CS114 Unit 1 Scavenger Hunt:
How to Complete It
The Unit 1 Scavenger Hunt is a course orientation assignment — 16 questions, a personal reflection, and a set of success strategies. This guide walks you through every section and what you actually need to write to get full marks.
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The Unit 1 Scavenger Hunt is a course orientation exercise. It is not testing your knowledge of computer science or study skills theory. It is testing whether you can navigate your course shell, read course documents carefully, and write organized, college-level responses about what you find. Students who fail this assignment almost always fail it for one reason: they rush it.
Before anything else, understand what you are being asked to do. The assignment has three distinct components bundled into one document. First, there are 16 scavenger hunt questions — each one pointing you toward a specific resource, policy, or feature inside your course. Second, there is a personal reflection section where you explain what you hope to gain from the course and why it matters to you professionally. Third, there is a strategies section where you identify anticipated challenges and connect at least three of the 7 Tips for Online Success to your own plan.
The course outcome this assignment targets is CS114-1: enhance learning through the use of personal management tools and study strategies. That framing matters. Your reflection and strategies sections should not read like filler — they should show that you have thought about what kind of student you are and what you specifically plan to do to succeed. Generic answers like “I will manage my time better” will not score as well as specific, grounded ones.
The File Name Matters
The instructions specifically tell you to rename the downloaded template as YourName-Unit1-ScavengerHunt — replacing “YourName” with your actual name. Submitting the file with the default template name (“YourName_u1_scavengerhunt”) is a common mistake that flags a student as having not read the instructions carefully. Fix this before you submit.
File Setup and Submission: Do This First
This sounds trivial, but file management is a graded component of the assignment checklist. Do it right before you type a single answer.
Download the Template
The assignment page links to the Unit 1 Assignment template — a .docx file. Download it. Do not work in the browser or copy-paste into a blank document. The template likely has formatting, section headers, and answer fields already built in. Using it keeps your submission clean and makes it easier for your instructor to grade.
Rename It Immediately
Before you do anything else, save the file as YourActualName-Unit1-ScavengerHunt. For example: JaneDoe-Unit1-ScavengerHunt.docx. This is explicitly in the instructions. Do it now, not after you finish writing, so you do not forget.
Know Where You Saved It
The instructions literally say “Remember where you have saved the file so that you can locate your work later.” That line is there because students routinely lose their file at submission time. Save it somewhere obvious — your desktop or a dedicated course folder. Not your downloads folder where it will disappear into 400 other files.
Save Again Before Submitting
After you complete your work, save the file one final time (Ctrl+S or Cmd+S), then upload it to the Unit 1 Assignment Dropbox in your course. Do not submit a link — submit the actual .docx file.
How to Approach the 16 Scavenger Hunt Questions
The 16 questions are designed to send you into specific corners of the course shell you might not otherwise visit. Each answer is already somewhere in your course — in the syllabus, in the course policies, in the announcements, in the gradebook setup, in the assignment dropboxes, or on the instructor’s profile. Your job is to find the information, read it, and write your answer in your own words.
Here is the strategy that works: open your course in one browser tab and your Word document in another. Work through the questions in order. For each one, identify which part of the course it is pointing you to, navigate there, read the relevant section carefully, and write your answer. Do not skip ahead and come back — you will lose your place and forget which ones you actually finished.
| Question Category | Where to Look | What You Are Writing |
|---|---|---|
| Course Policies | Syllabus, Course Policies section | Specific policy details — late work, attendance, academic integrity. Paraphrase what the policy says, not just “there is a policy.” |
| Grading Information | Syllabus grading section or Gradebook | How your grade breaks down — what percentage each assignment type is worth |
| Assignment Submissions | Assignment dropboxes, Unit folders | Where to submit work, format requirements, how to navigate there |
| Instructor Information | Syllabus, course home page, instructor profile | How to reach your instructor, office hours, preferred contact method |
| Course Resources | Library resources tab, tutoring links, writing center | What specific support resources are available and how to access them |
| Discussion Boards | Unit 1 discussion area | How discussion posts work, where they are located, grading criteria |
| Technical Requirements | Syllabus or course information page | Required software, browser compatibility, technical support contacts |
Do Not Copy Text Directly From the Course
Even though these questions are fact-finding, your answers should be in your own words. Copying text verbatim from the syllabus and pasting it as your answer is not a college-level response — it shows you found the information but did not process it. Read the relevant section, close it, and write what you found in your own language. This also applies to any text you pull from the course overview or instructor bio.
Answer Length for Each Question
Most scavenger hunt questions expect 2–4 sentences. One sentence answers are too thin — they do not demonstrate comprehension. Paragraph-length answers are also unnecessary. Hit the key information clearly and move on. If a question asks you to explain something, explain it. If it asks you to locate something, describe what you found and where.
