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LaGuardia Community CollegeLAGCC TTPR Handbook

FAQ

Answers to the questions that come up every cohort. Check here before asking on Slack.

Account & Setup

How do I set up my GitHub account?

Follow the Get Started guide. Create an account at github.com, choose a professional username, verify your email, and fill out your profile.

How do I set up SSH keys?

See the SSH keys section in Get Started. It walks through generating a key, adding it to GitHub, and testing the connection.

The SSH test says "Permission denied (publickey)". What do I do?

Usually this means either: (1) you did not add your public key to GitHub yet, or (2) the SSH agent is not running. Re-read the SSH setup guide step by step. Run ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 to make sure the key is loaded.

I messed up my Git config. How do I fix my name/email?

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Run those commands in your terminal to update them globally.

GitHub & Submission

I pushed my code but the instructor says they cannot see it. What happened?

Check a few things:

  1. Run git status — is everything committed? (nothing to commit means yes)
  2. Run git push and confirm it succeeded with no errors
  3. Visit your repository on github.com and confirm the files are there
  4. Make sure you shared the right repository URL

I get "rejected — non-fast-forward" when I try to push. What does that mean?

The remote has commits that you do not have locally. Run git pull first to bring them in, then push again. This is why pulling before you start working every session matters.

I accidentally committed to the wrong branch. What do I do?

Talk to your instructor or TA. Git makes most things recoverable, but the fix depends on the specifics. Do not try to force-push or reset without guidance.

Where do I submit my assignments?

See the Assignments page for the submission workflow. Usually you push your code to GitHub and share the repository link as directed.

Getting Unstuck

I've been stuck for a while. What should I do?

  1. Read the error message — the full message, including the file and line number.
  2. Add console.log to see what the actual values are at the problem location.
  3. Search the exact error message — someone has almost certainly hit it before.
  4. Take a short break. Stepping away for 5–10 minutes often unsticks you.
  5. Try explaining the problem out loud, even to yourself. (Rubber duck debugging.)
  6. Ask for help — but tell us what you tried first.

How long should I try before asking for help?

A good rule: if you have been stuck and actively trying for 20–30 minutes without making progress, it is time to ask. Staring at the same problem for hours without movement is not productive.

I asked the AI and it gave me code but I do not understand it. What now?

Do not paste in code you do not understand. Instead, ask the AI to explain it line by line. Then ask your instructor to review your understanding. See the Responsible AI Use guide.

Assignments

Where do I find assignment details?

All assignments are on the Assignments page. Each has its own page with the full requirements, submission steps, and common issues.

What if I cannot finish an assignment on time?

Communicate early. Let your instructor know before the deadline, not after. Partial work submitted on time is better than complete work submitted late with no communication.

The assignment says to use a starter repo. Where is it?

The link to the starter repository is on the individual assignment page. If it is missing, ask on Slack.

Asking for Help Well

The quality of your question directly affects the quality of the help you get. When you ask for help, include:

  1. What you are trying to do — describe the goal, not just the symptom
  2. What you tried — show the code or steps you already attempted
  3. What actually happened — paste the exact error message or describe the unexpected behavior
  4. What you expected to happen

Example of a weak question:

My code doesn't work, can someone help?

Example of a good question:

I'm trying to fetch user data from /api/users in my React component using useEffect, but the component renders with an empty array even though the API returns data. I've confirmed the API works in Postman. Here's my useEffect: [paste code]. The console shows the fetch completes but the state doesn't update. Am I calling setState incorrectly?

The second version will get you a faster, more useful answer — and asking it will often help you figure out the answer yourself.