CST438: Understanding Software Engineering Beyond Coding

Before taking this course, I expected Software Engineering to focus mostly on coding and learning how to connect multiple software systems while applying algorithms through programming. I also hoped to learn about different tools and software that could be useful for future projects and my career as a developer.

After completing week 1, my opinion changed a little. I realized that Software Engineering is not only about writing code, but also about designing systems that are maintainable and sustainable over time. The course also focuses on planning, testing strategies, version control, and collaboration in larger teams. It helped me understand that building software involves many engineering decisions, trade-offs, and long-term thinking, not just programming.

Comments

CST438: Hands-On System Testing and Cloud Technologies

This week, I worked on both system testing and understanding cloud and distributed system concepts. One of the main things I learned was how to build Selenium system tests that simulate real user behavior. I created tests in which an instructor enters final grades and in which instructor-created assignments appear in a student’s view. While doing this, I learned how important it is to have all parts of the system running, including the frontend, backend, and external services like the gradebook. I also improved my debugging skills by fixing issues with Selenium, such as incorrect XPath selectors, missing UI elements, and unnecessary alert handling. I also learned how to properly manage my code using Git and GitHub. I created branches, committed my changes, pushed them to GitHub, and opened pull requests for review. This helped me understand a more realistic development workflow and how collaboration works in a team environment. In addition to coding, I reviewed several key concepts i...

WHERE I’m At: Midpoint Lessons in SQL and Beyond

Halfway through this course, I can see how much I’ve learned and how it connects to both my past experiences and my future goals. One of the biggest takeaways has been understanding how SQL views work. I now know that a view is like a virtual table, useful for simplifying queries and presenting data, but usually read-only since it doesn’t store data itself. I’ve also learned the importance of normalization, which helps remove redundancy and ensures cleaner updates by splitting one large table into multiple related ones. Another valuable lesson has been comparing SQL with Java: SQL is declarative and focuses on the “what,” while Java is procedural and focuses on the “how.” This comparison helps me appreciate each language’s role in problem-solving. I’ve also seen firsthand how powerful SQL can be in real workflows compared to spreadsheets, such as enforcing business rules like course eligibility in a single query. Beyond SQL, I’ve grown as a programmer in general—planning better, w...

CST462S - From Learning to Impact: My Service Learning Journey

What went well during my service learning experience was my ability to contribute meaningfully to the ASCENDtials web team. I was able to complete several tasks such as updating website pages, working on LifterLMS courses, and improving user experience through better layouts and navigation. I also communicated effectively with my team, asked questions when needed, and stayed consistent with meeting deadlines. Over time, I became more confident using tools like WordPress, WPForms, and course-building platforms. If I could improve something, it would be my time management and planning. There were moments when tasks felt overwhelming, especially when balancing schoolwork and service hours. I would also improve my confidence in decision-making, particularly when working independently on design or technical issues. Taking more initiative earlier and asking for feedback sooner would have made my work even stronger. The most impactful part of this experience was seeing how my work directly co...

My CS Online Journey

Search This Blog