attention).
• Very well-prepared and interesting lectures. Very well-written exams.
• The assignments were really interesting and fun to read. Although I spent more time on this course than any other this semester, it didn't feel like so. The course was overall a very fun experience, and I'm really excited to do the next senior SE project course. I also really liked the early ending, since the additional time was very valuable.
• I think that Prof Turkstra does a really good job of explaining the material in lecture; he is very clear in how he communicates different software engineering concepts. I also think that he does a really good job because of the stories that he sometimes tells in lecture. They're always entertaining and provide a light-hearted break during lecture.
• After taking this course, I can also say that Professor Turkstra remains my favorite professor in the CS department. He's a fun guy with a sense of humor and interest in technology very similar to my own, and his teaching and grading, despite often being more difficult than other professors', seems very well justified.
• The instructor has a personality that makes students want to attend class. While I was initially opposed to the amount of work that the course project was, I found that it truly was a great project that helped me learn and grow as a software developer.
• I appreciate Professor Turkstra's openness to in-class discussions and his proactive approach to reciprocating the class's needs. As per the wishes of the students, he organized multiple bonus lectures and talked a lot about software engineering and the student's relevant tangents. His passion for learning and discussion is well conveyed in his passion for teaching and it's something that's rubbed off on me a lot.
• The lecture content was great and I enjoyed working on my group project
• The group project was a fun and educational experience
• The instructor seems to care a lot about students learning the material and enjoying the lectures.
• I believe Professor Turkstra did a good job with explaining all the material thoroughly. I also like how the Professor offered examples of the documents so that I know what to expect while doing my assignments.
• For the classroom portion of this class I felt like the topics were explained well. There was a lot of information that is relevant for when you enter the workforce.
• He has great software engineering lectures. I learned a lot in this class.
• Professor Turkstra makes the lectures exciting and engaging.
• The professor is good at always encouraging students to come to him for any help.
• Professor Turkstra has done a great job in transitioning this course to the online format. He answers questions well and is effective in teaching the material. I think that the class is very practical and can be applied to industry.

• Professor Turkstra is extremely proficient in the C Programming Language and should continue to teach his lectures well.
• Given the online environment we find ourselves in, Dr. Turkstra did a fantastic job of making lectures fun and interesting, and I really wish I'd been able to have him in person. He goes through examples and explains them thoroughly, which I always appreciate, and he scatters funny comments throughout them that engage my attention and make me actually enjoy watching lectures. He's a fantastic professor, and he very clearly cares about how we do in the class and making sure that we understand things.
• My favorite thing about professor Turkstra is how welcoming he makes you feel. He constantly makes it clear that he is available to answer any questions about Computer Science (doesn't have to be specific to the class). He also went above and beyond in adapting to COVID/remote learning. He would add fun things to the lectures (like the special guests) and Campuswire was INCREDIBLY reliable. In addition, I think he was just a good teacher - I enjoy his sense of humor and teaching style; but his adaptation to COVID was probably more important than being just a good teacher this semester.
• I enjoyed the lectures greatly and believe they were done well even with COVID preventing in-person lectures.
• Professor Turkstra I think is a really good professor and he did his best to make the lectures interesting. I also learned a lot from each homework assignment.
• I love that you genuinely seem like you ar enjoying yourself while teaching and you try to make it as interactive as possible.
• I think Professor Turkstra was great at communicating with students. He was very clear in what he expected from his students in the class (clearly stated due dates and mentioned assignments at the beginning of lectures). I also like that he tried to keep us engaged in his lectures by having special guests or taking breaks to discuss fun facts. It was nice to see him having fun recording lectures. He seems passionate about what he does.
• Everything is well organized and the lecture schedule is good. Projects make you learn and so does hw
• The instructor for this class is very open with his students and creates an environment where if we are having any issues we are free to reach out which is very welcome during these stressed times.
• I love his video instruction, makes jokes along the way, makes watching lectures worth it. I like the lecture slides, they are easy to understand and learn from.
• This course was incredibly well organized and it was obvious that Dr. Turkstra cared deeply about his students and their success. Although the course was taught exclusively online, I felt I was able to build a connection with Dr. Turkstra and thoroughly enjoyed spending the semester with him. I feel as though I have developed significant knowledge in C and will be able to apply this knowledge of computer science throughout my days in academics and in my career.
• I have never had a professor who is more enthusiastic about the content he is teaching. He made lectures so much fun. I always enjoyed watching. Not only that, the content was covered very clearly. I was hardly ever left confused. Your enthusiasm was contagious. This has been my favorite class in college.
