Liberty CSIS 111: Introduction to Programming
CSIS 111 is Liberty's first real programming course, teaching structured and object-oriented programming in C++: input/output, control flow, functions, and arrays. The grade is built on a sequence of programming assignments completed in Visual Studio that get progressively more challenging, plus open-book quizzes.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Liberty University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
It's the course where students discover whether programming clicks. The assignments compound, so a concept missed in week 2 resurfaces inside week 5's program. Debugging is the hidden time cost: beginners routinely spend more hours fixing compiler errors than writing code, and the 8-week pace doesn't pause for it.
What you'll cover
- • C++ syntax and program structure
- • Variables, data types, and input/output
- • Control flow: conditionals and loops
- • Functions
- • Arrays
- • Debugging and software engineering basics
The CSIS 111 study guide
How to study for Liberty CSIS 111, step by step.
- 1
Get Visual Studio working in week one
Environment problems are the worst way to lose an assignment week. Install, compile, and run a hello-world program before the first real assignment is due, so tool friction never competes with concept learning.
- 2
Start every programming assignment early
The assignments grow progressively harder and debugging time is unpredictable: a program that's 90% done can hide hours of work. Days of buffer turn mystery bugs from emergencies into puzzles.
- 3
Type and modify the examples yourself
Reading code builds recognition; writing it builds the skill the assignments grade. Re-create each module's examples from scratch, then change them and predict what happens.
- 4
Master each concept before the next module
Loops assume conditionals; functions assume both; arrays assume all three. The compounding structure means a shaky week never stays contained, so patch gaps the week they appear.
Today
Today's CSIS 111 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for CSIS 111. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is CSIS 111 hard?
It's the first real programming wall for beginners: the concepts compound and the assignments get progressively harder across 8 weeks. Students who practice steadily and start assignments early manage; pure crammers struggle badly.
What language does CSIS 111 use?
C++, with assignments completed in Visual Studio. The problem-solving approach it teaches carries over to other languages in later CSIS courses.
Can I take CSIS 111 with no programming experience?
Yes, it assumes none. The predictor of success isn't prior experience but weekly hands-on practice; programming is learned by writing programs, not reading about them.