ECE 2330

Dugan could probably teach this class in her sleep by now, but it shows in the best of ways: she's experienced and knows how to explain things, while still staying engaged with each new class. This class starts out pretty easy and intuitively but gets more difficult, especially once you get into some of the overarching concepts. Labs/studios are easy points (and a huge portion of your grade...) but can be time-consuming, especially because you're not allowed to work together on them. Quizzes get hard really fast but there are a lot of them, and some of them are just attendance, so it's not hard to get 10 high quiz grades. Tests are high-stakes and I did amazingly well on the first two but bombed the last one; some of the test questions can be difficult, and since there aren't many questions messing up even one really screws you over. Luckily, the Dutch Knockout is super helpful (you can replace your test average with the grade of the final). I found the final pretty easy and came out with an A in the class even though I had a B- test average. Super interesting class with one of the most interesting E school professors!

Professor Dugan was a great Professor, she heads the ECE department and definitely knows her stuff. But I really just did not enjoy this course because learning this material was just really challenging for me and only took this class because it was required for a CS major in the E school. Also, Dugan's teaching style was a little fast and since my comprehension of these topics were just not very solid, I did end up struggling really hard in this course. I can see why this course is related to BSCS but still, it was not a fun time for me.
But, I love Dutch Knockout because it really came in clutch. Also Dugan drops a lot of quizzes to give you some leeway. I had a 73 average on my tests and a 63 average on my quizzes but after quiz drops, I had a 93 on quizzes and since I studied so hard for the final (cuz I needed it), I got a 94 on the final, leading me to get an A in the class. Hard hard class, especially for me, but Dugan makes it possible to change your grade if you really put in the effort which is something I really appreciate.

This class is a tough class but you learn a lot and you are definitely given the resources to succeed. You don't have homework per se but you have a Studio due every week that you should definitely finish beforehand. They're almost always easy 100s as long as you put in the effort and your studios make up 25% of your grade so thats nice. There are occasional "explorations" which make up another 10% of your grade which aren't too bad either although I think she forgot to give us explorations throughout the year and realized we needed something in the grade book so she threw like 4 of 'em at us in 2 weeks near the end of the semester which wasn't fun. Tests are kinda lame and really hit or miss for a lot of people and since you only get 50 minutes for them you're hoping she doesn't throw a curveball too hard at ya. Averages for tests my year were always 70s but she does Dutch Knockout with the Final so that saves a lot of people. There are quizzes every Friday with pop quizzes sprinkled in on Mon and Wed so you should show to every class because sometimes she literally gave you a 100 on a quiz for showing up. I'd also recommend doing well on the quizzes earlier in the year because they can get a bit difficult later on. She only takes the top 10 quizzes tho and we had quite a few at the end of the semester so that's great. Dugan definitely knows her stuff and its a good class overall and this is your best bet at filling your CS, ECE, CE requirement.

I have mixed feelings about this class. The workload for the class was minimal, as the only required work was usually a just a weekly studio. I found the midterm exams to be frustrating, mainly because 1) 50 minutes was, in my opinion, not enough time and 2) Each question was typically around 20 points (out of 100), so one mistake is very costly. I made stupid mistakes on the first two exams that hurt my exam average pretty badly, but thanks to the dutch elimination, I was able to score a high A in the class. I'm not sure I would take this class if I didn't have to (I'm a CS BS major), but I did learn a lot and Dugan was a very fair professor. My tips to anyone taking this class would be to 1) Choose a studio section later in the week, as you don't always cover the material required for the studios before the first studio 2) Make sure you truly understand the material covered, as everything builds off of previous material 3) Don't give up. The Dutch elimination can seriously save your grade if you need it to. You shouldn't slack off throughout the semester under the assumption that you'll just score high on the final and use the dutch elimination, but 75% of my class ended up using the Dutch Elimination, so interpret that how you want.

Professor Dugan really is the best! Her lectures are fun, interesting, and informative, and her grading policy is very fair. The subject of this class is super interesting, it's easily the best class I've taken at UVA. The concepts can get confusing at times, but with practice they will eventually "click" and become rewarding. The TAs are really great, they're all super helpful and fun people. 100% recommend!

It's an interesting course and Dugan does a great job at lecturing and making things enjoyable. Although the quizzes and sometimes hard exams and studios can be intimidating, this course over all is not a hard course at all. It is not difficult to get an A as long as you put in work. There are many chances to recover from bad quizzes and tests. For example, she only keeps the top 10 quiz scores but there are usually like 15-17 quizzes. So do not feel bad if you bombed a quiz. The same goes for the exams: she allows the final to replace the average of the 3 exams if they are higher. So just make sure you stay on top of things, don't fall behind and put in the work you are supposed to put in and you are good for an A.

Honestly, it felt like the class got better when it was put online. She started discussing concepts in smaller chunks which was easier to process. Make sure to take this class with a friend or two - it helps with motivation and problem solving a lot. When making your schedule, there's a weekly assignment due at the lab (which is just a time for you to go in and have the TA check your homework). You can also go to OH beforehand and get checked off without going to lab!

Professor Dugan is a great teacher that genuinely cares about her students. I took this class during the quarantine and she genuinely did everything she could to make the class better for all students considering the circumstances. The material is important to understand and Professor Dugan does a great job explaining it, and if you are ever confused, she is available at office hours and will explain anything as much as you need her to. I definitely recommend taking, if not this class, a class with Professor Dugan.