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Mathematics 1 Analytic Geometry & Algebra Descriptive Statistics Reinforced Informatics 1 Become Student
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Mathematics 1 Analytic Geometry & Algebra Descriptive Statistics Reinforced Informatics 1 Become Student

Created by Erik Grigoryan and Gevorg Galstyan

Informatics Bachelor · Year 1 · Semester 1

Become Student

Introductory course designed to help first-year Informatics students transition into university life, build foundations in programming logic and modern software tools, and develop effective teamwork and communication skills.

3 ECTS 18 in-class hours 60 hours individual work

Course Identification

“Become Student” is a first-year, first-semester course in the 2025–2026 academic year within the Informatics Bachelor (Armenian) / Licence en Informatique de l’Université de Toulouse (French) program at the French University in Armenia. The course belongs to the Informatics (Computer Science) specialization and is assigned to the ICM Faculty as Bloc 2, Module 2.

Credits & Workload

The course carries 3 ECTS credits and includes a total of 18 contact hours, broken down as:

  • 6 hours of lectures (CM)
  • 12 hours of laboratory / workshop sessions (TP)

There is no separate project component specified beyond the integrated laboratory work. In addition, students are expected to complete approximately 60 hours of individual work over the semester.

Aim of the Course

The aim of “Become Student” is to provide first-year Informatics students with a solid foundation in programming logic and the use of essential modern software tools, while supporting their integration into university life. The course simultaneously develops teamwork skills, familiarises students with professional study paths and helps them structure their own academic and professional projects.

Learning Outcomes - Knowledge

By the end of the course, students are expected to:

  • Understand the basic structure and specific features of the Informatics Bachelor program and related professional pathways.
  • Know the core principles of programming project life cycles and the main categories of modern software tools used in development and collaboration.
  • Recognise the main elements of academic and professional communication at university level.

Learning Outcomes - Application of Professional Knowledge

  • Use effective tools and modern environments (e.g. Microsoft Teams, VS Code, Git, GitHub, Trello, VirtualBox, Docker, MySQL, Tableau) for collaborative and technical work.
  • Apply basic methods of organising work in teams, including task planning and tracking with project management tools.
  • Participate in the implementation and documentation of a small-scale programming project (e.g. a quiz in the terminal) from idea to final report.

Learning Outcomes - Transferable Skills

  • Identify basic methods of organising work and workflows in a company or team setting.
  • Use collaboration tools and principles for effective communication and teamwork.
  • Analyse professional literature and online resources in Armenian and English to explore new jobs, roles and fields.
  • Support the development of personal professional projects by applying acquired knowledge and skills (e.g. CV, LinkedIn profile, motivation letters).

Assessment & Grading

Assessment is based on continuous work throughout the semester and a final written report. All evaluations are carried out individually and in teams according to the nature of the tasks.

The final grade is composed of:

  • Ongoing work (25%) – individual and group laboratory and independent tasks, including use of digital tools, teamwork and participation.
  • Final written report (75%) – a comprehensive written report covering all work carried out during the semester.

The 20 points of the final report are divided between:

  • Structure of the report
  • Content and depth of analysis
  • Quality of writing and adherence to formal requirements

The report must include: a YouTube link to the video presentation, a LaTeX transcript of the interview, and a structured motivation letter. It is mandatory to submit both PDF and LaTeX files on time.

At the end of the semester, each student uploads to UFAR’s MOODLE platform:

  • An individual report in PDF format named BecomeStudentNameSurname.pdf, summarising all tasks completed in the course.
  • A LaTeX file containing the team interview transcript named interviewTeamName.tex.

The report is prepared in English (except for content published in Armenian on Wikipedia), and the authorship of all uploaded files is checked.

Teaching Methods & Prerequisites

Teaching combines lectures with practical sessions and laboratory work. The course relies heavily on digital tools, including the UFAR Moodle platform and various software used for programming, version control, project management and communication. Exercises also address professional orientation and stability in the chosen field.

There are no specific prerequisite courses. The subject is designed as an introductory module to support students in their transition from high school to university and to help them integrate into the Bachelor program more effectively.

Course Content

Lecture Topics (CM)

Topic 1 – Introduction

General introduction to the course, its objectives, organisation and evaluation methods.

Topic 2 – Structure and Specificities of the Study Program

Overview of the Informatics Bachelor program structure, key modules and progression through the curriculum; presentation of possible study paths and specialisations.

Topic 3 – Professional Literature and Field Analysis

Introduction to professional and academic literature in informatics; analysis of the IT sector, typical roles and possible career paths; basic methods of documentary research and bibliography building.

Topic 4 – Management and Implementation of a Personal Professional Project

Elements of self-assessment, setting objectives and planning an individual professional project; linking study choices with future career goals.

Laboratory / Practical Topics (TP)

TP 1 – How to Become a Good Student / Professional

Discussion of good practices for university learning and professional growth. Overview of software project life cycle phases and brief presentation of the main tools used in software development.

TP 2 – Team Formation and Core Tools

Creating teams and setting up collaboration with Microsoft Teams. Introduction to Visual Studio Code, Git and GitHub. Initial configuration and basic workflows for version control.

TP 3 – Team Project: Quiz in Terminal

Implementation of a small team project (“Quiz in terminal”) and preparation of a written report. Use of:

  • Trello – for task and project management
  • uizard – for simple interface prototyping
  • Python – for programming the quiz
  • GitHub – for version control and collaboration
  • Microsoft Teams – for communication and coordination

TP 4 – Virtualisation and Containers

Introduction to VirtualBox and Docker. Basic concepts of virtual machines and containers, practical examples of setting up and using these tools.

TP 5 – Competitive Programming

Introduction to competitive programming platforms and problem-solving on LeetCode. Working on selected problems to train algorithmic thinking and coding under constraints.

TP 6 – Databases and Visualisation

Introduction to databases with MySQL and MySQL Workbench. Basic operations on databases and tables. Data visualisation with Tableau to create simple dashboards.

TP 7 – System Design, CV and LinkedIn

Simple example of system design to illustrate how to think about software architecture. Creation or improvement of a CV and a LinkedIn profile according to professional standards and best practices.

Literature & Resources

Online Resources