Coding With Joseph
University of Toronto - First Year CS

CSC108 Tutoring

Introduction to Computer Programming

Python fundamentals made clear - guided by a full-time software engineer who knows exactly where first-year UofT students get stuck.

What We Cover in CSC108

✓Python Syntax & Basic I/O
✓Variables, Data Types, and Operators
✓Conditionals (if / elif / else)
✓Loops (for, while, range)
✓Functions & Return Values
✓String Manipulation
✓Lists, Tuples, and Dictionaries
✓File Reading and Writing
✓Modules and Imports
✓Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
✓Classes, Methods, and Instances
✓Debugging Strategies

Why CSC108 Students Need Help

⚠️ Common Struggles

  • • Zero to Python - no prior coding experience
  • • Functions and scope tripping students up
  • • Loop logic errors that are hard to debug
  • • Dictionary and list comprehension confusion
  • • Transitioning to OOP mindset mid-semester

✅ How I Help

  • • Plain-English explanations, no jargon overload
  • • Step-by-step debugging of your actual assignments
  • • Building intuition so you can solve new problems solo
  • • Test and exam preparation strategies
  • • Solid foundation for CSC148 (the harder follow-up)

CSC108 in the AI Era

CSC108 is where the habit forms. The exercises are small enough that ChatGPT finishes them in one prompt, so it is possible to get through most of the course without ever writing a loop from a blank file. Then the test is on paper.

🤖 Where the Gap Opens

  • • The assignment works, but you could not rewrite it from scratch
  • • You can read the code AI wrote, but not predict what it prints
  • • A small change to the spec sends you straight back to the prompt
  • • CSC108 tests are closed book, and paper does not autocomplete

✅ How We Close It

  • • You keep using AI, we change what you ask it for
  • • Predict the output before you run the code, every time
  • • Rebuild one past exercise from an empty file, no help open
  • • Explain your own loops and functions out loud until it is boring

None of this makes you a bad student. It makes you a student learning to code in the AI era.

CSC108 Assignment & Test Help

I've helped hundreds of students get unstuck on exactly these:

📝 Weekly Exercises

Stuck on a Markus exercise or lab? I walk you through the logic, not just the answer.

📂 Assignments A1–A3

UofT CSC108 assignments involve real-world data and problem decomposition - I help you break them down cleanly.

🔍 Code Reviews

Catching logic bugs before submission so you don't lose marks on things that "almost worked".

📚 Test Prep

Practice problems that mirror UofT exam style, covering every topic they test.

CSC108 Success Stories

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I came in knowing nothing about coding. Joseph had me writing functions confidently within two sessions."

- Yuna K.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"CSC108 was killing me until I started working with Joseph. Finished with an A-. Worth every penny."

- Omar R.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"He explains things the way a professor should but doesn't. The way he teaches loops finally made sense."

- Aisha N.

Ready to Pass CSC108?

Check out my verified student reviews on SuperProf

🎓 View SuperProf Profile

First session free - no commitment

Not sure how much of CSC108 you can do without AI? Take the free AI Coding Dependency Test.

Get CSC108 Help Today

Frequently Asked Questions

I have used ChatGPT for most of CSC108. Is that a problem?

Not a moral one, a timing one. Most of the class is doing the same thing and the tool is genuinely useful. The catch is that CSC108 tests are closed book, so whatever AI has been carrying comes due on exam day. The fix is not to stop using it, it is to change what you ask it for. For a specific read on where you stand, the free AI Coding Dependency Test scores you across 10 skill areas in about 15 minutes.

After CSC108 - What's Next?

CSC148 - Introduction to CS

Recursion, linked lists, trees, and algorithms. The hardest first-year CS course - I can help you ace it.

Exam & Midterm Prep

Targeted practice sessions for UofT-style CS exams - timed problems and strategy.