• I really enjoy your lecture! it's interesting and professional
• He makes a really tough course, but he does really try and really care. I can't complain about the professor signing a ton of work when it's clear that he's doing a ton of work himself.
• Prof Turkstra really cares about this class and its students. I think he does a great job explaining the material, and I really enjoyed this class.
• Lectures are interesting and engaging and the material is for the most part explained very well. Always makes an effort to make each topic relatable and relevant and is approachable and nice. The clear passion for the subject really helps the overall experience.
• It seems like the professor really cares that students learn the material and really cares about C. I think the lectures very helpful and with the assignments really made me learn a lot.
• Professor Turkstra was an amazing prof. He handled the transition from in-person to online very well, keeping me very engaged in the lectures and homework assignments. He genuinely cares about the well-being and success of the students. The information was presented in a very clear, well organized manner, and it was clear how this information would be relevant to me in the future. Also, I found the course webpage to be very useful, especially the calendar. The test modules were also super handy, there was no guesswork to know if my code functioned or not.
• One of the few professors that actually makes an effort to engage with every student. Lectures are very enjoyable. Explains topics very well.
• It's a tough course, but I really learned a lot, and the project is very fun! I'm really looking forward to have similar courses in my future years of purdue!
• Prof. Turkstra is an extremely fair professor and explains all the material very well. He has been one of my favorite professors at Purdue.
• fast at responding and very understanding
• I hope that Professor Turkstra continues to show his passion for the course material in every lecture. By being truly excited to show new concepts every lecture with great examples, he made the course material easy to pickup because I wanted to be there for every lecture. I also hope that Professor Turkstra continues to share his personality and small parts of his life with us. It motivates me to be a more passionate, thoughtful, studious, and caring person. I think this is just as important as any of the material he covers in class.
• Amazing lectures. Material is explained clearly and concisely.
• Just a really good teacher, His video lectures were informative and interesting. And kept people engaged with the quizzes.
• Dr. Turkstra's lectures are very informative yet continue to be entertaining. He has consistently shown his care for the course and demonstrated an openness and willingness to help students that may be struggling or feel overwhelmed.
• Professor Turkstra is 100% passionate about and committed to computer science and the Purdue trivia breaks are great for breaking up the monotony of what are sometimes almost hour long lectures, and keeps them engaging. Though distance learning has made the semester fairly sucky I think Prof Turkstra did a good job making the best of it.
• Prof. Turkstra was my best professor this semester and one of the best I've had in my 5 semesters at Purdue. All of my classes were online this semester, but I really felt like I was sitting in an actual lecture hall with this professor. He explained the material well and was very accessible and accommodating. Even if I didn't like certain content or didn't understand it, Prof. Turkstra still made me appreciate it and care about it, which I think is one of the marks of a great professor. He showed care for his students even with distance learning and his lectures were always my favorite to watch each week. I liked having the lecture quizzes because they held me accountable for learning the material and taking time to let it soak in. The project was much more than I anticipated and there were many times where I did not feel capable of completing it, but the professor always believed in his students' abilities and was very encouraging during stressful times.
• Professor Turkstra does a great job of making class fun AND educational. He has a lot of funny jokes and bits, but they don't detract from the education. On the contrary, it makes it easier to learn the material because I find myself more engaged in the lectures.
• I don't know how conducive in-person lectures are to this, but having Dr. Turkstra demonstrate things through his own terminal was very helpful. Not only did it help at the beginning of the semester with terminal and vi commands, but it was easier to encode new information when it was broken down and explained in the same context that we would be experienced.
• I really think the homework assignments and projects drove us to fundamentally test code on our own and experience the ups and downs of coding which is fundamental to learning and becoming more experienced. Because if every line of code we write is given to us, we’ll never understand the other side of writing incorrect code and what might happen in the likely chance we make a mistake.
• The format the lectures go and the engagingness of the instructor with the students even if we are online is remarkable. Instructor should continue with all assignments as they really help the classroom learn.
• I personally appreciated all the work professor tried to have fun during the lectures. The squirrel interview was a personal favorite
• Prof Turkstra is great at explaining concepts and keeping his lectures interesting. I hope he continues to do that.
• This teacher is very enthusiastic about the material and really seems like he wants the students to succeed.
• Professor Turkstra does a good job of explaining the concepts by providing examples of code and goes step by step through the code in order to illustrate how the code works.
• I think the instructor is really passionate about computer science, and he knows how to encourage his students, which is helpful when I felt lost.
