ArrayLists

Last week was spent learning about array lists. For me this is so much easier than regular arrays! I wish I had learned it first, but I realize the importance of learning it after regular arrays. Given the memory usage, it's better to engrain young minds with array usage before introducing array lists. Also, the change in size can be confusing, with a need to adjust for size in array lists when you're removing objects. That being said, if you can understand it, I like this so much better! Yay Comp Sci!

Being Sick is a Dual-Edged Sword

So last week I was sick for a couple days. Sucks, I know. The good part about being sick is the repose. I had two days off to catch up on my health, and that was a big help. The bad part was when I came back. All the work I had when I returned just piled on the stress. With all the extracurricular stuff I had to do on top of that extra work, "casi perdi el juicio," they say in Spanish (I almost went ape-****). The only redeeming thing was that I realized that I hadn't turned in four worksheets in Comp Sci. It helps to be sick sometimes...

WordSearch SUCCESS

I got around to downloading jGrasp on my home machine the other day, something that I should have done long ago. It was kind of a hassle given that I use Mac, but no more than installing and running any other program. This allowed me to work at home in a RELAXED environment, and I found that the speed at which I could work was much greater than in the classroom. I worked on the wordsearch lab from home, and in almost no time, I was able to get the runner to run up, down, left, right, and diagonally! The joke's on you Mr. Stephens, because all the words are in the word search! Sperry is not, however, as I modified the text document to search for that too. I love when things go how I plan them.

11/18/12

2D arrays was the topic of the week in Comp Sci this week. Nested for loops had me confused for a while, but now I understand. The problem therein was that I had missed a day, and that didn't help with my comprehension. It took much longer than usual for me to grasp the concept, and I often had to ask Mr. Stephens for help. Thank God I got it. Moral of the story: don't miss a class. Ever.

Studying Pays Off

Last week was the six weeks exam, and this time around, I studied. It was a great help it turns out, as I got a 109. This is in stark contrast with what I got before, and it highlights how important studying is in getting good grades. I was confused on a few things, but after clarifications, I knew all the subject material and did pretty well on the multiple choice etc. Going forward, I'll keep this comparison in mind when I take further tests in Comp Sci.

Linear Algebra

Last week was spent learning about arrays, and I'm starting to feel comfortable with computer programming. Arrays are a string of values, and I'm used to working with things like these, i.e. vectors and matrices. I realized a traves of Mr. Stephens' presentation that sound is just an array, and I know it may kill the purists out there to hear me say it, but I feel like you can synthesize anything digitally, and that's a very powerful capability, given all the manipulation computers can do to data.

File This Away

Last week was spent learning about files in Java, and I feel like we're making our first actual connections to the real world. For the first time, we are writing data to a file outside our Java executor, and it excites me that we're finally breaking out of this plastic bubble and doing computer stuff. I see a lot more application with independent files, such as writing a virus to blow up the world. Ha. Haha. Hahahahahahahahahaha BOOOM.