I decided to dive in with one of the first patterns of the selection, “Your First Language”. I chose this one because I was curious about the tips that the author would give individuals trying to decide on a first language, as well as to see if any of the tips translated for someone like myself, who is trying to branch out into learning more and more languages. This pattern breaks down the steps to choosing a first language and gives several factors for why you should potentially choose a language but makes sure that it is clear that these are tips and not the only reasons for selecting a first language. After picking the first language, the pattern lays out some tips for how to actually learn the new language. The pattern also lays out a simple means of learning more languages down the line and why someone should pick a particular different language.

I’m glad that I chose this pattern because I’m currently in a position where I am forced to learn a new language for a job I will be starting after graduation. The language that my new position almost entirely uses is C++ and I have absolutely no experience in it. The procrastination is killing me as my “native tongue” as the pattern describes it, is Java. Java is what I always try to use to solve problems even if I’m being asked to write in a language like javascript, python, etc. I always revert back to the concepts I’ve learned throughout college almost exclusively using Java. Learning C++ is going to be something that I must do and will attack throughout the next few months before starting my job. The opening to the article was also very helpful in relieving the stress slightly as it talks about how when you start your first job, you’re not expected to be an expert in ANYTHING. I’ve learned that through my last two internships where even though they were both Java based, they used entirely different frameworks and almost everything that isn’t core Java syntax, required an entirely different skill set and understanding.

The only part of the pattern that you could argue I disagree with, is the complete focus on your choice being driven by potential physical mentors. With the internet and communities within the internet, it is relatively easy to find mentors online who are more than happy to answer any of your questions in understanding a new concept or a language for that matter. Overall, I found this pattern VERY useful!

From the blog CS@Worcester – The Road to Software Engineering by Stephen Burke and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

This Apprenticeship pattern “Breakable Toys” highlights the importance of creating an environment to experiment with important software development concepts, while affording us the opportunity to fail at no risk to ourselves.  The philosophy behind this apprenticeship pattern is the best way to gain meaningful experience is to practice and fail and learn from our mistakes.

In the context of software engineering, that means to create “breakable toy” programs that we can use to hone our skill set, while not having the pressure of success in the workplace get in the way of the learning process. We can experiment at our own pace, and practice the concepts that are integral to our careers in an environment where we are entirely in control.

What stands out to me the most about this pattern is the unique solution the authors suggest; create a “toy” program that is meaningful to you that you will use. Sure the goal is to practice the skills that will make us successful in our careers, but the authors suggest that by creating a program that we will actually have fun making will add to the motivation of the creative process.

The authors provide a few examples of people who create their own wikis to learn fundamental concepts of front end development and web design like HTML or REST, or those who make games when they learn different languages to cement the fundamental concepts. The emphasis is on creating a safe environment to test and experiment with different tools while still having fun and fostering creativity.

The main point I took away from this pattern is the importance of creating a safe environment to practice my craft, without having to worry about the scope or the severity of the task, while at the same time being intrinsically motivated to create something of personal value. Real learning and experience isn’t something that can be gotten on the first pass or on the fly; trial by error by far is the best teacher. After all, it would be illogical to expect a musician to perform in front of an audience without rehearsing first.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Bit by Bit by rdentremont58 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

          The “Create Feedback Loops” pattern is seen as a way to gain a better understanding of yourself without completely suffering from a blind sense of skill. The book continues on to say that self-assessment is limited to the abilities you have which makes it narrow minded if you don’t have many skills to start with. The best way to cope with this issue is to create a system where you can receive feedback or external data on your performance. It allows a more conscious take on your weak points as seen by other people which in turn will create a much more detailed self-assessment for yourself. The book then shows the importance of feedback in various environments such as job applications where applicants can be turned down, but this can become a learning experience as well. Understanding why one was turned down for a job also is a type of feedback that can show you different aspects of your character that you didn’t see. Finding a specific task to do is the hardest part because you must find something you can measure. Once this is done, compare how that task is affected by your work and understand how your actions are affecting it.

