💻 Week 01, Day 03 - Lab

Setting up your first repository and documenting it

🥅 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lab, you should be able to: i) Accept a GitHub Classroom assignment to create your midterm project repository, ii) Set up the initial structure of your project (e.g., add a .gitignore), iii) Create your first project notebook and make your initial commit, iv) Begin drafting the data collection and justification for your midterm project.

Welcome to the lab session. This afternoon, we are diving straight into the midterm project. The goal is not to finish it, but to get it started correctly, following best practices for version control and project setup from the very beginning.

⏰ Wednesday, 16 July 2025 | Either 2:00-3.30pm or 3.30-5:00pm 📍 Check your timetable for your class location

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Part I: The Briefing (15 min)

Your first task is to carefully read the full requirements for the midterm. Understanding the goal and the grading rubric is the most important first step.

🎯 ACTION POINTS

1. Read the Midterm Brief:

   Navigate to the course website and read the ✍️ Midterm Project page from top to bottom.

2. Discuss in Groups (5 min). In small groups of 2-3, briefly discuss your initial ideas.

   • What cities might you compare?
   • What variables could define “raininess”? (e.g., number of rainy days, total precipitation, intensity of rain?)
   • Share any initial questions you have about the brief with your group.

Part II: Project Setup (30 min)

Your class teacher, Stuart, will now lead a live demonstration. The goal is to walk you through the correct, professional setup of your project repository. Please follow along with these steps.

🎯 ACTION POINTS

1. Accept the Assignment by visiting the link provided in the ✍️ Midterm Project page.

2. Clone Your Repository:

   Follow the instructions in the GitHub guide to clone your repository.

3. Navigate into your new project folder.

4. Add a .gitignore: Create a new file named .gitignore and copy over the .gitignore we used in the lecture.

5. Create your first notebook: Create a new Jupyter Notebook and name it NB01 - Data Collection.ipynb.

6. Make Your First Commit:

   Use the “Git ceremony” to save your initial setup.

   git add .
   git commit -m "Initial project setup with .gitignore and NB01"
   git push

   Verify on GitHub.com that your new files have appeared in your repository.

Part III: Individual Work (45 min)

Now it’s your turn to start working on NB01 - Data Collection.ipynb. The goal for today is to make a solid start on your data collection and justification.

At some point during this session, Stuart will pause you to highlight how to write effective justifications.

Remember the goal: be concise, be clear, and explain your reasoning. Why this city? Why this time period? A good justification shows you have a plan and it doesn’t need to be an essay.

Avoid generic “AI slop” and let your own thinking come through!

🎯 ACTION POINTS

1. Start your NB01:

2. Draft Your Justification:

   If your ideas or justifications change later, you can always edit your notebook and commit your changes again.

3. Commit whenever you finish a “piece” of work.

   You don’t need to commit after every little thing you do. Some people like to commit after completing a section of the notebook, others like to commit after completing the whole notebook. It’s up to you.

   When grading, we will look at the commit history to see how you have worked on the project. What is important is that we can trace how your project has evolved over time.