Alumni Panel Notes

Takeaways:

I originally took this class because I thought coding would be a niche skill that would be usefull in some cases but not that often. I am not planning on taking a career in CS in the future, so I was not that interested in learning code. However, during this meeting I realized that not only can the coding I learn be used in any field, but also the problem solving skills I develop
I also had been struggling during the first couple weeks in this class. I kept running into problems I didn’t how how to solve, and even when I solved them I was not sure how I did it. However, based on what the alumnis said, I learned CS is not as straightforward as other subjects. And there are answers on the internet for everything I come across, and I just need to have the perseverance and motivation to work through it
Coding is not just writing predetermined code, but requries creative thinking, and not every solution will be obvious
Most of the time I will find the best help within my team
Don’t be discouraged by others doing better, because everyone’s learning curve is different. At the same time, don’t take too much pride in your achievements

How did you realize you wanna take your major and how did taking CSA and CSP help?

Hoped to get better at CS
Loved problem solving
Started from a young age
The ability to create new things using code
Like the complexity and being able to understand computers on another level
Didn’t necessarily like CS but realized its an important tool that is helpful to learn regardless of what field you are going into
Helps with web design

Biggest challenges in CSP:

The beginning is difficult, but keeping your motivation is important to be able to overcome challenges
There is an answer somewhere on the internet
Stay humble, but don’t be discouraged
Going from high school CS to college CS is a lot different
Have a specific project to apply what you learn to
Google has a lot of answers
Temptation to find short-cuts and cut corners
There’s not always a rigid structure, things might be a little messy

Project Based Learning:

Many CS classes have a project component
In larger (college) classes, teachers don’t have the time to give individual attention – form groups so that you can work through your problems together
There are a lot of repetitive tasks that can made much more efficient using code
Coding is used everywhere
A lot of problem solving skills (not necessarily related to coding)

Internships: