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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. Sara KazemiSeptember 26, 2018 at 8:53 PM

    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. UnknownOctober 2, 2018 at 8:14 PM

    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. UnknownOctober 2, 2018 at 9:46 PM

    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

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