• He really cares about his students which is amazing to see.
• Professor Turkstra is a very caring and effecctive professor. I am an AAE major minoring in computer science so I don't have the talent or passion for programmin that CS majors have, as such I was apprehensive of C as I had heard from peers that it would be very hard compared to Java. While I definitely did struggle with C programming Professor Turkstra definietley made learning C more approachable and has created a course that is very tough, but fair, and possible to succeed in if the work is put in. Furthermore, this online semester has been tough, and while CS is a subject that can actually translate to online school relatively effectively, it's still a challenge, however this course did manage to be effective in teaching C online.
• He wants all his students to succeed. He gives them many opportunities for help and will not hesitate to help any of his students. Always would keep his students engaged in lectures and makes sure he gets his point across.
• Professor Turkstra was very personable and you can tell he genuinely cares about student performance. Being flexible with class policy and always trying to encourage students was great to see. I really enjoyed the content and digested it much better than the previous time I took the class.
• He is super cool!!!

• Turkstra's lectures do a very good job of communicating the concepts being put to work in the course.
• Turkstra uses many examples in terminal, which makes it easier to understand harder topics.
• This instructor is very knowledgeable of the material and very good at explaining the related concepts.
• This course is not easy, but it has taught me more than every other course I've taken. Students in this class won't be babysat or walked through everything that will be asked of them, but they will be given the means to be able to figure out how to do everything asked. Given that the class is for computer science majors, this seems very reasonable as in the real world and even just more advanced classes it can't be expected that everything will be simple, easy, and clear. This class requires the use of the brain, and I found that it pushed me to be better than I ever thought I could be.
• The way Prof Turkstra explains concepts (especially the concepts that he is interested in) is absolutely amazing. He is able to inspire in his students the same passion that he very clearly has for the subject. I greatly appreciated this.
• The material was explained well in-class and was easily followed
• The instructor was very knowledgeable and that was obvious from the lectures and the way he presented himself. I appreciated how he never came off as being better than any of us just because he knew more and I hope he will continue that in the future
• The instructor does a good job of getting students excited about the subject and encouraging them to learn necessary principles of software development. He truly cares that we have all the tools for a successful career.
• The instructor was sure of the content and knew it perfectly. The course structure was rigid and questions/concerns regarding the course and most syllabus related questions were answered in a direct manner. This was helpful and greatly appreciated.
• The instructor was very good at listening to student feedback, especially considering the circumstances of the pandemic.
• The instructor did a good job being encouraging and relating what we learned to its applications in the real world. The Homeworks overall were helpful, interesting, and often challenging without being overwhelmingly so.
• The homework assignments were very in depth and thorough and helped reinforce concepts learned in class.
• The course website was a great centralized resource that made it easy to resources or needed information. The in class code examples and illustrations in the slides made it much easier to understand difficult concepts, especially when pointers and memory came into play.
• Really enjoyed his passion for the subject, and the fact that he takes questions after every topic.
• Professor Turkstra is very approachable and takes any and all questions very seriously. I hope this continues in the future.
• Professor Turkstra shows a very good understanding of the C language and you can tell he is passionate about the subject. It is really refreshing to see in a professor. I hope some day I will be as versed in Computer Science as he is.
• Professor Turkstra does an excellent job preparing every aspect of his course material and presents the subjects covered in this course extremely clearly. In particular, during most of his lectures, he will spend a solid portion of the lecture on live-coding demonstrations that reinforce the importance of understanding the topics being covered in that lecture and how they can be applied in real-world examples. Additionally, I felt that the vast majority of the homework assignments were adequately documented and an accurate assessment of the skills we learned throughout the course.
• Professor Turkstra goes into detail about most, if not all, topics that he covers. He also is able to explain why code functions the way it does in an effective and understandable way.
• Professor was very knowledgeable in this subject and knew what he was talking about, which was really nice.
• Professor Turkstra is very well invested in his students' learning. Although pop quizzes and code standards can get frustrating at times, I have learned a lot from them. The class is very well structured to foster great programmers. Going over examples during the lecture was also very helpful.
• Professor Turkstra clearly knows what he is talking about and is very knowledgeable about the subject. The format of the lectures and is effective.
• Professor Turkstra understands the subject material extremely well. He also grades very fairly: he was very clear on his grading expectations at the beginning of the semester and stuck to them (for example, he made it clear that the lowest score from a test case would be the score received on the homework, and stuck to this policy, making commands to run the test thousands of times readily available).
