New Course Offered at the HCSTC---Competitive Programing C++

Dear HCSTC Community:

Are you looking for a coding class that’s fun, hands-on, and truly useful? This year-long course is designed just for curious and motivated students — no prior coding experience needed but completion of Prealgebra is a prerequisite for success. It is mostly suitable for 6th graders and above but prepared younger students are certainly welcome.

Students will start with the basics of C++ — one of the world’s most widely used programming languages — and learn how to write real code from day one. The Fall Semester focuses on core programming skills: students will learn how to use variables, write conditions and loops, work with arrays, and build small projects step by step. Each lesson includes live coding practice, short activities, and easy-to-follow examples that make tricky ideas simple and fun. Students will also learn some computer science topics on the more theoretical side such as binary or boolean logic and the math behind the code.

In the Spring Semester, students will be introduced to the exciting community of Competitive Programming. They will apply their new skills to solve real-life beginner coding problems used in international online competitions like Codeforces and USACO. They’ll learn how to read problems, break them down, and write clear, working solutions — all while building confidence and logical thinking.

The class is interactive: students will write and run code every session, share their ideas, and even try out mini practice contests with classmates. They’ll see how programmers think, spot bugs, and fix them — just like real coders do! In addition, students are highly recommended to give some thought to the topics outside of class to ensure their success.

By the end of the year, students will not only understand the foundations of C++ but also be ready to join beginner-level coding contests. They will confidently keep growing as problem solvers.

A self-diagnostic check is attached below. If you can solve most of the problems with little difficulty, this class is right for you! We are so excited to invite you to join us.

Best,

HCSTC

Self-Diagnostic Test.pdf

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