Dec 5, 2020
CS 371p Fall 2020: Audie Bethea Final Entry
I hope that the following are long-term takeaways from this class:
- test first, test during, test after, test, test, test
- when designing algorithms, demand the weakest iterators (e.g. bidirectional vs. random access)
- when designing containers, provide the strongest iterators (e.g. random access vs bidirectional)
- 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
- refactor, refactor, refactor
- make your code beautiful
How well do you think the course conveyed those takeaways?
I felt that this course very well conveyed these takeaways due to its excellent organization. I felt like every topic that we covered in class was practiced by us at some point, whether that be in a project, test, or exercise.
Were there any other particular takeaways for you?
This class taught me a lot about the benefits to using references and pointers appropriately- prior to this, I had an understanding of how they worked, but not much for the practical use of them.
How did you feel about two-stage quizzes and tests?
I really enjoyed this style of testing because I got the chance to figure out the answer, whether independently or collaboratively, at some point during the test/quiz.
How do you feel about cold-calling?
I was originally really skeptical of this at first, but it grew on me a lot as the semester went. I think it forced me to pay attention more than I usually would have, and it was interesting to hear the thoughts of other classmates as well.
How do you feel about office hours?
Unfortunately, I was never able to go.
How do you feel about lab sessions?
Unfortunately, I was never able to go.
Suggestions for improving the course?
Nothing comes to mind. Thank you!
