My COSC Experience
I felt inspired by an older post with the same title and idea that helped me get through the COSC program with straight A's, so I decided to write one of my own to hopefully help future students as well.
To preface, I took most of my 1000- and 2000-level COSC courses at community college, so I won’t be covering those here, nor do I know much about how they’re taught at UH. Lastly, if you have any questions about my experience, feel free to reach out. I’m not always the quickest responder, but I’ll do my best to help.
Best of luck, and I hope this post can be useful to some of you!
Spring 2024
COSC 2425 Computer Org & Architecture: Prof: Mantini, Difficulty 2/5
Prof. Mantini is an amazing professor. He presents material in a way that’s easy to understand and is always willing to help students. This class was pretty difficult for me at first since it was my first university-level COSC course, but after taking more 3000- and 4000-level classes, this course honestly felt mild in comparison.
The course moves at a comfortable pace with around 4–5 homework assignments and 2 exams. The workload and exams are very manageable if you attend class and pay attention. One thing I really appreciated was how approachable Prof. Mantini was outside of lectures. I would often go to him for homework help after class, and he was always very helpful, so definitely take advantage of that resource if you can.
I finished the course with a 97 before the curve, and the curve was VERY generous. Since I took the class about two years ago, I’m not sure if he still curves the same way, but I still have full confidence that he’s an excellent instructor.
I also recommend him for DIPS (Digital Image Processing – COSC 4393). I didn’t personally take that course with him, but many of my classmates did and had nothing but positive things to say.
COSC 4315 Programming Languages and Paradigms: Prof: Carlos Ordonez, Difficulty 5/5
In complete contrast to Mantini, I personally had a very negative experience with Ordonez. I found his teaching style difficult to follow, and the class often felt disorganized. A lot of the learning felt self-taught rather than guided through lectures.
One assignment that especially stood out was having to write a Python interpreter in C++, which gives you an idea of the kind of workload and expectations in the course. The material itself could be interesting, but I didn’t feel like it was presented in a clear or structured way.
He also seemed very concerned with student perception and reviews. I specifically remember him encouraging students to leave positive Rate My Professor reviews and even offering extra credit related to it, which rubbed me the wrong way personally.
This was the class that taught me to pay much closer attention to professor selection when registering. Since he teaches many 3000-level COSC courses, my advice is to carefully consider your alternatives before enrolling. Based on my experience, I would strongly recommend taking another professor if possible.
MATH 3339 Statistics for the Sciences: Prof: Wenshuang Wang, Difficulty 2/5
When I took her class, she was still relatively new to teaching statistics, so she was clearly still figuring out her teaching style along with how to structure exams and curves. Even so, I thought her lectures were very helpful for learning the material.
Similar to Mantini, she was also very approachable both after lectures and through email, which made it much easier to get clarification when needed. The exams were definitely challenging, mostly because they were held in the CASA testing center environment, but they were still manageable if you prepared properly.
There was a decent amount of homework throughout the semester, but most of it wasn’t especially difficult or time consuming. My advice is to just lock in for a day every week or two and get it knocked out instead of letting it pile up.
Overall, I’d consider this a relatively low-stress class compared to many upper-level COSC courses, but don’t get too comfortable. Since exam grades carry a lot of weight, one bad test can hurt your grade pretty significantly.
FALL 2024
COSC 3360 Operating Systems: Prof: Carlos Rincon, Difficulty 3/5
Where do I even begin with this man? He’s a legend.
I’m going to say this outright: this class is HARD and should be taken very seriously, but rest assured, you are in good hands with Rincon. His lectures can admittedly feel a bit boring at times, and his slides look like they’ve been untouched since the 90s, but despite that, he’s a genuinely great lecturer who knows how to keep students engaged with the material.
In my experience, he assigned 3 large programming homework assignments that all built off one another throughout the semester. They weren’t necessarily difficult conceptually, but they were definitely time consuming. The good news is that Rincon is incredibly available to help, whether it’s after class, during office hours, or through email.
The class also had 3 exams that were fairly difficult. Each exam consisted of a moderately difficult multiple choice section along with 1–2 programming/free response questions at the end worth around 35% of the grade. Before every exam, he also offered extra credit by giving out a single test question during the lecture beforehand. If you answered it correctly, you got +10 points on the exam. DO NOT skip these days, those points matter more than you think.
He allows a cheat sheet for every exam (excluding the extra credit day), so make sure to prepare a strong one ahead of time. Also, the exams come very directly from the lecture slides, so study those heavily and make sure you truly understand the examples covered in class.
I’ve heard the course has become even more difficult since I took it, but even then, he still remains the best option in my opinion. I genuinely would have delayed graduation if it meant taking him over another professor.
