If in doubt, see the instructor. Missing three or more laboratories is grounds for failing the course. The laboratories are not held so that you can complete assignments. Post-laboratories turned in after the first 10 minutes of laboratory will not be accepted and you will receive a zero on the assignment. Come to lab with the required materials completed and ready to hand in.
Software development is a complex problem.
The goal of the laboratory exercises is to present challenging software development problems from which you can learn a great deal. This truly is a case of learning by doing. Students routinely report that the CS201 lab experience was one of the most valuable lab experiences they have had at the University. They will also report that the CS201 lab experience was one of the most time consuming experiences they can remember. The exercises themselves are not simple, and there are many of them.