CS373 Fall 2020: Week 9

Hey everyone! My name is Akshay Mantri, and this is my Week 9 blog post for Software Engineering.

What did you do this past week?

This past week, my group and I finished Phase 2 of the SWE Project. Additionally, I finished my Ethical Hacking midterm, which took the format of a CTF (Capture the Flag). I also did very well in a couple of interviews! Overall, it was a productive week.

What’s in your way?

Right now, other than time (a constant for me), nothing is in my way! I feel great both physically and mentally, and I can’t wait to continue the good vibes next week! :)

What will you do next week?

Phase 3 of the SWE project seems extensive, so I want to get an early start on it. I only have one interview lined up for next week, and, hopefully, that goes well. I also plan on taking the exam for an AWS Certification. Overall, next week is shaping up to by one of the easier weeks that I’ve had so far this school year.

If you read it, what did you think of Ethical CS?

Dr. Alan Cline and Dr. Elaine Rich presented a multifaceted presentation about ethical controversies and case studies in CS across the world. It was a scintillating discussion of ethical philosophies, ethical challenges, and the application of those ethical philosophies on said challenges. As technology continues to develop, advancements will undoubtedly test ethical and moral limits.

How was your experience with functions, lambdas, and decorators?

Professor Downing explained functions, lambdas, and decorators very clearly over the past few lectures. I feel comfortable with all three and can identify their advantages, limitations, and use cases.

What made you happy this week?

This week was highly productive, as I was able to knock out a lot of things. The CTF midterm for Ethical Hacking was actually quite fun, as it was like solving a puzzle. I moved on to the next round for the interview I took, so that’s exciting news. Also, UT won its football game against Baylor this week!

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

My tip of the week is to keep an eye on your health. When we get busy, we sometimes make tradeoffs and/or ignore actions that we take to maintain our health. For example, a week ago, I wasn’t eating well and it sometimes made me “feel dull” during the day. After I identified that I wasn’t eating well, however, I made sure to eat well this week, and I felt energetic and engaged throughout the entire day. Our health and safety should always come first!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you’ll be back next week!