Writing the “What You Hope to Gain” Section
This is the section most students write too quickly and too vaguely. The checklist item says: Explain what you hope to gain from the course and why it will be important to you as a student and a professional. Notice the two-part structure — student and professional. Your answer needs to address both.
The difference between a 4/4 response and a 2/4 response here is almost always specificity. “I want to learn study skills” tells your instructor nothing. “I want to build a consistent time-blocking system so I can manage my nursing prerequisite coursework alongside my part-time job” tells them you have actually thought about this.
— Academic writing principle for reflection assignmentsDescribing Anticipated Challenges and Success Strategies
The checklist asks you to describe anticipated course challenges and success strategies. This is a two-part item: you name your challenges, then you name what you plan to do about them. Both parts are required. Stating a challenge without a strategy, or stating a strategy without naming what it addresses, is an incomplete answer.
The challenges should be honest and specific to your situation. Common legitimate challenges include: managing coursework around full-time work or family responsibilities, staying engaged in an asynchronous online format without the structure of in-person class, procrastination on assignments with flexible deadlines, difficulty with written academic communication, or unfamiliarity with course technology. Pick the ones that actually apply to you — not the ones that sound impressive.
Naming Challenges Well
- Be specific — “online learning” is too broad
- Connect to your actual situation
- Name 2–3 challenges, not a list of 10
- Acknowledge the challenge honestly rather than minimizing it
- Avoid challenges that have no real solution (e.g., “I find studying hard”)
Writing Strategies That Actually Say Something
- Each strategy should match a specific challenge
- Use concrete actions — what will you actually do?
- Reference course resources where relevant (tutoring, library)
- Be realistic — “I will study 10 hours daily” is not believable
- Connect at least 3 of the 7 Tips for Online Success (required)
Example of a Strong Challenge-Strategy Pair
Challenge: I work evening shifts four days per week, which makes it hard to set a consistent study schedule and easy to let discussion posts slide until the last minute.
Strategy: I will block off my two off days as dedicated coursework time and use a weekly checklist to make sure discussion posts and readings are completed before Thursday of each week, rather than rushing over the weekend. This aligns with Tip 3 (manage your time) and Tip 5 (stay organized).
How to Use the 7 Tips for Online Success in Your Assignment
The checklist specifically says you must refer to at least 3 of the 7 Tips for Online Success. This is not optional and it is not met by mentioning them in passing. You need to name the tips by number or title and actually connect them to your strategies — either in your challenges/strategies section or in your course goals section. Just listing three tips without explanation does not count as referring to them.
The 7 Tips for Online Success are located in your course — typically in the orientation materials, the getting started section, or the first unit resources. Read all seven before you write your assignment, because the three you choose to reference should be the ones that genuinely apply to your situation.
Log In Regularly
Consistent course access prevents missed announcements, late work, and the disorientation of returning after a long absence. What does your plan for regular check-ins look like?
Participate Actively
Online learning requires deliberate engagement. Passive reading does not build the same retention as posting, responding, and discussing. How will you make active participation a habit?
Manage Your Time
Without scheduled class periods, time management falls entirely on you. Treating online coursework with the same calendar commitment as an in-person class is the single most effective study habit you can build.
Ask for Help Early
Waiting until you are failing to reach out to your instructor or tutoring services is the most common and preventable mistake in online courses. Identify your support resources in Unit 1 — before you need them.
Stay Organized
Keep a running list of upcoming due dates. Use a planner, calendar app, or even a paper to-do list. Students who track deadlines proactively turn in work on time. Students who rely on memory consistently miss things.
Use Available Resources
Your tuition covers access to writing centers, library databases, tutoring services, and academic coaching. The scavenger hunt is partly designed to ensure you know these exist. Use them — they are already paid for.
Communicate With Your Instructor
Your instructor is a resource, not just an evaluator. Emailing proactively when you are confused, struggling, or unsure about an assignment expectation is a sign of academic maturity, not weakness.
How to Reference the Tips Without Being Mechanical
Do not write: “I will use Tip 3, Tip 5, and Tip 7.” That reads like a checklist, not a reflection. Instead, name the tip and connect it to your situation: “Following Tip 3 on time management, I plan to dedicate Sunday afternoons specifically to coursework so that discussion deadlines during the week do not catch me off-guard.” That is a reference that demonstrates you understood the tip, not just that you counted to three.
The Big 5 Personality Assessment: What It Is and How to Use Your Results
The Unit 1 discussion asks you to complete the Big 5 Personality Assessment and introduce yourself using your results. The assignment scavenger hunt and the discussion are separate submissions, but the Big 5 connects to the broader course goal: understanding yourself as a learner so you can use that self-knowledge to study smarter.
The Big Five — also called the OCEAN model — is one of the most widely researched personality frameworks in psychology. It measures five broad traits. None of them is “good” or “bad.” They are descriptions of tendencies, and understanding yours helps you design study strategies that actually fit how you work. A student who scores low on Conscientiousness does not need to beat themselves up — they need systems that compensate for their natural tendency toward flexibility. A student who scores high on Neuroticism needs stress management strategies built into their study plan, not ignored.