This class gave me my first A- and was the first real stain on my GPA. I got too arrogant after doing well early on and didn’t study enough for Exam 2, and I paid for it. Don’t make the same mistake I did. This class is DIFFICULT, but if you lock in, attend lectures, and stay on top of the material, you’ll be fine.
Rincon is the goat of COSC.
COSC 3380 Database Systems: Prof: Uma, Difficulty 4/5
Everything you’ve heard about Uma is, in many ways, true. This class is by no means easy, and Prof. Uma is a very strict instructor. That said, what she teaches is genuinely valuable, and you would miss out on a lot by trying to “skate by” with Hilford instead.
Right from the start, Prof. Uma takes attendance and participation VERY seriously. If you show up more than a few minutes late, she will often call it out in front of the class, so it’s best to either arrive early or not be late at all. Participation also plays a significant role in your grade (about 10%), and she expects you to be engaged—asking questions and actively following along. A good strategy is to ask at least one meaningful question each lecture to stay consistently involved.
Her lectures are directly relevant to the exams and the database portion of the project, but the frontend and backend development skills needed for the project are mostly self-taught. It’s a good idea to get ahead on those early, or you’ll end up learning them under pressure during the project (not recommended).
You do not choose your project team, so it’s fairly common to end up with uneven group dynamics. Be mentally prepared for that possibility. The project is broken into biweekly checkpoints, where you progressively build the database layer, frontend, backend, and ultimately a fully deployed web application using minimal frameworks and database triggers. She will thoroughly evaluate and question every part of your project, so you need to know your system inside and out.
If a teammate is not contributing, it’s important to bring it up early. She takes contribution seriously and will address it directly, which can help shift accountability appropriately.
Her exams are challenging but manageable. They are fully open-response and fairly lengthy, so you need to be well-prepared. Like other classes mentioned, studying the slides thoroughly and truly understanding the material is key.
Overall, despite how demanding the course is, it is an incredibly valuable experience. You will learn a lot, and the skills carry over into later courses. In my case, the project experience even helped me land an internship. It’s a tough class, but if you commit fully, you’ll grow from it significantly.
MATH 2305 Discrete Mathematics: Prof: Blerina Xhabli, Difficulty 1/5
This course isn’t very difficult, just show up and pay attention.
There are a decent number of homework assignments along with 4 exams, so make sure you don’t let things pile up. Her exams are not especially difficult, but you still need to come prepared.
My memory of this class is a bit hazy because of my experience in Uma’s course overlapping with it, but I don’t believe she curved the class, though I didn’t really need it anyway.
Spring 2025
COSC 3320 Algorithms and Data Structures: Prof: Gopal, Difficulty 7/5
Just like Ordonez, this was not a professor I had a good experience with.
He relies heavily on the textbook he wrote for the course, and instead of structured slides, lectures often consist of him writing content on the board while essentially re-deriving or copying material in real time. Personally, I found the lectures difficult to follow and not very effective as a learning tool.
In my experience, he also came across as dismissive toward students who were struggling with the material, and he did not seem very receptive to questions during lecture since he considers the course to be “basic” or “high school level.” Outside of class, he was not particularly helpful either, so you will likely need to rely heavily on TAs if they are strong.
The homework assignments are very time-consuming and challenging, but you should absolutely complete them since they do help prepare you for exams and are a relatively reliable source of points.
The exams, however, are extremely difficult. In my section, none of the exams had a passing class average. Fortunately, there is a heavy curve applied at the end, and the overall class distribution typically ends up around a B. In practice, if you land near the class average across homework and exams, you will likely pass.
In my section, a score around 50 correlated to a B after the curve. In Spring 2026, I heard that performance was even worse, so expectations may vary depending on the semester.
I personally stopped attending lectures regularly because they were not very helpful beyond identifying which sections of the textbook to study. Instead, I relied on reading the material directly.
The exams are long, difficult, and require significant preparation. I studied 2–3 weeks for each exam and still found them challenging. Compared to classmates, I performed relatively well, finishing with a 77 before the curve, but due to the grading policy, this resulted in an A-.
Overall, this is a very GPA-heavy course with a steep learning curve. There are not many strong alternatives for this class, but if possible, it may be worth carefully considering timing and instructor options before enrolling.
COSC 3337 Data Science 1: Prof Jingchao Ni, Difficulty 2/5
Prof. Ni isn’t the strongest lecturer, and I personally found his lectures a bit boring at times. That said, the course itself is fairly manageable overall.
The homework assignments are not particularly difficult, but they can be time-consuming and don’t always feel directly aligned with the exams. His lecture slides are long and somewhat dry, but they are very important because exam questions come directly from them, so make sure you study and memorize them carefully. He will randomly have a pop quiz after some lectures which are worth a small percentage of your grade, however, these questions will absolutely be on the exam so make sure to know those well and put them in your notes for the exam.