• Professor Turkstra demonstrates a great understanding of the material, and I do find his teaching to be fascinating. I do think that, for the most part, his class was helpful in my understanding of C, and as a Computer Scientist. I hope that he continues to organize his class in a similar way to the way he does now.
• Professor Turkstra clearly has a very good understanding of the course material and is able to explain it clearly and concisely during lectures. By reading the course books and following along for the lectures I felt I had all the tools necessary to solve the homework assignments. The lectures themselves are one of the strongest parts of this class as there were never any moments where it felt like a topic lingered on for too long, or was covered too briefly. If there was one thing about this course that could be considered "perfect" it would be the lectures.
• Professor Turkstra is evidently passionate about the field of computer science, it was an honor to be a part of his class. I can confidently say that I've learned so much through this course. Though my final grade will likely be lower than what I hoped for, I'm glad I took this class. I feel more equipped to be a computer science professional. Prof. Turkstra has inspired me to look for what I enjoy the most in the field I'm pursuing and to make a greater effort to explore that area. I look forward to the rest of my computer science career here at Purdue, boiler up!
• Professor Turkstra's deep passion and knowledge for this course's content helps deliver it in an exciting and effective way. I appreciated that the homeworks and project had interesting contexts to add some excitement and variety to our work.
• Prof. Turkstra is an excellent teacher and a great human being. By far the best professor I have had. Sure, he's also much stricter than any other professor I know of, but it is for all the right reasons. CS was especially fun this semester because of CS240 and that man(not that the class is easy- I think it was a reasonably hard course). I have learnt a lot this semester. I hope he never changes the way he teaches!
• Prof. Turkstra is an excellent computer scientist that explains the course concepts well and continually challenges his students. His focus on ensuring that we became better programmers was appreciated, and I felt that he did a good job providing resources to learn C and fundamental programming concepts.
• Prof. Turkstra is a very smart and capable professor, he truly wants us to be the best computer scientists we can be and that is something I very much respect about him.
• Prof. Turkstra clearly is passionate about programming and discussing it with students.
• Please keep your dedication to students and the knowledge you give them.
• Overall lecturing is excellent, made it easy to understand the majority of content. Speed of correspondence via Piazza was very good, as well.
• Overall good job. Cares about students.
• Organization. Professor Turkstra is functional and Organized that keeps the material straightforward.
• It's very apparent that Prof Turkstra really cares about the students. I appreciated that a lot especially with the transition to online format and chaos and confusion.
• It should be clear to anyone that professor Turkstra is very passionate about C and teaching other people about the wonders of computer science. I appreciate his enthusiasm about the subjects he teaches, and his general philosophy of encouraging people to experiment and practice with new concepts to learn them more thoroughly. The lecture style is good, and the homeworks given generally increased my proficiency with a topic greatly. After getting used to it, I think the coding standard was fair and especially useful towards developing good C programming habits.
• I think that the homeworks you give are really good at helping students apply the information they have learned into an actual program. You also have done a really good job of listening to students' concerns amid the corona virus and have adapted this course well in terms of deadlines and leniency. I also think that you show a genuine interest in problems students have regarding CS even if it doesn't directly relate to the course which I appreciate. Lastly, I also appreciate how passionate you are about the material and how we as students can see that passion as you teach.
• I think that Professor Turkstra is passionate and dedicated and runs the course well. His lectures are concise and filled with instructive and interesting examples. The homeworks for this course are extremely well developed and fair. I think as is the case with many courses, I learned the most from doing the homework. The project that replaced the last two exams was also very interesting and rewarding.
• I think he has a solid understanding of the material and I appreciated the examples that he would show in lecture.
• I really enjoyed the lectures, they were the highlight of my week when we went online. I also really appreciate the dedication to fairness. Thank you for being an amazing instructor :).
• I really appreciated having a professor that genuinely cared about teaching undergrads, and takes feedback to heart. While I was worried at the start of the semester from all the horror stories I heard from upperclassmen, I quickly realized it was more a matter of them being upset that you made to class challenging compared to other years. In my own opinion, a professor who designs the course to be challenging but truly cares about their job teaching leads to some of the best learning experiences I've had, and I'm thankful for that.
• I really appreciate the example used in class demonstrating some of the more niche things that are going on inside of programs. That level of deep insight is what a lot of instructors tend to not share and it was very nice to have a Prof. that shoed us these things
• I personally feel that the instructor really drilled down on the concepts after the lecture with the pop-quiz that helped me greatly. His unwavering attitude towards working hard and not giving any concessions at the start of the course tremendously pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and become better not only as a computer science student but as a person!
