The Learning Process
31 Aug 2022
Experiences with JavaScript
Writing in a new programming language often takes time to get used to, regardless of your prior coding experience. Certain languages, such as Python, are easier to learn than others, while some, like C, might require more of a learning curve, depending on the individual. Personally, when I was introduced to Javascript, I found it an enjoyable language to learn. As someone who has been accustomed to mostly working with C and C++, I appreciated the flexibility of using variables and functions without having to worry about their data types. I also liked the ease with which we can create and manipulate objects, and features such as arrow functions provide a more efficient method of writing code. In my opinion, JavaScript is a good programming language for software engineers to learn because of its versatility.
Utilizing freeCodeCamp’s JavaScript course proved to be extremely useful in developing my knowledge of the language. Their tutorials provided understandable, in-depth explanations that were better in quality than many other websites I have used in the past (and the best part is that it was completely free!). It also gave us many opportunities to immediately apply the skills we learned to simple problems. The course definitely provided somewhat of a challenge, but at the same time it did not overwhelm us with a high volume of information at an unreasonable difficulty level.
Effectiveness of Athletic Software Engineering
JavaScript is just one of multiple programming tools and techniques we will familiarize ourselves with this semester. For this class, we will go through a series of athletic software engineering exercises called Workouts of the Day, or WODs. This involves us writing a working solution for a given programming problem within a limited period of time. Even though these exercises may be challenging to complete and will require discipline in order to not fall behind, I believe they will be helpful in teaching us how to work effectively under pressure. Completing the practice assignments will also be useful in helping us to prepare for the graded exercises. While this may be stressful at times, especially given the workload for our other classes and extracurricular commitments, I do think putting the work in will ultimately pay off in the end.