          I found the idea of creating different feedback loops with various people very useful and interesting. The idea of getting feedback from multiple people in multiple groups of your life could be very valuable information. I personally feel that there are aspects of work that meld into our personal lives and until someone else points them out, they seem second nature to us. This idea of taking others advice even when its not work related can cause interesting changes in how you tackle problems and view the situation. I found that listening to these valuable inputs is important but it’s just as important to understand which advice to follow as not all of them are good. I disagree with the idea that self-assessment is only limited to someone’s abilities. I think that even when you have little skill, you can accurately create an ideal image of what you want using facilities like the internet to expand on what you need to work on.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Student To Scholar by kumarcomputerscience and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The white belt as an apprenticeship pattern is what it sounds like. You are at the beginning of your journey and have a deep understanding of your first language. The problem arises when you are struggling to learn new material and it is harder to piece things together than when you started learning your first programming language. The author relates the solution back to Star Wars quoting Yoda, “You must unlearn what you have learned”. By doing so, this accelerates the learning process because you don’t try to relate things back to your current language but instead connect neurons together when trying to understand the new concepts you are learning.

I agree with the many things the author taught in this apprenticeship pattern. That too is how I learn new tools and technologies on my own but on the other hand, I always try to relate it back to my strongest, most knowledgeable language, and see if there are similar concepts and if there are ways to carry out a task more efficiently.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Life in the Field of Computer Science by iharrynguyen and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

This post is connected to my previous post, “The Long Road”. What happen if we were following our dream road, the road we versioned in long-term. But there a limited subset of all possible career paths. You don’t know if this road is longer fit you. You are looking for a path of your own. There are many difficult come with change a path, you are putting your career and your future on new line. But you also don’t know your limit of possibilities.

“A Different Road”, when the road that you draw is leads you away from the main road. You found the new opportunity with new reward, something that you are attract to. But this mean you have to take a turn away from your craft. There is also all the worry of life responsibility, specially family. This will make our choose much more difficult. In this pattern, they suggest despite this risk, don’t be afraid to do something different with your life. I am agreed with taking change and do with what you love. But the situations are different with everyone. It is hard to tell them what to do.

We will have this situation to our life, the people to support around us also are the big factor. We surround by people with different opinions. It is important to listen to who truly support us and with different point of view. They able to help us to feel confident to take that step. The true supporter is the one who stay with you no matter what and will tell you their honest opinions. Although I always thinking about this subject. This pattern tells from another point of views, talk to people with different job. Ask them what they love about it and compare that to the things you love about software development. Go with whatever you see yourself in.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Nhat's Blog by Nhat Truong Le and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

This week I read through Kindred Spirits from Chapter 2. This pattern is reflects on the stage of life of an apprentice who feels like they might not fit in entirely well with a company’s culture, perhaps because they have different interests or a different level of enthusiasm. Perhaps your organization is not very tight-knit and you’d prefer it to be. The solution is to make sure you reach out to meet those who are like you, and that you actively stay involved in what those people are doing. Read books, remember names, and attend meet-ups. Even getting coffee from time to time and discussing ideas can help immensely when your work life isn’t feeling satisfactory. You may even find yourself in a spot where you are offered a position to work alongside those kindred spirits who are just like you.

I found this pattern pretty interesting because, due to graduation coming up, I personally have been pretty concerned about finding a work environment that I really enjoy — as I’m sure everyone is from time to time. I know that I’m someone who seeks to get involved in the places I spend my time, and that if I join a company it is important to me that I’m not coming into work, getting things done, and then leaving. I want to find coworkers that I connect with, work that I can get invested in, and people who are enthusiastic and encouraging. From what I’ve heard and from what the chapter suggests, organizations that a truly encouraging are often few and far between. It may not even be the entire company, it could just be that those you who associate with on a day to day basis are not quite as enthusiastic about your work as you are. As a result, I really enjoyed the tips that this pattern suggested. Make sure you remember those who are similar to you and who have shared goals in mind, and that you keep those people as close as possible.

It’s important to keep track of who you meet, who inspires you, who knows what you know and is passionate about what you’re passionate about. Make lists of communities and try to get involved in them. One thing I’d like to do personally is to attend some software conferences — I know there are plenty and I know many are not outrageously expensive, so it’d be a really great way to meet people and make connections. It’s important to keep those you you mesh well with close to you, as those people will provide you with opportunity and friendship like no others.

From the blog CS@Worcester – James Blash by jwblash and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.