This class has been so fun but challenging so far! I think one of the major things I have learned is more about how to think about a problem rather than the actual mechanics of the code. I frequently have to open previous assignments and chapters up in separate links to refer back to them and apply what I learned in another assignment to the current one. It is sometimes frustrating but in general, I appreciate when I can figure it out. For whatever reason, the concept of functions is something I really enjoy and find relatively intuitive; being able to simplify repetitive tasks is super exciting and I guess something I generally do. I also think I’ve become pretty comfortable with if/else statements and while loops. Definitive loops are not so intuitive for me for some reason. I need to keep looking it up to remember how to use it or how to apply it, but perhaps I will become more used to them as I used them more in our code. Working with Tina the turtle has been really fun; I’ve noticed that sometimes I can work a lot faster with the turtle code versus the other assignments. I wonder if it’s because I might have an easier time with visual projects. I do think some of the problem solving techniques discussed in class that include using your own words to read the code has been helpful. I found myself doing that in my partner work the other day to try to help us figure out what was wrong with the code. Something like trying to understand why the placement of break in a while statement is important was made significantly easier when I talked it out aloud to myself. This assignment drove me crazy for a really long time until I did just that.

Another major problem solving strategy I rely on in almost all my assignments is printing in the middle of projects. That has been a life saver! I think in general with much of the code there have been key concepts I have struggled with understanding the basic premise but once I understand, I am able to push farther with it. So in the treasure map assignment, I seriously struggled with trying to figure out how to identify where the user’s coordinates were in comparison to the treasure. I think I had not realized that the coordinate system was so easy to use/you could use greater than, less than statements. I spent way too long trying to figure that out, but once I did, I was able to use that to evaluate proximity of the user’s coordinates to the treasure. I honestly didn’t realize that was a pretty unique idea until we discussed it in class but now I feel like I use it all the time in my code.

One thing that I find really challenging is just how long the assignments take. I really enjoy it but balancing getting my work done with all my other work is frustrating, especially when I see how much more progress it feels like some of my peers are making in comparison to me. Partially, I know that I could manage my time better and work on our assignments more throughout the week, so I am trying to improve upon that. I sometimes feel like our assignments are going to be overwhelming and I’m so busy being mildly stressed out about it that I feel like I can only work on them in the evenings when I get home (and am generally really tired). BUT, our last assignment, I was peer pressured by one of my classmates (she didn’t hang out with me during our 15 minute break in our other class together) to work on our assignment and I was surprised by how much progress I made in that short period of time! I can try to work on our assignments during short class breaks or lunch breaks throughout the day. The group work in class does make me feel like I tend to process things a bit more slowly than other people; in general, I’ve known my learning style usually requires me to prepare a lot before I start collaborating with other people, so it’s been challenging to figure out how to work with people when I am used to figuring things out on my own. At the same time, I’ve been surprised by how much I can enjoy it and how much more fun it feels. I also have recognized that working with and around other people really encourages me to work for longer periods of time. I never really experienced working with others much so that has been an interesting thing to realize about myself. It might make sense to continue working on my assignments with other students around, even if it’s just for moral support. I do think I REALLY struggle with knowing how to talk about code; I’m super in my head about it. I struggle with talking about my thoughts and process aloud with most things so adding this whole other language to the mix makes it feel so incredibly overwhelming. Even though it’s stressful, it’s probably good that I am being forced to walk through it. I could probably work on developing my responses for assignments more so that I get to process what I do before our class more and feel better prepared to articulate my process aloud more. Another thing I want to work on is the ability to be more proactive about finding solutions to problems on my own. I’ve noticed that other students are really great at self-directing their learning and moving forward with their code using the textbook or stack overflow. It was super helpful when I realized the tina tutorial was available for us to read! I refer to it a lot and perhaps that’s part of the reason why I have been improving with tina. For the most part, once I read the chapters, I’m pretty good at applying what we learned. Maybe I need to push myself to search new strategies that can be integrated into my code rather than just relying on our assigned readings.