Tuesday, February 4, 2020

CST 300 - Week Four

Educational Goals

  • To obtain a BS in computer science and master the technological skills needed to meet success as a modern software engineer within the next two years.
  • To obtain a master’s degree in computer science or a different technologically related field in the next six years.

Career Goals

  • To obtain a position (with a lot of opportunity for growth) as a software engineer in a progressive company within the next three years.
  • To find a niche and ultimately start my own company in the field of technology so that I can work for myself, within the next 15-20 years.

ETS Computer Science test

This test really caught my interest and I spent a lot more time reviewing it than I had originally planned. At this point in my education I only know the most basic elements of computer science, still, I found myself getting involved in each question and trying to use what I know to solve the problems. I noticed that a lot of what I did know came from a discrete math class that I took last year. It was nice to review this but of course I still have a lot to learn. When I do take the test, I hope to be in at least the 80th percentile.

Notes on Week Four

This was a good week with a lot of learning but a very manageable workload. I really enjoyed delving into the different ethical frameworks and claims. I had a lot of time to research my ethics report and write an outline. Having this time to research and organize my thoughts will make a big difference when it comes to writing my report.

3 comments:

  1. Hey Bracha,

    I couldn't help but notice that your goals extend into the very long-term. That sort of clarity this early on will definitely help keep you motivated to achieve them. I suggest you keep it up and not be afraid to be flexible with goals as opportunities and challenges present themselves.

    Best of luck!

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  2. Bracha,
    It's great that you are able to envision your short-term goals as well as you long-term goals. It is commendable that you are thinking beyond the next two years and are aiming to further your education. Additionally, it is helpful that you delineated clear timeframes in which you wish to achieve each step, as this will help you keep things in perspective and work toward your ultimate career objective. Starting your own technology company is an ambitious goal, but with hard work and a clear vision, you can succeed!

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  3. Hi I’m Justin, member of group four, and needed another post to comment on this week. I used a random number generator to decide whose post I should comment on and your number came up.
    Just from reading the two bullet points I can see your educational goals lack vision and motivation. What motivates you to get a degree in computer science, and why pursue a masters? When developing a goal it is important to stay motivated and visualize the end result. In addition to major goals for education, try setting minor goals throughout the program. Minor goals can be as simple as completing week 6, finishing CST 300, or completing the first semester of the program. Setting and achieving minor goals that work towards the bigger goal will help you stay motivated towards completing the major goal.

    What kind of software engineer do you want to be? What subfield of software development do you want to pursue? These are questions you need to answer when setting a career goal. “Obtain a position SE position in a progressive company”, this is something a lot of people are trying to do. Will you settle for just any position such as a front end developer only writing basic css and some javascipt? Speaking as your coach, it is in your best interest to really think about where you want to be in three years, who you want to work for, software engineering fields that interest you (front end, back end, full stack, etc.), and what you ultimately want to achieve at company ‘X’. I like your idea of working for yourself; why do you want to work for yourself? Understanding why you’re setting this goal will give you a vision, and setting minor goals like developing a software solution to (insert problem here) in the next five years will help you stay motivated towards your main goal.
    Define why you’re setting these goals, and what motivates you to achieve them. From here set minor short term goals that help accomplish long term goals.

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