CS373 Blog #2
What did you do this past week?
This week I spent some time working on the Collatz project for class, as well as reading/annotating the make file. I implemented the four optimizations that we discussed in lecture on Friday, yet I’m still having trouble passing the 3rd test case on hacker rank. I also spent some time making myself more familiar with Python, as I’m still relatively new to it.
What’s in your way?
I’m still not passing the 3rd test case on hacker rank even though I’ve tried to implement all four optimizations from lecture. I need to look into exactly how much preprocessing (eager caching) I need to be doing in order for the program to run more efficiently.
What will you do next week?
Next week I need to set up my work environment, including Docker. I also want to start using visual studio code, so I need to get that set up.
What was your experience of assertions, unit tests, and coverage? (this question will vary, week to week)
I have used assertions in the past to check preconditions mainly. I never really thought about how it’s not good practice to include them in production code and unit tests, because they can halt the entire program. I have some experience with unit testing from my last internship, but I’ve never worked with Python’s unit testing library and coverage tool, so I’m excited to try those.
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 alright. My class work load hasn’t become anything crazy yet, so I’m still feeling ok on that front. I find it helpful to be able to talk with some of my friends about what’s going on in our classes, and how we can help each other out. For me, they provide a strong support system.
What made you happy this week?
I’m currently very happy that the Houston Rockets are up 1–0 against the Lakers. Just hope they can keep it up..
What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?
My tip of the week is to try and be proactive on assignments, and not push off too many things till the deadline is close. This happens to be especially important since a lot of courses operate in a manner in which deadlines are usually near or at the end of the week, which can lead to an extremely stressful weekend if you don’t manage your time throughout the week well.
