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I've worked with freshman CS students.

The aggregate breaks down like this, loosely:

20% succeed, always. Hackers/nerds, basically.

80% might succeed. They don't have the talent. They succeed or fail on teacher's competence and their own hard work and background.

20% fail, always. Cheaters, people who are constitutionally incapable of getting it, misplaced students, people with health issues, etc.

The 80% is what a teacher can affect. If they don't have the thinking (math/logic) background or the curiosity, they probably won't do well.

Teaching is hard. It's probably the hardest task I've ever done.



Harder than percentages?

Sorry, couldn't resist. :)


Yep! Type in haste, repent at leisure.

10/80/10 would be how I would break it down.


60%, presumably.




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