The Big Five is scientifically validated — it is not a pop psychology quiz. The foundational research on the Five-Factor Model is covered extensively in peer-reviewed literature. According to research published through the American Psychological Association, Conscientiousness is the personality trait most consistently associated with academic achievement across studies — more so than intelligence measures alone. That context matters when you reflect on your own score.
Using Your Big 5 Results in Your Assignment
Your discussion introduction should not just list your scores. It should show that you thought about what they mean. For each trait where your score surprised you or felt particularly relevant, explain why — and connect it to how you learn or work. For example: if you scored high on Conscientiousness, acknowledge that you tend to be organized and deadline-driven, and explain how you plan to use that trait to stay on top of the course. If you scored lower, acknowledge that and explain what compensating strategies you plan to use.
This Is Meant to Be Honest, Not Flattering
Students sometimes try to describe all their scores as positives or hide lower scores. That misses the point of the exercise. The Big 5 is a self-knowledge tool, and the most useful thing you can do with results that reveal a potential weakness is name it and plan around it. Instructors are not grading your personality — they are grading your self-awareness and your willingness to engage honestly with the reflection.
What “College-Level Writing” Means for This Assignment
The checklist says your responses should be articulated at a college level, focused, concise, and organized. If you are not sure what that means in practice, here is a concrete breakdown.
Complete Sentences
Every answer should be written in full sentences. Not bullet fragments. Not single words. Full sentences that show you processed the information, not just located it.
Focused on What Was Asked
Answer the question asked — not a related question you found easier. If a scavenger hunt question asks where to find the late work policy, describe the policy, not the whole grading section.
Organized Flow
In your reflection sections, start with your main point, support it, and do not trail off into unrelated thoughts. Each paragraph should have one clear purpose.
Proofread
Run a grammar check. Read your responses out loud. Common issues: run-on sentences, missing commas after introductory clauses, incorrect apostrophe use (“its” vs “it’s”), and homophones (their/there/they’re).
Inclusive Language
The checklist specifically mentions nonoffensive, inclusive, and respectful language. Use person-first language where relevant, avoid gendered assumptions, and write in a tone that would be appropriate in any professional context.
Appropriate Length
Too short signals you did not try. Too long signals you did not understand what was asked. For scavenger hunt answers: 2–4 sentences. For reflection sections: one focused paragraph per prompt.
What Will Cost You Marks on This Assignment
- Generic reflection responses — “I will work hard and stay on track” tells your instructor nothing specific
- Wrong file name — submitting with “YourName” unreplaced in the filename signals inattention to instructions
- Referencing fewer than 3 Tips for Online Success — this is an explicit checklist requirement
- Copying text from the course — even for fact-finding questions, paraphrase what you found
- Incomplete Big 5 reflection — listing your scores without discussing their relevance to how you learn
- Submitting before proofreading — grammar errors in a study skills course are particularly penalized
If writing organized, college-level responses is something you find difficult, the good news is that CS114 is exactly the kind of course designed to help you build that skill. The essay tutoring and online tutoring services available through Smart Academic Writing are also equipped to help you structure your responses and write at the standard your professor expects — whether that means reviewing a draft before submission or working through the writing process from scratch.
FAQs About the CS114 Unit 1 Scavenger Hunt
Final Checklist Before You Submit
Before you hit submit, run through these quickly. Each one is either explicitly in the checklist or a common source of lost marks.
- File renamed — YourActualName-Unit1-ScavengerHunt.docx, not the default template name
- All 16 questions answered — in your own words, in complete sentences
- Course goals section written — covers both student and professional dimensions, specific and not generic
- Anticipated challenges named — honest and specific to your situation
- Success strategies provided — concrete, realistic, and matched to each challenge
- At least 3 Tips for Online Success referenced — named and connected to your plan, not just mentioned
- Big 5 results discussed — if required in the assignment template, reflect on what your scores mean for how you learn
- College-level writing throughout — complete sentences, correct grammar, no copied text from the course
- Inclusive, respectful language — appropriate for a professional academic context
- File saved one final time — before upload
- Submitted to Unit 1 Assignment Dropbox — not emailed, not posted in the discussion
The Unit 1 Scavenger Hunt is genuinely straightforward — but only if you slow down enough to read the instructions properly, navigate your course carefully, and write responses that are specific rather than generic. Students who do it quickly in 20 minutes tend to miss multiple checklist items. Students who spend an hour on it, working through the course systematically, almost always score well.
For additional help with academic writing across your CS114 coursework and beyond, explore Smart Academic Writing’s computer science assignment help, undergraduate assignment support, and essay tutoring services. If you need support building the study strategies and writing skills that CS114 is designed to teach, online tutoring is available at every level.