// 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);
    }


char *token;
int nCourses;
int retval;
char courses[10][15];
for (token = strtok (msg, " "); token != NULL; token = strtok (NULL, " "))
  {
    if (i == 0)
      {
        retval = sscanf (token, "%d", &nCourses);
        if (retval != 1)
          break;
      }
    else
      memcpy (&courses[i][0], token, strlen (token) + 1 > 15 : strlen (token) + 1 : 15);
    i++;
  }