• I have the highest respect for my Professor's knowledge in the field of computer science. He has shown multiple times that he has a strong grasp on the subject, and he has shown that through his lectures with written code, which was extremely helpful to understand some of the subjects.
• I felt so much more confident in my capabilities to program after this class. I feel much more prepared through his class, and I hope that he continues to teach the same way he does.
• I can tell Professor Turkstra cares a lot about CS and his students. He's very knowledgeable on the subject, and he's always been accommodating to people, especially with the new changes from COVID-19. He doesn't hesitate to put himself out there.
• He was helpful and open to suggestions in emails, and he shows a clear passion and interest in what he teaches. The course assignments were never all that difficult and the test modules made sure that I knew what grade I would be receiving for each assignment before submission.
• He was engaging and interested in everything he was teaching showing his love for the subject, which in turn made me more excited and engaged with the material. He also genuinely seemed concerned for the well being of his students (especially during this online period) and the quality of their education, which I greatly respect.
• He very visibly shows that he cares a lot. It is very apparent that he is both knowledgable and passionate about the content he teaches and should try to keep up his obvious level of enthusiasm.
• He is very organized and put together in teaching methods
• He is very knowledgable.
• He has a good understanding of the topic. He can answer questions easily.
• He explained things very nicely and did boiler cast just in case we missed some things in lecture. He always welcomed questions. He explained concept in a very easy manner. I LOVED his jokes. It lightened the mood. It also made students less scared of him and it showed that he is not as scary as everyone thought. Definitely a big fan of him at the end of the course. He also was very open to students thoughts and opinions.
• He does a great job of explaining concepts and giving challenging yet doable assignments. His enthusiasm makes me more enthusiastic to learn about what he is teaching!
• He did a good job answering students problems when it came to issues regarding the COVID-19 situation, making sure to shift the project/assignments around to make it fair for everyone! Extending certain assignments due to issues also helped. Finally, the lectures are very good, especially the example programs.
• He definitely seems to know a lot about the material. He listened to students and responded to their feedback during the period of online instruction. I found the list of things to know for next lecture to be extremely helpful for preparing for the quizzes and for learning the material. The class seems way more intimidating at the start than when I'm almost on the other side.
• Going through good code examples and bad code examples along with the lecture slides during class made concepts easier to understand and were helpful for homeworks, quizzes and exams.
• Fantastic class. Excellent job with the transition to online. I appreciated the humorous lectures and purdue trivia breaks, etc.
• Examples. Turkstra's examples are excellent at looking at the nuances of some concepts, which most textbook examples will overlook. Looking at edge-cases, misuse of some concept, possible crashes, and situations where the concept discussed is applicable are what make them effective teaching tools, and I'd recommend keeping them going along with a git repository of examples for students to copy and experiment with.
• Concepts are explained very well in lecture and the live coding examples as well as the examples on the slides help immensely.
• Both inside and outside the lecture hall, Prof. Turkstra made a relatively new and difficult class enjoyable for me. Not only did I learn a lot, but his attempts to lighten the mood during lectures (whether it'll be interviewing squirrels, trivia breaks, or YouTube parody videos) were very appreciated. I'd say that regardless of how difficult the class was for me (which considers the amount of time I invested to stay afloat), Prof. Turkstra's love and passion for teaching has let me embrace CS240, not as a weekly challenge I dread but instead an opportunity for me to improve in CS.
• Answering student questions during lectures is very helpful. Regrade requests through Gradescope are also very convenient.
• An A+ on organization, handouts, and instructions. Course webpage is simple and has all the reference material you need. Assignments and expectations (while somewhat large) are clear.

• Very valuable course especially the emphasis on agile/scrum methodology.
• Turkstra always has the student's best interest at heart. Even if it may not seem like it at first.
• The structure of the class is really nice where the lectures teach you about how to create a project form the ground up. Then they end early so you can focus on the project. The sprints are useful for organization and keep productivity up
• The professor's slides were extremely helpful.
• The lectures were thorough and the course seems to be organized very well. I can see the rubrics for each assignment, the lecture slides, examples, etc. From the start of the course, I know what will happen every week until the end of the course.
• The lectures were good and the weekly reports too because they forced us to work on some part of the project every week and that way we didn't end up having a lot of pressure closer to the deadlines
• The lecture content/class organization was very useful and industry applicable.
• The lectures were easy to follow and the exam reflected the material learned.
• The lectures were very engaging and the examples from his own experience really added to it.
