CST 300 Module 3

 Part 1.) Time management and study strategy website 

After reading study techniques and looking at time management tips there is 7 step the website gives. The first and most important step is the use of a personal time survey which basically gives you an idea on how much time you spend in all activities. Basically you calculate every single activity from eating, working, sleeping, etc.. and add it all up. Once you have added every single activity up  you now subtract it by 168(total hours in a week). Now with the remaining number of hours you get that is what you will use to calculate your study time.  The second step is a study hour formula which basically determines how many hours a week one needs to study to get A's in their classes. There is always going to be some courses that are more difficult than others so more time will need to be invested in the harder classes. This is something one also has to gauge as well because it will vary per person. Some people might need more study time while others will need less. The third step is setting up a daily schedule. When setting up a daily schedule it is important to put all the necessities first such as classes, work, meals. sleep, etc.... Now with all this in mind you have to fit a study schedule in there somewhere. It is recommended that you put your study schedule at a time where you feel the most energized. But no matter what you need to have time to study. If for what ever reason you can not find to study then you need to find a way to lighten your load. So maybe cutting activities that are not necessities. The fourth step is to not be a perfectionist. No one in the world is perfect so when you try to perfect everything it will only set you up for failure. It is best that you set achievable goals that are also challenging. In the end of the day it is about doing the best you can. The fifth step is learning to say no. This is a very important step for me at least. I feel it is really important to put your priorities first. It can be difficult to say no especially to close friends and family but when you know you need to be studying or doing work you have to say no. I know for certain it will free up more time as well. Then sixth step is learning to prioritize your responsibilities. The article recommends that you use a to-do list and rate items in regards to importance. In order to do this you can make an ABC list. The list will be divided into three sections. A will be for items that need to be done in the same day. B will be for items that need to be done within a week. And C will be for items that need to be done within a month. With this list B and C items can be bumped to A if enough time has passed as well. The 7th and final step is to combine several activities. So basically try to combine necessities with studying as well. So listening to lectures while commuting to work or creating a mental list while showering. I agree with this 100% even at work during lunch I can watch videos that can help me or just reading ahead so I know how to prepare my self. Overall I enjoyed the tips the article provided and it is definitely something I will try to implement in my life.

Part 2.) What I learned this week

This week I was re-introduced to writing while taking ethics into account. The topic of Edward Snowden actually demonstrated ethics perfectly. There is an ongoing debate on Edward Snowden's actions and if what he did was wrong or right. I personally felt that his intentions were good but the manner in which he took and released the documents were very risky. I used utilitarian ethics to demonstrate Edwards Snowden's actions. Utilitarian ethical theories are based on one’s ability to predict the consequences of an action. To a utilitarian, the choice that yields the greatest benefit to the most people is the one that is ethically correct. In Snowden's case he felt that giving people awareness in how their government is operating was more important than anything and would benefit the most people. However one of the drawbacks of utilitarian ethics is everyone is not accounted for only the majority. And in Snowden' case we still don't know how much damage it could have caused to national security. Other ethical frameworks I learned about were virtue ethics which is an ethical theory that judges a person based on his character. Basically in virtue ethics a person will always try to do the right thing. But there can be conflicts with virtue ethics as well. For example in a movie like the Dark Knight many people will encourage Batman to kill the Joker as it can have more overall benefit but Batman's character wont allow him to kill simply because it is wrong. In deontology it is a ethical theory that focuses more on peoples obligations and duties to their society. Basically a deontologist will always keep his promises and obligations to a person or society because that is what the consider ethically correct. So this would completely go against what Edward Snowden did since he basically signed a contract to and gave his word the NSA that he would not disclose any information.

Part 3.) What every computer science major should know

This was a very interesting read as it factored general principles and gave recommendations for students succeeding throughout the computer science careers. The first thing that stood out to me was Portfolio vs Resume. I always thought resume is what mattered the most but here it says a portfolio will actually show a programmers ability. You can share your projects and it will allow employers to see what exactly is your skillset. What also stood out to me as well was Matt's approach to programming languages. I always see videos and articles on languages every programmer should know and languages that are getting outdated but he emphasizes that programmer should be able to teach themselves new languages. Because understanding multiple languages will help people will help students in just about every aspect. From creating websites to working with compilers to learn assembly. I do feel students should at least have general understandings of multiple programming languages. It only helps build someone's portfolio and creates a diverse skillset. And one of the most important topics that stood out to me in this article was understanding Data structures and algorithms. He recommends learning at minimum hash tables, linked list, trees/binary trees, and directed/undirected graphs. I know this is very important when trying to get a job in the industry. During any interview process it is very likely someone gets tested on skills they should know especially if it pertains to the job. In the field of programming the tests are usually test that involve data structures and algorithms. So it is extremely important to understand and practice algorithms. I recently ordered one of his recommended books which is, "Introduction to Algorithms" by Thomas H Cormen so that I can start preparing my self.

Part 4.) CSUMB CS Online Code of Integrity

After reading CSUMB CS Online Code of Integrity, there is 3 rules that are in place. The first rule is, " You must not submit solutions or program codes that are not your own." Yes I agree here because not only are you cheating in school but you are also cheating yourself. Once you get into the workforce you will have to have the skills needed to obtain a job. Also I think it is good to struggle and eventually find solutions. It teaches you to problem solve while being able to meet deadlines. Even if you have to fail it at least shows you the areas in which a student needs to improve. The second rule is, " You must not share your solution code with other students." This is very risky because people can copy your code or submit code that is near identical which can raise red flags in regards to cheating. This will result in conflicts among students and professors since it has negative repercussions. The last rule is "You must indicate on your submission any assistance you received." This is a fair rule to me and I actually really like it. I know for certain most students will eventually need help and if there is someone that can provide great insight, it can encourage students to use external resources as well. Obviously there is and should be limits as stated in the Code of Integrity, where someone isn't just outright doing the entire assignment for someone. Overall I think the rules are completely fair. In the end of the day we are all here to learn and ultimately finish the program so that we can obtain our degrees. It will not be easy but I am glad the program has so far provided great transparency.