Introduction to Computer Programming (I)

Taught by Shi-Jim Yen Ph.D. in undergraduate

What was the class about?

In this class we focused on the C Programming Language and started from the basics such as data types and loops while ending at the more complex such as linked lists and pointers.

What did I learn?

What I learned was that programming is hard! Like really hard! But taking these beginning programming classes were some of my favorite computer science classes. Hitting your head on small mistakes like forgetting a semicolon or forgetting to put quotes around a char type were definitely frustrating, but finding those mistakes and fixing them and then watching your program actually work and do what is is supposed to do is the most rewarding feeling I think a computer scientist can have and it reminded me that I made the right choice for my major.

How do I use that knowledge now?

I apply this everyday! Well not exactly coding in C, but definitely learning the fundamentals of loops and arrays and many others come in handy every time I begin a new project. Not only those concepts but learning how to think more logically and like a computer, so that I can see and spot the mistakes and errors before they even happen is a great feeling as well. I know I still have a lot of things I do not know about computer science, but when I think about how far I have come since those first classes, it makes me happy.