For many students, myself included, their first exposure to Computer Science is through the AP Computer Science A course in high school. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are designed for high schoolers to learn subjects with the rigor, depth, and complexity of college classes. Taking AP classes can also boost a student's weighted GPA.
The AP Computer Science A curriculum emphasizes the fundamental concepts and problem solving skills that Computer Science requires, using the Java programming language. It introduces basics like variables, loops, conditionals, and methods, along with object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, and software design strategies. Java is a widely used programming language, useful and multifaceted because it can support abstraction, encapsulation, and object-orientation, all of which are important concepts for software engineering.
The official prerequisite for AP Computer Science A is first-year high school algebra, including function notation and other algebraic problem solving skills. Overall, the course recommends a solid foundation in mathematical reasoning. However, having worked with many students taking this course, we have found that some prior coding experience really helps students be successful in this course. At Juni, we recommend students who are new to programming start with our Python Level 1 and sometimes our Python Level 2 course before moving into Java.​

To receive college credit, students must register to take the College Board AP exam through their school, administered in May of each year. In 2017, the College Board introduced a second computer science AP course, AP Computer Science Principles. Compared to AP Computer Science A, this course "focuses on the broader aspects of computing, including not only programming but also topics like the global impact of computing, the internet and cyber-security, and creativity" (College Board). At Juni, we only offer the AP Computer Science A course.
The AP Computer Science A exam is a three hour test. The first half includes 40 multiple choice questions and accounts for 50% of the exam score. The second half includes four free response questions focused on program design, implementation, and problem solving, and it makes up the remaining 50% of the exam score. All of the questions on the AP exam involving coding use Java as the primary programming language, and test booklets include the Java Quick Reference that includes all of the accessible methods from the Java library that the AP exam may reference.
Goals of the AP Computer Science curriculum include:

• Design, implement, and analyze solutions to problems
• Use and implement commonly used algorithms
• Develop and select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve new problems
• Write solutions fluently in an object-oriented paradigm
• Write, run, test, and debug solutions in the Java programming language, utilizing standard Java library classes and interfaces from the AP Java subset
• Read and understand programs consisting of several classes and interacting objects
• Read and understand a description of the design and development process leading to such a program
• Understand the ethical and social implications of computer use

The exam score is College Board’s recommendation on whether universities should grant course credits to the student. Generally, an AP score of 3 and above is considered passing. The scoring breakdown is laid out as follows:

Score     Recommendation
   5          Extremely well qualified
   4         Well qualified
   3         Qualified
   2         Possibly qualified
   1          No recommendation

There are many different resources and programs that can help students prepare for the AP Computer Science A exam. The best fit depends on the student's learning style and time constraints.
Overall, the AP Computer Science A course is a great opportunity to learn the fundamentals of computer science and demonstrate proficiency to colleges. Passing the AP exam is a great way to earn some college credit, but more importantly it helps develop a lifelong technical skill that helps one think in new ways.​

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Suman Tripathy holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley. Next fall, she will be moving to New York to pursue her Master's in Data Science. She is currently a Senior Instructor at Juni Learning. You can often find her camped out at Philz Coffee reading books and listening to music!

algorithm is a set of step-by-step procedures, or a set of rules to follow, for completing a specific task or solving a particular problem. Algorithms are all around us. The recipe for baking a cake, the method we use to solve a long division problem, and the process of doing laundry are all examples of an algorithm. Here’s what baking a cake might look like, written out as a list of instructions, just like an algorithm:

1. Preheat the oven
2. Gather the ingredients
3. Measure out the ingredients
4. Mix together the ingredients to make the batter
5. Grease a pan
6. Pour the batter into the pan
7. Put the pan in the oven
8. Set a timer
9. When the timer goes off, take the pan out of the oven
10. Enjoy!

Algorithmic programming is all about writing a set of rules that instruct the computer how to perform a task. A computer program is essentially an algorithm that tells the computer what specific steps to execute, in what specific order, in order to carry out a specific task. Algorithms are written using particular syntax, depending on the programming language being used.​

​Algorithms are classified based on the concepts that they use to accomplish a task. While there are many types of algorithms, the most fundamental types of computer science algorithms are:

1. Divide and conquer algorithms – divide the problem into smaller subproblems of the same type; solve those smaller problems, and combine those solutions to solve the original problem.
   
2. Brute force algorithms – try all possible solutions until a satisfactory solution is found.
   
3. Randomized algorithms – use a random number at least once during the computation to find a solution to the problem.
   
4. Greedy algorithms – find an optimal solution at the local level with the intent of finding an optimal solution for the whole problem.
   
5. Recursive algorithms – solve the lowest and simplest version of a problem to then solve increasingly larger versions of the problem until the solution to the original problem is found.
   
