CS373 Fall 2021: Albert C. Trevino Blog #13

What did you do this past week?

This past week I spent most of the former half on Phase 3 of the project for this class. My group ran into some problems at the very last minute. Although we were able to turn it in, there are some bugs and it really isn’t perfect. We hope to get an M but we may not and that’s okay. I think we did a pretty good job all things considered. I definitely could’ve worked earlier on my part of the phase but I say that every week. I also had a presentation on Thursday for my Contemporary Issues in Comp. Sci. class that I had to focus on for a little bit. It was pretty simple but speaking in front of people is always a bit intimidating. I think it went really well.

What’s in your way?

As always, I struggle with procrastination a lot. I’ve been trying to work at it and I honestly think I’m not too bad. It’s hard when it feels like I have all the time in the world for my assignments so I want to relax and have some time to myself. I should try to be the opposite for this phase. Maybe I can get my work done early and then be able to relax after it’s been done.

What will you do next week?

I will be going home for most of the week so I will be spending some much needed time with family which will be nice. I will try to work on the Phase 4 requirements during the break as I think I will have some time during the days. I do have to come back to Austin for the football game as it’s my last performance with the band. That does make me a little sad but it’s been so much fun and I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.

If you read it, what did you think of the Paper #13: Why Extends Is Evil?

I think my biggest takeaway from the paper was the idea that it’s not truly possible to be perfectly consistent with every design strategy. We’ve seen many design strategies in these papers and in each one this idea has been explained. But it still is important to conform to good code practices and designs despite there always been some flaws in your code.

What was your experience of SQL?

I actually enjoy SQL. Maybe it’s been because most of the stuff we’ve talked about in class has been trivial, the exercises have been pretty enjoyable. I’ve done well on all of them and they feel like small puzzles. I have some previous experience with SQL and relational algebra so it hasn’t been too difficult.

What made you happy this week?

I was able to go to West Virginia this past weekend so that was a lot of fun. It was a little rough traveling but getting to watch our football team lose is always a lot of fun. Since the football season is coming to an end, I’m trying to make the most of it and enjoy every aspect of it. I was also to have a nice movie night with some close friends so that was a good stress reliever during the week.

What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?

My tip-of-the-week is to take some time and enjoy yourself, the most stressful time of the semester (in my opinion) is coming up and it’s important not to burn out so soon. This week is a perfect week to relax and regain some composure. Hope you all have a great break!