Skip to main content

CST 300 - Week 4

Educational Goals
My current educational goals are to finish my bachelor's degree in computer science while also gaining a deep understanding of the fundamentals along the way. I have always believed that a solid understanding of the fundamentals goes a long way in any skill since you always refer back to them. When I have gotten stuck on a problem or some skill in the past, I have always taken a step back, broken down things into smaller pieces and remembered my fundamentals, and doing so has helped me through a lot of academic and professional work so far. Although I already know basic programming and data structures, I want to learn more about them and discover new ways of thinking in order to solve complex problems. 

Career Goals
I started a career as a full-time software test analyst about two months ago. Even though my job doesn't involve a lot of programming, getting a degree in computer science would be really helpful in all aspects of my career, such as identifying bugs and even helping out the software development team with their work. I'd like to stick with my career for a while and become an experienced software tester, while understanding how the computer systems and programs I work with function on a low level.

ETS Test
The test looks pretty comprehensive and fairly difficult, so after 18 months worth of study I would feel comfortable answering about 75% of the questions. I could always work more on solving control flow problems on paper, and data structures are something I still struggle with, which is the 25% of the questions I would get wrong or make silly mistakes.


What I Learned
This week, I learned more about how logos, ethos, and pathos work in an argument and how they form the "rhetorical triangle". I also learned a lot more about how bias works in arguments, which I found especially interesting since I wasn't aware of all the different types. Also, the reading on soundness vs. validity was a nice refresher, and somewhat of a throwback to my discrete math class.

Comments

  1. Hey Cody. I think it is great that you already have a career in the software industry and that this degree program will help strengthen the skills needed for your current position. You mention that you plan on sticking with your current career even after you graduate. Do you plan on eventually moving to software development or engineering?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Cody,
    I feel the same way that having good fundamentals in place will be helpful when solving more complex problems later in your career. While I am eager to finish my degree, I am currently looking forward to being in a role similar to yours possibly by next year. I would definitely like to ask you a few questions sometime about your resume and interview process.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Cody (sounds formal, but Hi and Hey were already used),
    That's awesome that you found a position like that! Having the security of a job while you develop your skills seems like it can have advantages. In your case, it sounds like you found something you already enjoy doing and now you can tailor your learning experience to that segment of the industry.
    As Ryan said, it would be awesome to hear about your experience interviewing for the position and what you did to prepare.
    I hope things continue to work out for you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CST 300 - Week 2

Introduction This was a busy week for class! I started writing the first draft of my paper and got it done in a few days. It took a lot of thinking and research to get it done, but I'm glad I didn't procrastinate. Revising the first draft might take quite and effort as well. In the past when I would write geological reports, I found revising them was the hardest part. Part I. Speaking of hardest part, time management is something I am still getting used to, especially with this week's workload. Out of the items in the time management article, the top 3 things I feel like I am best at are: Creating a good study space Taking notes Reading  However, I could use some work on: Sticking to a schedule Revising lecture notes (on time) Studying within 30 min. of going to sleep Part II. Here's the activity log I filled out. It documented one of my Mondays at work. Part III. Project management skills are something I feel like I don't have enoug...

CST 300 - Week 3

This week, we learned about ethics, ethical frameworks, and held a discussion about an infamous contemporary ethical scenario. After reading through this week's material I feel as if I have a much better understanding of ethics in society, and the motives behind people's decisions whether good or bad.  I'll admit I didn't pay much as much in depth discussion to Edward Snowden when he originally leaked all that information back in 2013, but after this week's discussion it really got me thinking about proper ethical behaviors in society and made me question much privacy I actually have as a US citizen.  Note: NSA, if you're reading this, say hi to my friend Chris for me. He's around the DC area somewhere and I'm sure you've run into him a couple of times. I swear he's a nice guy and doesn't bite.  Time Management and Studying I am getting much better at concentrating while working on papers and studying material. Unfortunately, I shoul...