As I immersed myself in Javascript through this course through freecodecamp after having very little experience with it, I will say that I somewhat like Javascript so far. I would classify my understanding before doing the practice on freecodecamp as very basic, where I only knew the rules of Javascript. For example, In comparison with Java which I learned through ICS 111 and ICS 211, I can definitely say that I enjoy JavaScript much more. This is because Java is very technical and there are a lot of rules, such as the need to establish the data type, whereas in JavaScript it is not needed. In my personal opinion, I think that JavaScript is a good programming language from a software engineering perspective because of its ability to not need so many details as opposed to other programming languages. I like that it is very flexible and in my opinion easier to learn than some other programming languages. I believe that this in itself is one of the main reasons why I think JavaScript is a good programming language for software engineering. Right now we are learning the basics of JavaScript, but I think once we start implementing it and using it in web development, it will be easy to see the usefulness of JavaScript.
Transitioning from my thoughts on JavaScript to athletic software engineering which from my understanding focuses more on learning to code faster. So, in addition to learning new programming languages, authentic software engineering also is about learning to code them effectively. Athletic software engineering uses the concept of WODS, which are “Workout of the Day ‘’ where you are tasked with completing a coding exercise in a certain amount of time. After doing a couple WODS as a part of ICS 314, I find the practice to be useful. I think it exercises your brain to think of a solution quickly knowing you don’t have a lot of time to solve the task. I think learning style can be kind of daunting as a student because you always feel like you need to learn fast and be prepared so that you can pass the WOD. But I know that in the end, it will benefit me because it is pushing me to be more prepared for the WOD, and in turn I am learning. I personally think that the WODS are definitely a bit stressful, and not as enjoyable since they are like a test, but I do think that it will help me learn.
In conclusion, my experience learning JavaScript through the freecodecamp course has been positive. After taking classes that primarily focused on Java, I really enjoyed the flexibility of JavaScript and liked that it was not that difficult to grasp. Additionally, my first experience with athletic software engineering through WODS in ICS 314 was definitely helpful in my learning. While the time contrast of WODS can be stressful, I definitely understand the benefits of doing them as I am better prepared and can work on my problem-solving skills. Overall, my new experiences in both JavaScript and WODs were successful and will definitely help me with ICS 314 and my future in computer science.