Week 6

CapStone Reflection

     My team and I went over a few of our ideas for some CapStone projects, and hearing from others allowed me an opportunity to think more critically about mine. While my ideas are fine and provide insight into my values and technical abilities, I want to try my hand at something more complex. For instance, one idea was to create a code translator program that would take code in as input and return the output in the user's desired language. I love this idea and strive to think a little more complex or deeper about the kind of projects I want to spend my time on. Another was rooted in helping educators by creating a system that would take on some of the workload from checking attendance to grading paperwork. These are so impactful, helpful, and seem to have. While I love my ideas and will still very much aspire to achieve one or all of them, my sole purpose is to push myself past my comfort level and master the core fundamentals of software engineering. 

Mock Interview

    This week, I got to witness what a technical interview would look like. Admittedly, this has terrified me, and I know that has to do with a lack of confidence in my abilities. Though, since starting the program, I've learned to identify how to recognize when I have gained the skills and knowledge I once thought I lacked. The interview was much longer than I would have imagined. I thought the process would be much smaller and quicker, and perhaps from my still limited experience, it may very well be. As of now, and because of my lack of technical interview experience, it seems overwhelming. Still, I intend to visualize myself in that situation following a successful outcome as I progress into the program, by applying newly obtained knowledge each time. 

CST 338

    The Syllabus for CST 338 is how I expected University would be - strict. I imagine that instructors are always buried in the work we submit and the lectures that need constant planning and revisions, so accommodating missteps or life disruptions is not always an option. The tone, in comparison to other syllabi, is heavier and emphasizes the workload and expectations that will be required of us going forward. It does beckon a curiosity about what the instructor will be like when we meet, and whether this criterion was designed solely for in-person learning or if it applies to the online program as well. For instance, the courses in the program are said to be asynchronous, though the Syllabus discusses the outcome that results from missing a class.

Summary

I have much I still need to learn, from resume building to advancing my engineering abilities in preparation for the technical interviews. I'm grateful to have some Java under my belt and recently spent some additional time reviewing the language through Codecademy. I intend to continue this until the course begins, where I will then redirect an hour of my time to refamiliarize myself with Python. I took Python a few years ago at the start of my educational journey, though, never kept up with it in practice, so revisiting concepts will be beneficial.