• The instructor is well organized. The course calendar on the home page of the website was extremely helpful and helped our team stay on track and manage deadlines. The professor has industry knowledge that was helpful when teaching the content. The professor clearly worked hard to provide as much help for the students as possible.
• The instructor makes jokes and tries to keep the class upbeat. He can be condescending sometimes, but what else can you expect from a CS professor. He knew the material well, and he also knew it could be dry sometimes so that's why I felt it was good of him to give good anecdotes and jokes to keep the attention of the class. He had a lot of good stories about software development he shared.
• The instructor does well at teaching the content of the lecture and showing passion for software development.
• The instructor is clearly very experienced and knowledgeable about the course material and provided a lot of helpful information regarding software engineering.
• The instructor did an amazing job at conducting the class and sometimes though he went through the material really fast, the content was delivered concisely and was very interesting. He is one of my favourite professors as I love the expectations he has for the class. I believe they push me to do better.
• The instructor made lectures interesting. I greatly appreciated it when he spoke about real world software programming experiences. I liked the course content a lot. I loved working in a group even though it was difficult for me.
• The course is well structured, as are all of the professor's courses. Most things are communicated well.
• The clear project guidelines and rubrics were very helpful when trying to meet the expectations.
• Professor Turkstra is very thoughtful about answering student's questions both in lecture and office hours. I felt that anytime I went to office hours, I would get good advisement and had the impression that Professor Turkstra wanted to help as much as he could.
• Professor Turkstra is incredibly enthusiastic about software engineering and all the aspects of engineering software. It shows in his lectures and his interactions with students, as he is always excited to see what his students are working on.
• Professor Turkstra seems very passionate about Software Engineering and the lectures were enjoyable to be a part of. Some students may not agree, but I thoroughly appreciate Professor Turksta's zero-tolerance policy when taking quizzes. It makes things fair for everyone. The peer evaluation system was also a neat way to get some extra points.
• Professor Turkstra is a very good explainer of concepts in general, and especially for the concepts discussed in lecture.
• Professor Turkstra is a very organized person. His lectures are structured in a way that ensure that the appropriate topics are covered in class on time. Additionally, he welcomes all sorts of questions and is very approachable when it comes to that.
• Professor Turkstra clearly really cares a lot about the class, his students, and the projects. Please keep up that enthusiasm because it really leads to more motivation on the students.
• Professor Turkstra goes over the topics pretty well, sometimes inserting interesting commentary that makes the lectures a bit more interesting. Pleasant in class. The organization of the course is pretty good. He seems to be very available and helpful outside of class and encourages students to pop in. It was nice that we had all the documentation from the beginning of the course itself (various doc templates, grading rubrics).
• Prof. Turkstra does a good job incorporating his own experiences as a software engineer into lectures. Personal anecdotes are invaluable in explaining to students why certain practices exist or are beneficial.
• Prof. Turkstra is good at organizing this course. He is good at intimidating students so they do not commit academic dishonesty.
• Our instructor is passionate about the course and available for any communication.
• Lectures have always been given well. There is little to no side tracking on subjects that aren't necessarily related.
• It is clear that you care deeply about your students. I appreciate the anecdotes from your time in industry. The 10 hours per week of required programming work was some of the most instructive and enjoyable homework I have done here at Purdue.
• Intereseting lectures, well motivated interest in making sure the students are learning the material.
• Instilling ethics in students is so important, especially now. I really appreciate the effort made by Professor Turkstra in trying to teach ethics, even if a lot of other students didn't.
• I thought the readings and essays we were required to do were very compelling and provided an really cool insight into the world of software engineering and open source development. I honestly haven't written an essay in so long and exercising the skill of writing prose was a refreshing experience compared to writing code.
• I think that the instructor went over the information promptly and provided a good central location from which I could access all resources.
• I think that the lectures were done well. The instructor made the information clear and I learned a lot through them. The instructor also seems to be prepared and he knows the information he is teaching well which made the class run smoothly.
• I think the lecture content was helpful, and the final was fair based on what we did in class.
• I think that the instructor does a great job teaching this course, and the important considerations surrounding software engineering.
• I think he is a really good professor. He can be tough sometimes
• I think he does well talking about real life applications of software engineering. This made it a lot easier to pay attention during class.
• I liked your passion for open source projects and explanation as to why we need it
• I liked how the class was structured. I learned a lot through the documentation and the process of creating the project and getting evaluated on it.
• I like how passionate my instructor is about the field.
• I like how the content is always presented in an interesting way even though not all of the content was particularly interesting. Talking about personal experiences and recent events relating to the course material was helpful in tying the material into the real world.