6. Backtracking algorithms – divide the problem into subproblems, each which can be attempted to be solved; however, if the desired solution is not reached, move backwards in the problem until a path is found that moves it forward.
   
7. Dynamic programming algorithms – break a complex problem into a collection of simpler subproblems, then solve each of those subproblems only once, storing their solution for future use instead of re-computing their solutions.
   

​There are a number of different algorithms, from simple to very complicated, that exist for solving a Rubik’s cube. Below is just one simple algorithm. First, let’s specify a notation to use (similar to picking a programming language).
Each of the six faces of a Rubik’s cube can be represented by the first letter of their name:

• U - up
  
• D - down
  
• L - left
  
• R - right
  
• F - front
  
• B - back
  

Each face can be turned in three different ways/directions. Using U as an example, these are represented as:

• U - clockwise quarter-turn of the upper face
  
• U' - counter-clockwise quarter-turn of the upper face
  
• U2 - half turn in either direction of the upper face
  

Now, let’s go through the steps in the algorithm to solve a Rubik’s Cube. Feel free to grab one of your own and follow along!
Step 1: The Cross

1. First, flip some edges so that there is a white cross on the upper face.
   
2. Apply the following turns: F, R’, D’, R, F2, R’, U, R, U’, R’, R2, L2, U2, R2, L2.
   
3. The cross is now solved.
   

Step 2: The White Corners

1. The edges on the white face are now complete, but the corners remain.
   
2. Depending on where the white-orange-green corner is in the puzzle, apply one of the following series of turns:
   
   1. Bottom: R’, D’, R, D (repeat until the corner moves to its correct place)
      
   2. Top: R’, D’, R, D (this moves the corner to the bottom; then, follow the above instructions)
      

Step 3: Middle Layer Edges

1. Flip the cube so that the white is on the bottom.
   
2. Look for an edge that is on the top face and doesn’t have yellow on it.
   
3. Perform a U-turn so that the color on the front face of the edge matches with the center.
   
4. Depending on the direction that the edge could go, apply one of the following series of turns:
   
   1. Left: U’, L’, U, L, U, F, U’, F’
      
   2. Right: U, R, U’, R’, U’, F’, U, F)
      

Step 4: Yellow Cross

1. Apply the following turns, until a yellow cross on the face appears with the yellow center: F, R, U, R’, U’, F’.
   
2. If there is an “L” shape, where the two yellow pieces showing are adjacent to each other, apply the following turns: F, U, R, U’, R’, F’.
   
3. If there is a “Line” shape, which is horizontal, apply the following turns: F, R, U, R’, U’, F’.
   

Step 5: Sune and Antisune

1. Look at the face with the yellow center.
   
2. Depending on the below contingencies, apply one of the following series of turns:
   
   1. If there is only one oriented corner: R, U, R’, U, R, U2, R’ (repeat until the desired position is attained)
      
   2. There is one oriented corner and one right-facing corner: U2, R, U2, R’, U’, R, U’, R’
      

Step 6: Finishing the puzzle

1. Look for sets of “headlights” (two stickers of the same color in the same row, separated by a sticker of a different color).
   
2. Depending on how many there are, apply one of the following series of turns:
   
   1. If there are a set of headlights on each side: R, U’, R, U, R, U, R, U’, R’, U’, R2
      
   2. Otherwise: R’, F, R’, B2, R, F’, R’, B2, R2
      

​A sorting algorithm is an algorithm that puts elements of a list in a certain order, usually in numerical or lexicographical order. Sorting is often an important first step in algorithms that solves more complex problems. There are a large number of sorting algorithms, each with their own benefits and costs. Below, we will focus on some of the more famous sorting algorithms.

1. Linear sort: Find the smallest element in the list to be sorted, add it to a new list, and remove it from the original list. Repeat this until the original list is empty.
2. Bubble sort: Compare the first two elements in the list, and if the first is greater than the second, swap them. Repeat this with every pair of adjacent elements in the list. Then, repeat this process until the list is fully sorted.
3. Insertion sort: Compare each element in the list to all the prior elements until a smaller element is found. Swap these two elements. Repeat this process until the list is fully sorted.

​Ananya Rao is studying Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, and she is an instructor at Juni Learning. She is a biorobotics researcher at CMU, and she is pursuing an additional major in Robotics. She was previously a Digital Technology Intern at GE Transportation and an Assistant Teacher at the National Academy For Learning in Bengaluru, India. Ananya also enjoys dancing, building robots, and writing stories.

