One project down, four more to go!

This week we started our second project involving the Australian Voting system. More importantly, this is our first project with a partner incorporating the pair programming techniques we’ve been reading about. What really struck me was how well Downing orchestrated the partner pairing. He gave us plenty of warning last week, so we could find someone if we hadn’t already. Then even for those who hadn’t had any luck, he asked at the beginning of class for all those looking for partners to raise their hands and gave us a few minutes in class to find someone. Of all the classes with group work that I’ve taken, this definitely was the most organized and efficient during the pairing process.

I’m also fortunate in the fact that my partner and I have been working really well together so far. Both of us contribute ideas, search for things one or both of us is unsure about, and correct each other’s silly mistakes without being too harsh or insulting. We’ve gotten through some of the initial setup for the project and are moving right along, so hopefully our momentum continues. Though I’ve had no experience in C++ before, I’ve learned so much over the past week just by working through the project with my partner. It’s amazing what a strong will and Google can do!

Tip of the week: It’s Career Fair season again at UT and one of the things some companies may ask you about is Regular Expressions (especially Dante if you run into them). Need a fun way to practice/learn? Here’s Regex Golf! https://regex.alf.nu/#