WELCOME to EE457
date: 1/7/2015
Dear EE457 Students of Spring 2015,
Welcome to EE457! Some of you are starting your first semester at USC. Welcome to USC also to those students!
1.
As you see in the schedule of classes, http://classes.usc.edu/term-20151/classes/ee-457, I teach 2 sections of
EE457 (two lectures and two discussions (not counting the DEN remote as a separate section)). All three exams
(Quiz, Midterm, and the Final) will be common to both the sections. The quiz and Midterm are conducted in the
extended Quiz slot and the Final is conducted in the extended exceptional exam slot as stated in the syllabus:
http://www-classes.usc.edu/engr/ee-s/457/457_syllabus/457_syllabus_Sp2015.pdf
Please make sure that you can take the three exams at the specified days and times as there will be no makeup
exams. Check the exam dates of your other courses.
2.
Many of you are aware that the EE457 is not on the main university BlackBoard (blackboard.usc.edu). It is on the
DEN's (Distance Education Network's) separate BlackBoard, and it can be accessed by logging in at
https://www.uscden.net/webapps/login/
Make sure you can access the ee457 course page on the DEN BlackBoard (in short BB). You must have received an
email from DEN telling you how to login. Your USC email address is your username (example: ttrojan@usc.edu).
The username is the complete email address which includes @usc.edu. Your previous DEN Bb password will remain
the same. If you have never set a password for the DEN BB (which is separate from the University BB) then you
must have received an email from the DEN with a link to click and set your password.
3.
Browse through the material posted on the EE457 Backboard webpage. See the postings under Announcements,
Assignments, Course Documents, Course Information.
3.1. Go through the course syllabus posted under COURSE INFORMATION. Syllabus link is the same as the one stated in
item #1 above.
3.2. Purchase textbook and classnotes. Textbook can be bought from anywhere but classnotes is available only in
the USC bookstores. .pdf/.jnt files of the classnotes are posted at
http://www-classes.usc.edu/engr/ee-s/457/EE457_Classnotes/
3.3. The first homework and the first lab have been posted but do not bother to look at them yet.
3.4. If time permits, (let me correct myself, I should say please make time and) please start going through the items
posted under EE457_Study_Plan_for_first_3_weeks.pdf
http://www-classes.usc.edu/engr/ee-s/457/EE457_Study_Plan_for_first_3_weeks.pdf
4.
Find topics to be covered for each lecture by looking up the following page and come prepared to the class with
appropriate sections of the class-notes.
http://www-classes.usc.edu/engr/ee-s/457/ee457_topics_covered/ee457_topics_covered_in_lecture.txt
5.
Conclusion: Many of you may feel overwhelmed in the first 3 weeks as we are covering prerequisite material very
quickly. Please prepare to spend 20 hours per week in the first few weeks until you feel stable in EE457.
With best wishes
Gandhi