Final Entry

• What did you like the least about the class?

I did not enjoy the first part of each exam. A shared sentiment was lack of time on the first part, specially exam 2. However, overwhelmingly my least favorite part was the online transition due to the pandemic. The lectures felt rushed and we did not get a chance to cover certain important topics in depth. I also think we should discuss a little more in depth about OOP design principles by designing a larger system.

• What did you like the most about the class?

Professor Downing and his lectures! The projects are also quite well crafted where we apply the concepts being covered in class and build upon concepts learnt earlier in the semester. You really end up learning how C++ works and what goes on under the hood. I have not had too much C++ exposure in the past but now I feel confident in having technical interviews in it just because of this class. Professor Downing really knows his stuff and structures the course content in a sequential building block method. His lectures are among the best I have had at UT. I recommend taking both of his courses (SWE and OOP), you will be a better computer scientist because of it.

• What’s the most significant thing you learned?

C++. Plain and simple. I have the confidence of having completed the projects and understanding the concepts Professor Downing taught in class. The content is very relevant and prepares you well for deeper understanding of the language and stepping into the professional world. The principles of OOP will be instilled into your programming style. Additionally, I would recommend everyone work with a partner for each project. It is a surefire way of succeeding in the projects instead of working on it alone. I really learned to appreciate the value of working in pairs with someone new each time.

• How many hours a week did you spend coding/debugging/testing for this class?

I probably spent an average of 8-10 hours per project, so probably 4-5 hours per week.

• How many hours a week did you spend reading/studying for this class?

0. Probably 3-4 hours before exam 1a and 5-6 hours before 2a. Other than that, nothing else at all.

• How many lines of code do you think you wrote?

I think ~1250 lines of code sounds like a reasonable number.

• What required tool did you not know and now find very useful?

I was forced to ssh into the CS machines a lot, something I used to do less of before as I just worked on the lab machines on campus. Using sublime for sftp and other ssh tips and tricks were a useful addition.

• How did you feel about the two-stage quizzes and tests?

I am a fan of the two-stage quizzes, it helps most of us understand the questions and answers better.

I think the two-stage tests are a good idea, having taken SWE and OOP and experience them in both. In the second part, everyone is motivated to work together and get a 100. It is a nice feature of the course. I would advise other students to be very quick in attempting the first part, time is always an issue.

• How did you feel about the cold calling, in the end?

I don’t mind it at all. Professor Downing does not penalize you or make you feel bad about not knowing the answers and helps you work through the question. It ensures we stay engaged in the class, and his lectures are great to begin with.