How well do you think the course conveyed those takeaways?
- test first, test during, test after, test, test, test
- when designing algorithms, demand the weakest iterator
- when designing containers, provide the strongest iterators
- build adapters on top of containers, iterators, and functions
- always look for reuse and symmetry in your code
- collaboration is essential to the quality of your code and to your well-being in producing it
These concepts were well iterated in class through code examples and HackerRank exercises. Projects did a great job demonstrating the importance of testing. I had to struggle before the deadlines twice because of some little bugs I didn’t test enough to reveal early on. (… Though that did teach me a little bit about how to think and work under pressure …) I found it crucial to stay cautious, curious, plan a lot, and refactor heavily when producing code.
Were there any other particular takeaways for you?
Other than testings and incremental development, I have gotten more comfortable and confident researching documentation and figuring things out on my own through this class.
How did you feel about two-stage quizzes and tests?
The two-stage tests showed me how other people think. (So did pair programming.) For the two-stage quizzes, there was a lot of silence going on in the breakout room after we shared the answers … … Being proactive was important for this class and I am glad I made an effort on that.
How did you feel about cold calling?
I got nervous when being called but I still like it because it helped me stay very focused. The more it happened, the less nervous I was. That was indeed good training. Later on, I even pretended I was the one being cold-called on and actively thought about the answers as Professor Downing gave the questions, because, otherwise, I might lose focus easily :).
How did you feel about office hours?
The office hours cleared my questions on class materials and projects in an ASAP manner. Professor Downing offered accurate explanations and suggestions. Super grateful.
How did you feel about lab sessions?
I didn’t go to many lab sessions. Based on my limited experience, they were valuable last-minute helps for the projects. The TA Mihir was very helpful in pointing out what went wrong.