The exams are open notes, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they’re easy. They are still long and challenging, and you either need to know the material well or at least know exactly where to find things quickly in the slides.
He does curve fairly generously, although I didn’t personally need it. In the second half of the semester, there is also a group project that feels like a “homework on steroids.” The good part is that you get a lot of freedom in what you choose to build, and you’re allowed to pick 1–2 group members to work with.
Overall, this is a pretty low-stress class compared to others, but the exams are what you need to watch out for since they can significantly impact your grade. If you stay on top of the homework, pay attention to the slides, and prepare properly for exams, you should do well, I finished with an A before the curve.
COSC 3340 Intro to Automata and Computability: Prof Raj Singh, Difficulty 1/5
Prof. Singh is fairly hands-off throughout the semester and is not very accessible directly. That said, the course still runs smoothly thanks to the structure and support from the TAs.
Overall, the class content itself is relatively straightforward compared to other COSC courses. The material feels somewhat dated at times, but it is manageable and not particularly conceptually difficult for most students.
The course typically consists of 4–5 homework assignments that are very approachable and often closely aligned with examples from the lecture slides. The exams are also fairly reasonable, though it is still important to review the material beforehand.
There is some disorganization at times, for example, parts of the midterm in my semester covered material that was taught after the exam. However, this was later corrected after concerns were raised, and points were adjusted accordingly.
Grading and feedback can be slow, and occasional grading errors do happen, so it’s important to double-check your submissions and stay on top of your grades. The TAs are your main point of contact, but responses may take some time, so avoid leaving questions or issues until the last minute.
Overall, this is still considered one of the lighter COSC courses. If your goal is to balance workload and focus effort on more demanding classes, this is generally a good course to take alongside harder ones. Just stay organized and don’t assume everything will be immediate or hands-on from the instructor.
Fall 2025
COSC 4351 Fundamentals of Software Engineering: Prof Hilford, Difficulty 2/5
This class isn’t hard, but it can be frustrating depending on your learning style.
Attendance is required, and there are attendance quizzes at the beginning and end of every lecture. These points matter, and the questions often show up again on exams, so it’s worth writing them down and paying attention even if the lectures feel repetitive.
Lectures themselves can be pretty dry, but the exam material is pulled directly from them. A large portion of the workload comes from Zybooks, which are both the homework and a significant time commitment. Make sure you stay on top of them because they are directly tied to exam questions and account for a large portion of your grade.
The course has 8 exams total (4 multiple choice and 4 programming). You typically take two exams back-to-back in one sitting. The first 30 minutes are multiple choice (around 60–100 questions), and there is very little time to think through each question in depth, you either know it or you don’t. The second half is based on Zybook-style programming/lab questions with a few missing lines you need to complete, so memorizing those patterns is important.
In my experience, grade disputes or corrections are unlikely to be adjusted, so it’s important to be very careful and accurate from the start. Outside of class, support is limited, so most of your learning will come from the Zybooks and lecture slides.
The best strategy is simple: stay consistent with Zybooks, don’t let them pile up, and review them thoroughly since they make up a large portion of both homework and exam content. The slides are useful for exams even if they aren’t always engaging.
Overall, the material itself is useful and worth learning, but the structure of the class requires discipline and consistency to do well.
COSC 4353 Software Design: Prof Raj Singh, Difficulty 2/5
Just like 3340, the instructor is largely absent for most of the semester, but the course still runs fine without much direct involvement.
There is a project similar in structure to Uma’s class, but with deliverables organized in a slightly different order. You are given freedom in choosing your group members as well as the technologies you use, so it’s worth being intentional about both.
Overall, the project is generally easier than what you would do in Uma’s course, so if you did well there, this should feel like a relatively straightforward workload in comparison.
There are also two exams in the course, and they are fairly manageable. A quick review of the slides and a solid understanding of the main concepts is usually enough to do well on the high-level questions.
In some cases, exam material included topics outside the stated scope, but this was later adjusted after grading to account for those issues.
COSC 4370 Interactive Computer Graphics: Prof Dan B, Difficulty 2/5
Prof. Dan is an excellent instructor and, in my experience, one of the best professors in the department, comparable to Rincon in terms of teaching quality. Anything he teaches tends to be well-structured and clearly explained, and this course is no exception.
The class consists of 2 exams and 6 homework assignments (with the 6th being optional and replacing your lowest homework grade). The homework starts off fairly easy but gradually becomes more challenging as the semester progresses. You have a decent amount of time to complete each assignment, and Prof. Dan is very approachable and willing to help, whether in office hours or via questions outside of class. That said, the homework can be time-consuming, so it’s best to start early and ask questions as needed.
