Comp 101 Am I in the right course?

Zero Experience Needed

First things first: no prior programming experience is required or expected. If you have tinkered around before and enjoyed it, that's great. If not: also great. 

If you're on the fence, here is some commentary on how 101 compares to other early programming courses at UNC.

Comp 101 vs 110

COMP101, like COMP110, satisfies the QR requirement and is interchangeable in most programs where 110 is required (i.e. the Psychology BA). COMP101 is an intro-level class that provides a gentler introduction to programming. If you have credit for MATH110 or higher, but have not yet taken Math 231, or an equivalent Calculus course, starting your computer science career in COMP101 is recommended.

Comp 110 vs 116

Comp 116 is designed for students specifically focused on programming in the sciences with MATLAB. Depending on your intended course of study at UNC, learning MATLAB may be more immediately valuable to you than learning a general purposed programming language like Java. That said, programming fundamentals are covered in both so you can think of them somewhat interchangeably. If you're really torn here, check out an old course page of 116 to learn more and consider talking to me or an adviser in the department.

Comp 110 vs 401

Comp 401 - Foundations of Programming assumes mastery of the fundamentals learned in Comp 110, Comp 116, or AP Computer Science. Carouse the 'Background Material' section of that course page, specifically looking at items under the 'Audience' column of 110 and ask yourself whether the 110 materials feel familiar. Generally, if you can write for loops, design functions, and reason about objects vs. classes, we should talk. Starting with 110 may still be a good decision for you, especially if you have not used a statically typed programming language like Java or C++, as Comp 401 moves very quickly and relies on Java.