​Wanna enter the Sports betting industry? Are you worried about the transactional data, security and entry charges?
Just relax and lean on to your chair. The amazing features of blockchain technology have reshaped the sports betting industry. It enhances safe and secure transactions as it is an open source decentralized network.
Basically, blockchain offers tremendous features like transparency, fast payouts, speedy transactions, independent in nature, etc. The most effective feature is the player’s account will not be restricted or blocked either personally or professionally  due to extreme winnings.
Blockchain is the most prominent technology ruling today’s betting industry. It’s advancement in the sports industry has laid a pavement for its enormous growth in recent times.
To get detailed information, checkout the following Infographic developed by WinBTC.net in Partnership with MrBet.me.uk.

​Blockchain & Mobile apps: With the vast competition already in the marketplace, several technologies are coming out to survive in the present market scenarios.
Blockchain, a most popular technology is well aware of many due to its association with cryptocurrency like bitcoin. It’s now used in mobile applications to make transactions safe, secure and speed.
Blockchain is generally used to modify the usage of mobile applications in order to make the app installation procedures simple, easy and eliminates all kinds of unwanted stuff. It has a greater ability to reshape the mobile industry with its outstanding features.
Blockchain in mobile apps ensures tremendous growth in the coming days . Checkout the following infographic on – Blockchain in mobile Application Market, developed by winbtc.net in partnership with AC Market.

   Bitcoin halving is often referred to as “Halvening”, it’s a formulated reduction in the reward coins offered to the miners using a predefined blockchain algorithm.
   Bitcoin halvings take place once in every four – 4 years approximately, or for every 210,000 block transactions.
    The process of halvening started in the year 2012, approximately after 4 years of the invention of bitcoin i.e 2008, but practically bitcoins came into play in the year 2009.
       After the first bitcoin halving, the block reward of 50 bitcoins per transaction were reduced to 25 bitcoins per block or transaction, later this reward was further reduced to 12.5 and it has now fallen to 6.25 after halvening in 2020.
    The main idea of halvening is to create scarcity for the coins and to control inflation, as bitcoins issuance is limited to 21 million coins as per the idea of Satoshi Nakamoto, inventor of Bitcoin.
      The production of 21 million bitcoins involves 32 halvenings, we are now done with two halvenings and this might continue till or come to an end in the year 2140.
Investors from all over the world are excited and waiting for the Bitcoin price to increase, and the demand for bitcoins in the online gambling industry is high. Bitcoins are widely accepted at Bitcoin Casinos as they collect deposits in the form of cryptocurrency from their players.
      To know the overview of Bitcoin Halving (Just in minutes), check out the following infographic developed by Abishai James at WinBTC.net in partnership with ACMarket.

Abishai James is a Bitcoin investor and trader, operating at WinBTC.net.
He can be reached at [email protected].

The internet is the backbone for modern-day civilization, which is growing at a rapid scale.
As such, if you are invested in the internet, then you must gain insights into the current trends that are happening on the market.
Having a quantitative idea with access to real statistics and figures will help you make a sound objective business decision.
Therefore, we have put together a comprehensive list of some of the most fascinating statistics and facts about the internet.
So without further ado, let’s get started: if you want to understand the different intricacies of the world wide web, then check out this in-depth infographic now!

About Natalie Christen 
Natalie Christen is a Tech & Social enthusiast. She is also a Web Entrepreneur by Profession and loves to write about the latest trends on Social Media & SEO.
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​For kids 10 and under, there are many games and toys that help them understand the building blocks of computer programming. For example, Bitsbox delivers a physical box to your home every month containing a kit of projects, and then your young child can login to Bitsbox’s online platform to program their own version of these projects. The apps are selected based on difficulty and interests - they offer anything from interactive birthday cards to Tetris-like games. The apps can then be easily shared onto phones and tablets.
The Osmo is an iPad-based programming game system that incorporates physical blocks to write code. Using a set of magnetic blocks, your child controls Awbie, a cute character who must navigate the different levels of the Osmo universe. The physical blocks must be connected together logically so that Awbie can move on screen, using commands like “move,” “turn,” and “repeat.” The Osmo is ideal for kids as young as five years old because they don’t need typing skills to learn the basics of programming logic and to practice their critical thinking skills. After your child has mastered Awbie, they can move onto Osmo’s other products like Coding Jam, which uses a similar block system to generate digital music, and Coding Duo, a more advanced version of Coding Awbie with multiple players.
Cubetto is a completely screenless coding toy for kids 6 and under. Cubetto is a wooden robot that is programmed by placing colored blocks onto its surface, which instructs it where to move. The Cubetto is placed on top of different maps, mazes, and books. For example, in one challenge Cubetto must navigate around a big urban city. In another, he is in ancient Egypt, learning about pyramids, hieroglyphics, and the Sphinx. This is a great toy that encourages active play and critical thinking without any screens.