My programming skills have greatly improved in the following ways:
I agree with that my programming skills have improved greatly. I started this class knowing little to nothing about coding, but after Assignment 1, I feel much more accomplished and confident in my ability to tackle coding problems and problem solve/debug. In addition, I feel that my ability to process information and break steps down has also improved, in part to the logical nature of coding.
I need to work on the following to improve my programming skills:
I would say that my greatest weakness when it comes to coding is staying organized, as well as condensing my code. For example, I feel that there have been multiple occasions where I could’ve solved the problem using 10 lines of code, but instead, I used 20 lines of code. I think efficiency of code is important in the long run, so going into Assignment 2, I will try to improve upon this. Another thing that I can consider doing is drawing a diagram outlining how I want my pages to interact each other – in this way, I will be able to make sure I am covering all my bases and tackle the implementation one by one.
I have learned a lot from doing WODs and I can do them without copying the screencast:
This one is a 50/50. To be honest, there are SOME WODs that I only did one runthrough of, only viewing the screencast afterward. Interestingly, I’ve realized that sometimes my approach to tackling an issue is different than the method used in the screencast. In the case that I get stuck on an area and don’t know how to do it, that’s when I stop the attempt and watch the screencast one time through. I do try to avoid copying the screencast directly, mostly relying on memory to recall how to do certain steps the second time around.
The labs have help me learn and I am able to complete them with confidence:
This one is also a 50/50. I understand that the Labs are planned out so that we can first practice certain skills and comprehend certain concepts, then implement them in the Assignments. However, I do think that the way the Lab instructions are worded sometimes hinders my comprehension of what exactly I am supposed to be doing to answer the question. Often times, I get stuck and give up, turning in incomplete Labs as a result. I do think that the core concepts covered in labs are crucial to our success in the class though, which is good.
I learned a lot from my experience doing Assignment 1 and feel ready to work on Assignment 2:
I would say that I grew the most from Assignment 1 than any of the other steps we took leading up to this point. Since the task was to produce a fully operational website in Assignment 1, I was able to see how all the pieces fit together, which further solidified my understanding of concepts like server creation, search params, etc. I do feel somewhat ready to work on Assignment 2, but of course, I am still a bit worried on being able to complete it in a timely manner.
I think the class can be improved to help my learning in the following ways:
I think at the beginning of the semester, there was a lack of communication regarding assignment deadlines, etc. However, improvements were already made in that area with the weekly email updates, which has helped a lot. As of now, I can’t think of any other additional suggestions I have for improving the class.
What helps me the most in class are (WODs, Labs, class website, screencasts, readings, quizzes, one on one help, working with classmates, etc.):
I think that WODs, Labs, and Screencasts help the most in class. I think that these three things are very important when it comes to mastering the basics. Only by mastering the basics can we complete the Assignments without any major hiccups. I also do think that working with classmates and being able to discuss our approaches to solving a certain problem with them is very insightful.