Skip to main content

CST 338 - Week 1

This week was the first week of class, and as such, I did a bunch of usual first week of class stuff, which included setting up (more like dusting off and modifying!) my Java development environment and ensuring I was following the style guide while doing the assignment. Overall, it was a nice warm up to getting back into writing Java programs as I haven't done so in several months when I was busy working with Python. Additionally, the discussion I participated in about open source software and the issue of security was an interesting topic to read and write about. 

Speaking of development environment, I have used both Eclipse and IntelliJ before, and I used to prefer Eclipse over IntelliJ in the latter's earlier versions but now I prefer IntelliJ for several personal reasons. I find myself more comfortable using it in its current state, and knowing IntelliJ is definitely helpful when doing Android programming as Android Studio is largely based off IntelliJ.

I consider myself proficient in C and Java at this point in my career. I can get by using C++ and am familiar with it. I can also code in x86 assembly and Python, although I still feel very much like a novice in those two languages, in additional to MySQL and database programming in general. However, my mindset as a programmer is to always think of myself as a student - I cannot possibly master every programming language or aspect of software development, but I believe that constantly learning new things, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and keeping an open mind are important to success in the future.

I am still not entirely sure about the field of computer science that I want to pursue, but I have been the most interested in embedded systems programming or lower level work. I am surrounded by a bunch of embedded developers at my job and I think what they do is quite interesting compared to the front end people who seem to get yelled at over CSS and JavaScript all day. Different managers, I guess. I'm glad my boss isn't so harsh on me! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CST 499 - Week 7

This week, our group finished recording and editing our capstone project video and prepared our presentation for the capstone festival. Although I wish the capstone festival was held in person (and it could not due to current circumstances), I am excited to show off our project and hard work to other computer science students, friends, and family. I hope they'll enjoy it and learn something cool while doing so. 
Post a Comment
Read more

The Final Journal

It's the end of a long, four year journey, and what a journey it has been. I never thought I could pull off finishing my second bachelor's degree four years ago when I first went to that introduction to programming class at my community college. I would like to thank all the friends I've made along the way and the people who have helped me through the last two years. Although it was difficult at times taking class while working 40+ hours a week, I'm proud of myself for making it through. I don't think I'll be a student enrolled in classes anytime soon, but I'll always be a lifelong student. See you all around.
Post a Comment
Read more

CST 499 - Week 3

This week, we finished our ILP portfolios and turned in the final versions of our resume and cover letter. My group also completed the first part of the capstone report. I'll admit that creating a portfolio showcasing my past work was not at the top of my priority list when I first started studying computer science, although at this point in my educational and professional career I've learned how important it is to have such a portfolio. Like other creative professions, having a solid body of work to show to a potential employer, or even for personal documentation is one of the best ways to display your talents as an engineer. Also, all the assignments I've completed during my academic career, both at CSUMB and elsewhere, have given me a good start to my portfolio. I tend to prefer classic, plain styling like  Brian Kernighan's  home page (he has a pretty nice portfolio too), although I've come to appreciate highly stylized portfolios that make use of WebKit ani...
Post a Comment
Read more