• I appreciate Prof. Turkstra's teaching style. I enjoy his personal stories and contributions to lectures, and it feels like he wants students to succeed. The class as a whole felt like a great opportunity to develop a team project in a pseudo-professional environment.
• He knows what he is talking about and presents facts and personal experiences as support. I hope he will continue to share his own experiences in industry with classes.
• He is very organized with his assignment distribution and deadlines. In addition, he posts all his powerpoints online in a timely manner which is very helpful.
• He is very good getting one to pay attention in class which makes him fun to listen to and easy to pay attention to.
• He is good at paying attention to all the groups even in such a large class. I liked that he checked in on our sprint review meetings when he had time.
• He has been very transparent with requirements for this course and it has been very helpful. He posts exactly was the requirements are for documents or presentations and gives examples of near or full credit documents from previous semesters.
• Great lectures, funny stories, and willingness to reach out and help.
• Good recap in every class
• Good time management, interesting topic.
• Gives a lot of freedom in project choice and some freedom in scheduling. Hits all the highlights of software engineering topics in the well-formatted lectures. Makes sure there's structure in project work and tries to ensure that our experiences would be valuable when working in the real world.
• General course organisation is something Dr. Turkstra is proficient in. After taking several classes with him during my time at Purdue, I have observed that the courses managed by him are more organised and generally well-run than those thought by other professors.
• Engaging lectures. Good slides.
• Dr. Turkstra is an amazing lecturer that goes through the course content quickly and succinctly. He acknowledges certain parts of the curriculum as boring and moves through them quickly, while really making sure to emphasize the important concepts and taking time to talk about them in detail. The class was well organized and enjoyable, and the dynamic between students/team/project coordinator/professor was very direct. Any questions regarding the project were answered quickly. I hope that the way this course was organized stays the same, as well as the delivery of the material.
• Dr. Turkstra is very organized and well prepared for all lectures. All of the assignments are clear and due dates are known well in advance. Communicating a lot with students and shows that he really cares.
• Deadlines are very clear, the final was also very fair and featured good coverage of the course material

• The lectures were informative and compelling to listen to. There was a clear flow and the slides reinforced the material well.
• The labs were very interesting and I thought were cool to complete.
• Professor Turkstra gives absolutely excellent lectures, which I always feel that I learn a lot in, and can ask questions during. He very obviously is super passionate about the topic and is highly knowledgeable. Also, the Purdue trivia breaks are fun!
• Probably the best instructor I had at Purdue. His lectures are interesting and engaging, his projects do a great job at reinforcing the material, and he and his staff always answered questions quickly on Piazza.
• Lectures are really well structured this time. I liked the trivia breaks and the introduction proverb/short stories Resources being readily available online is also helpful
• It is clear that Professor Turkstra understands the material extremely well. It is also evident that his end goal is to get the students to learn as much as possible and to learn the material as well as possible. Professor Turkstra's lectures are always interesting, as he gives interesting examples, makes jokes, and almost always has a trivia fact for us. The trivia fact always makes attending class worthwhile and I wish more of my professors did things like this.
• I liked the focus on projects with supplementary lectures. The projects seemed well thought out, and for the most part, properly executed.
• I like that he opened up lectures for questions and concerns about the projects.
• I enjoyed the Purdue trivia every lecture, mostly because it served as a good break from the often challenging content. Prof. Turkstra is also quite evidently passionate about the course content, which makes it easier to learn and much more engaging. I also was glad whenever we went over skeleton code for the labs since that was often very confusing to understand.
• I enjoyed Turkstra's lectures they felt relivent while still adding in extra content to tie what we were learning to the real world. I also enjoyed the purdue triva. It helped break up lecture and helped me stay focased throughout lectue.
• Honestly, one of the better lecturers I have ever had at Purdue. While sometimes the material can be a little thick, he does his best to present the material in a way that makes it understandable and even enjoyable. He also seemed to very much care about the students and that they were learning appropriately.
• He went over a lot of useful information, and gave examples with live code in class which helped my understanding
• Excellent job showing both knowledge and enthusiasm for the course! Excellent job listening to student concerns and questions and responding appropriately, both in class and during office hours. In particular, I appreciate that Professor Turkstra is willing to make adjustments when warranted, but resists being pushed around by students expecting a cakewalk. It is very clear that Professor Turkstra cares about students. It is a small thing, but I appreciate the daily trivia bit. It is brief, but it really helps break up the lecture and help me refocus.
