I came into the class with absolutely zero knowledge in coding but I was still able to get an A. The biggest reason would most likely be because Cai is extremely fair with his exams. He has explicitly said that he only tests on what he covers in lectures, so attending lectures is extremely helpful.

Though he does have an accent, Cai has an exceptional understanding of the material and he does his best to impart his knowledge. I know that teaching coding is hard, but Cai does a pretty good job.

My only complaint is that he is not that friendly, though I did wear him down by the end of the quarter. He sometimes judges you when you ask what he probably thinks is a dumb question, but he does his best to answer.

I hated coding in the beginning, and I still do now but at least less.

Personally, I did not enjoy taking this class with Cai. When it comes to lectures, he can be very unclear in explaining the material at times, and often confused me. That being said, his midterm and final is fairly easy (final was a bit challenging, but not really difficult per se), which allowed me to get an A. The exams cover the same concepts in the practice exams he gives. Further, his grading is very fair and pretty lenient.

Also, if he is teaching, attend Deo's discussions. He is an amazing TA.