The "adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees" stated in the Bologna declaration, requires, from higher education institutions, a move towards innovative student-centred approaches which align course units planning, teaching and assessment. This presentation, by a member of the staff team -- the students tutor, reports and reviews some of the practice changes that have been introduced in an introductory course in a computer science degree, within the Portuguese societal context. It stresses two main issues: how to overcome competence limitations of a university fresher, and how to provide meaningful assessment results.