• Dr. Turkstra is one of my favorite lecturers, I enjoyed his lectures and it is easy to tell how passionate he is about the subject.
• What a well managed course. I feel bad for anyone who can't take the course with you and your staff. One of the those classes that makes you appreciate the money you are spending on your education. Projects were very laborious but worth the time. The content was hard but the slides are detailed and well organized. You are an excellent lecturer who expects a lot out of their students and I would have never been pushed to learn as much as I have if it wasn't for you. Very helpful in office hours and the trivia of the day is a great break in the lectures. Looking forward to taking more courses with you
• Very well prepared for lecture with code examples and explanation of slides Course administration was organized and issues resolved promptly and appropriately Sympathetic with students and willing to give extensions and additional opportunities for improvement Concerned that students learn, understand, and are able to apply the material
• Very knowledgeable about the subject, takes breaks in class, clearly passionate about the material. Offered extensions for projects under reasonable circumstances
• The material was very interesting. The projects were meaty and challenging. People complain a lot about Turkstra, but I don't see why - I think he does a great job. He has high expectations of us, but I have high expectations of myself as well. I enjoyed the course, and learned a lot from it.
• The instructor is very organized in lecture, and makes sure that lecture slides and recordings are easy to access. It was also helpful that the projects were broken up into parts and we had checkpoints to keep us on track.
• The attitude of answering question is very good. He always says you are more than welcome to come to my office to ask questions. And he never shows anything bad when I ask question. Once, I feel sad about this class, and he talked with me for a long time to make me feel better. really thanks about that
• Professor Turkstra has a great understanding on the topics taught in CS252 and his lectures are very well done.
• Professor Turkstra demonstrates a clear mastery of the course material and a willingness to impart this mastery onto his students.
• Professor Turkstra does a good job of making his content accessible, as well as organized. Lectures are uploaded to his course site on each day of meeting, as well as any handouts given. Videos of the lectures themselves are also available on the Purdue MediaSpace site; a tool which I wish more professors would utilize. Professor Turkstra is also quite reachable and active on Piazza, stepping in to provide insight or clarity in addition to his TA staff. During class he also always provides a good "Purdue Trivia Break" which is good for not only learning about the campus, but also providing a break for students to collect or organize their thoughts on the material that was just presented. Finally, I know Professor Turkstra has worked had to try to streamline and improve the grading process for projects within CS 252. For the most part, all of these efforts have been quite beneficial to the students.
• Professor Turkstra is extremely intelligent and knows systems very very well and his knowledge of the subject shows in every single lecture and frankly, every single sentence he spoke. It was refreshing to learn from a professor that not only knew the "core" theory of the matter, but also the practical applications as well. His slides are concise and well written and he was prepared for every lecture.
• Practical examples were helpful when approaching new topics.
• Lectures are good and helpful. Professor clearly cares about the material and understands it very well.
• It's obvious that this instructor is very passionate about the course material, Purdue, and that his students are learning in his classroom. These are traits that I enjoyed from him, and hope that he continues to exemplify in the future.
• Is obviously very knowledgeable on the subject, and the curriculum is very well diversified - this class single-handedly got me an internship this semester.
• I think the lectures were very effective - I found the live-coding style helped me understand the material better and gave everything a real-world context.
• I think that the instructor is very knowledgable about computer science and therefore is a good person to meet with for office hours. One thing that I hope he continues is having assigning prep homework for the exams.
• enjoy the practical explanations and applied examples. Prof. Turkstra clearly understands his material and shows students his process of finding answers that he does not know. I think this is a great way to show students that the gap between their understanding and a complete understanding can be crossed themselves, there is no magic course that will give you knowledge, it comes from learning how to find answers yourself. Purdue Trivia was great!
• I could tell that Prof. Turkstra really made an effort to help his students learn.
• I appreciated how invested the professor is invested in the course and is willing to help the students or talk about the material on his own time.
• He was very knowledgeable about the topic and was prepared for the lecture.
• He truly loves this subject and you can tell by his level of knowledge. He does want people to understand the topics.
• He always checks if anybody would like to ask a question during lecture and his office hours are helpful. Usually seems ready to help. It was nice that he gave extensions when many students were struggling with certain projects.
• Dr. Turkstra is always well prepared for lectures, and does a good job explaining topics. His live-coding during lectures is extremely helpful.
• Clearly knows his stuff, I can tell that he cares about the students learning. Lectures usually explain things in a very clear manner.
• Class is very well organized. I learned a lot. I like the Purdue trivia! I like your materials. The class is very challenging for me, which is good and I like it.