We strongly encourage you to work together:
you can learn a lot from each other
it is more fun and more motivating
in industry, team work is highly valued
in the second half of the year, you will be asked to work in pairs, so you should get to know each other and make a tentative choice of programming partner
No, not in this unit - programming is an individual skill which everyone needs to develop:
talk to each other, look over each other's shoulders, explain things to each other
don't take an electronic copy, or look at somebody else's work while typing
don't let someone else copy your work, or make it accessible (unless you use a licence)
Where is the dividing line between working together and copying?
If you work together you learn more than on your own, whereas if you copy you learn less
Also, we use software which searches for copying, and you will get into trouble
This software is cleverer than you are (if not, you are clever enough to understand the need to avoid copying)
Copying is often a result of panic
So if you get behind with the work on the unit for any reason (illness, overwork, loss of motivation, laziness ...)
Come and talk - the sooner the better
We are always willing to discuss things with you and help find a recovery strategy