Our first full week has passed and the pace has continued without fail. Sunday night we were assigned our first project over the Collatz Conjecture. This is an individual project, so most of us are already hard at work on it.

Of all the courses I’ve taken at UT, so far this one feels most like my (albeit limited) experience of the workplace. We are expected to go off and learn a host of new skills largely on our own at a rigorous pace - all vital to the success of the project. Though this can seem harrowing at times, I appreciate Downing’s effort to prepare us for the reality of the workforce, rather than keeping us in the protected bubble of undergraduate academia.

And if you’re freaking out right now at these words, fear not. Eventually he goes into detailed explanations of different aspects of the project and ensures everyone is on the same page regarding requirements and useful strategies. There are also more than enough resources through Piazza if you’re not afraid to ask.

We also had our first assigned textbook reading due. Pay attention here, dear readers, because you (cringe!) do actually have to read the book. Luckily the page volume is currently very manageable and the quiz questions he takes from the readings can be answered correctly after one read-through and some moderate note taking.

My only hope is that this pace continues without too much increase. This class is currently my main focus and, as my other courses increase in pace and difficulty, I foresee a more worrisome juggling of tasks to keep up with everything.

Tip of the week: If you’re looking for some cool projects other programmers are doing or want some introductory explanations of complex CS problems, check out the Computerphile channel on YouTube. They cover everything from undecidability to networks to the math behind Pixar animations!