Assignments¶
Welcome to the lab assignments section. These hands-on assignments are designed to get new undergraduates up to speed with the tools and workflows used in the CAR Mobility Systems Lab.
How Assignments Work¶
- Read the full assignment before starting — each one lists prerequisites, estimated time, and deliverables.
- Work through the tasks in order — later tasks build on earlier ones.
- Ask for help early — if you're stuck for more than 15 minutes on a setup issue, post in the lab Slack/Teams channel. Setup problems are normal and everyone encounters them.
- Submit your deliverables as described at the end of each assignment.
Current Assignments¶
| # | Assignment | Topics | Est. Time | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Build Your Personal Academic Website | Git, GitHub, VS Code, Quarto, GitHub Pages | 3--4 hrs | Beginner |
| 2a | Exploratory Data Analysis | pandas, matplotlib, seaborn, scikit-learn, Quarto blog | 6--8 hrs | Beginner |
| 2b | Concepts, Admin & AI Setup | OSC, W&B, SQL, ML pipelines, Copilot, Claude | 5--7 hrs | Beginner |
| 3a | Package Management Concepts | pip, conda, uv, venvs, dependency resolution | 3--4 hrs | Beginner |
| 3b | Neural Network from Scratch | numpy, forward pass, backprop, decision boundaries | 5--7 hrs | Beginner--Intermediate |
Assignments 2a and 2b
Assignments 2a and 2b are assigned together — you have 2 weeks to complete both. They are designed to be worked on in parallel: 2a is hands-on coding, 2b is conceptual setup. Part 5 of 2b (creating a CLAUDE.md) connects to your 2a EDA project.
Assignments 3a and 3b
Assignments 3a and 3b are assigned together — you have 2 weeks to complete both. 3a is conceptual (package management), 3b is hands-on coding (neural networks). Both include a blog post deliverable.
Extras¶
- Student Site Showcase — Example personal sites built by lab members for inspiration
- Typst CV Guide — Optional: upgrade your CV to a professionally typeset PDF
Building Your Portfolio¶
Every assignment includes a blog post deliverable. These aren't throwaway homework — they're the start of a professional portfolio. Future employers, grad school committees, and lab collaborators will look at your public work.
Turn assignments into portfolio pieces
- Write a clear intro — assume the reader has no context about the assignment. What problem are you exploring, and why?
- Lead with your best visualizations — a compelling plot is worth more than a wall of text.
- Add a "What I Learned" section — reflection shows depth of understanding.
- Use category tags on your Quarto blog — makes it easy to find related posts later.