The exams are somewhat tricky. They are long and focus on targeted conceptual questions with some applied problem-solving. They are open notes, so like Ni’s Data Science course, the key is either understanding the material well or knowing exactly where to find it in your notes and slides.
Prof. Dan does a good job preparing students for exams, so it’s important to pay attention to what he emphasizes in lectures and to work through the practice problems provided in the slides. He is also fairly transparent about what content will appear on exams.
Midterm performance in my section wasn’t particularly strong overall, so it’s important not to get complacent, this is still a 4000-level course. That said, in my experience, the final exam essentially combined the midterm content with a few additional questions, which made it very manageable if you were prepared.
Overall, it’s a challenging but very fair course, and one of the more rewarding classes in the COSC curriculum.
Spring 2026
COSC 4348 Intro to Game Art an Animation: Prof Chang Yun, Difficulty 1/5
Chang is an excellent instructor and genuinely one of the more engaging professors I’ve had. His lectures are funny and energetic, more like a comedy show than a traditional lecture, and I actually found myself looking forward to attending, even for a 3-hour weekly class.
This course is not difficult in terms of exams or theory, but it is extremely time-consuming. The main requirement is a semester-long project where you hand-draw and animate two characters and integrate them into a Unity-based game. There are no exams, and most of the “homework” consists of project deliverables, which make up about 50% of your grade.
Time management is very important in this class. You are expected to purchase your own drawing tools, though Prof. Chang provides recommendations for inexpensive setups and guidance on how to use the software for free. Be prepared to spend a significant amount of time outside of class working on your characters and animations. I personally put in roughly 100 hours total over the semester.
If you stay consistent and complete the work, earning an A is very realistic. The final project is graded live during the last class session, where students present their work (and often advocate for their grade).
Overall, this is a very fun and creative elective that serves as a nice change of pace from typical COSC coursework. I highly recommend it, but it fills up quickly, so make sure to enroll early if you’re interested.
COSC 4354 Software Development Practices: Prof Chang Yun & Venkat Subramaniam, Difficulty 3/5
This course has no traditional lectures and no exams. Instead, you meet with both professors biweekly to present your progress on a sprint-based project.
You typically work closely with a sponsoring company, and most projects are full-stack applications similar in scope to what you might see in Uma or Singh’s courses. You are allowed to choose your teammates and have a lot of freedom in selecting technologies, so it’s important to choose both carefully.
This class can be a significant time commitment because of the level of quality expected. Prof. Venkat, in particular, emphasizes strong engineering practices, clean code, good design, and thorough testing. While he is very strict about these standards, he is also constructive and supportive when reviewing your work, often offering practical solutions and guidance rather than just criticism.
The environment is more collaborative than traditional courses. You are treated as peers, and there is a strong emphasis on being able to explain your design decisions clearly and justify your implementation choices.
In my experience, Prof. Venkat is especially helpful on the technical side of the project, while Prof. Chang helps facilitate communication with the sponsoring company and ensures expectations are aligned.
In some cases, students have received job offers from their sponsor companies after completing the course, so it’s worth taking seriously, not just as a class, but as a potential professional opportunity.
COSC 4397 Selected Topics (GPU): Prof Wu, difficulty 1/5
This class is fairly easy overall and has no exams. The grading consists of 4 homework assignments and 1 group project.
The homework's start off very easy and serve as quick, low-effort points. However, the final two assignments become more challenging, so it’s important to start them early and ask questions when needed.
The group project allows you to choose 1–2 teammates and pick a topic related to GPU optimization. You essentially define your own scope, build a solution, benchmark your results, and present your findings. This flexibility is a big part of the course.
Lectures can be quite boring and don’t always align closely with the homework material. That said, Prof. Wu is very passionate about the subject, and if you’re interested in GPU programming or companies like NVIDIA, you may find the course more engaging than I did.
For a 4000-level course, it is relatively light in difficulty. Prof. Wu is also approachable outside of class, although one downside is that grading can be slow, with feedback sometimes taking a month or more to return.
Personally, I wasn’t very interested in the topic, but students who are tend to enjoy the class a lot more.
Conclusion
In summary, this post reflects my COSC experience at the University of Houston. I chose to leave out certain details that were specific to my individual sections rather than the courses as a whole, so if you want a more in-depth breakdown of a specific class or my exact experience, feel free to reach out, my inbox is open.
My general advice to anyone reading this is to stay on top of enrollment, choose professors carefully, attend lectures consistently, and keep up with the work instead of letting things pile up. Most courses are very manageable if you stay consistent and put in the effort.
I'm not a genius by any means, I put in the work and reaped the benefits. I wish you the best of luck with your academic journey and I hope my anecdotes were of some help to you. Godspeed.