CS 373 Fall 2020: Week of 28 Sep — 4 Oct

What did you do this past week?

This past week we finished Phase of our IDB Project. It ended up being quite the struggle to get through it but we were able to get it done on time. Huge shoutout to the guys on the frontend because this phase was extremely frontend heavy. However, the next phase is very backend heavy so I better be ready to put a lot of work in!

What’s in your way?

I have a lot of assignments due this week as well as a test on Friday! Specifically for this class, there isn’t too much except getting started (by that I mean hitting the ground running) as well as preparing for the upcoming test! I will probably go back and comb through the lectures to take notes on the most important parts that I need to work on. Recruiting is also taking up my time!

What will you do next week?

I plan to make huge strides in terms of Phase 2 because the earlier we get started the better. Also as mentioned I need to get through all of the work for other classes I have for next week as well as applying to more places. Finally, I will need to review all of the content we have covered in the lectures for the upcoming test.

If you read it, what did you think of Why Is Silicon Valley So Awful to Women?

I thought it was a fantastic read. I actually ended up getting the required score for annotations towards the beginning of the paper but I just ended up reading the whole article anyway because it baffled me how sexist the tech industry can be. The experiences of other women, as well as the unconscious biases that can exist with hiring managers and employees, gave me a good idea as to why working in the tech industry can be so hard for women and what can be done for the future to help. It was definitely one of the most interesting reads so far because it is still so relevant.

What was your experience of iterators, reduce(), and tuple? (this question will vary, week to week)

I thought it was great since I had no idea how these mechanisms worked behind the scenes in Python. I am seriously enjoying how much I am learning about Python in class that I did not already know. Furthermore, it is very helpful in terms of practical experience as well as getting an idea as to what best practices are.

What’s it like working in a group? (this question will vary, week to week)

I like working in a group as it really lets me develop my teamwork skills as well as be able to meet and bond with new people! There are obviously more logistics involved when working with a group but I’ve found that together, a group can accomplish much more than its members can individually.

What was your experience of the team contract? (this question will vary, week to week)

This was really easy to form and stick by as all of the members in my team are very chill and understanding in terms of workflow. We are much more flexible with each other and prefer to talk things out if needed instead of having to rely on a written team contract to crack down on rules.

What was your experience of the peer review? (this question will vary, week to week)

I think the peer review is a good element to have as if there is someone who is seriously slacking but may not realize it, the peer review provides a great way to indicate that without having to say it to someone’s face (although sometimes that is also necessary). Luckily, this is isn’t applicable to my group as we are all strong team members but having the peer review is definitely essential as not all groups will be like us.

What made you happy this week?

I was able to finish a TV show that just aired recently this weekend. I have not been able to actually sit down and do something I super fun that I really enjoy in a while so this was a nice breath of fresh air. Also, my friend has been hounding on me to finish the show so he can talk about the ending with me and I was able to finally do that with him.

What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?

Having so much work this week and in the upcoming week, I really forgot how useful listing out tasks can be. It doesn’t have to be as elaborate as a planner (I just jot down action items I have to do with an extension I have on Google Chrome — also doubles as a nice new tab screen). Setting a goal and working towards it in a structured manner can really help in terms of getting things done. I always forget to do it but when I do it, I remember just how useful it can be.