// get the course list
    write(client_fd, "BEGIN", 5);
    read(client_fd, msg, 128);
    token = strtok(msg, " ");
    sscanf(token, "%d", &nCourses);
    for (i = 0; i < nCourses; i++) {
        token = strtok(NULL, " ");
        strncpy(courses[i], token, 15);
        fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", token);
    }