CS373 Fall 2020: Harrison Gross Week 2

What did you do this past week?

This past week I have been getting settled into my new classes by completing the initial homework and buying my textbooks and whatnot. I have also begun working on Collatz, thinking of the general structure of my solution as well as figuring out how to use Docker and the supplied docker image.

What’s in your way?

I still have not fully figured out how to work Docker, but I’m confident once I mess around with it a bit more I will get it. I also need to brush up on some Python as I have not used the language in a while. Most importantly, I need to manage my time this week carefully this week as I have a couple of project deadlines looming. If I can work steadily throughout the week, I will not be as stressed as those deadlines draw nearer.

What will you do next week?

I will keep up with my weekly homework for my other classes as well as dive into my two CS projects. I will download the proper files and watch some tutorials on the game engine that I will be using for my Game Technology class in order to prepare for the first project.

What was your experience of assertions, unit tests, and coverage? (this question will vary, week to week)

Since I had taken OOP last semester, I was familiar with these concepts coming into the lectures this week. However, I think having that previous experience allowed me to see the benefits of these tools and how, in the long run, can save you from logic errors. I find the coverage tool to be particularly interesting as it forces you to write tests that test every part of your code.

How are you doing and holding up? What’s been most helpful for you in terms of support at this time?

I have been holding up great, even though my workload is getting progressively heavier, I am having a lot of fun in Austin with my friends.

What made you happy this week?

The Rockets beat the Lakers in game 1 of the Western Semifinals and were playing great as a team. This makes me happy as I was a little concerned with our performance in the tight 7-game series with the Thunder.

What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?

My pick of the week is a Chrome extension called video speed controller. This extension allows you to control the playback speed of any video, even Canvas videos which typically do not have a built-in option to control the playback speed.