CST 338 Week 1

CodingBat Exercises: Winged It

During the start of the week in CST 338, I was happy to see Coding Bat exercises assigned, as I had previously encountered them in an introductory Java course. I am not as proficient in Java as I would like to be, so I saw this as an opportunity to improve, especially since most of the content had changed since I last worked on these exercises.

My Approach:

• Understanding the Problem: I began by carefully reading the problem statement to ensure I understood what was required. This step was crucial in framing my approach.
• Planning: For most of the problems, I spent a few minutes planning my approach. I thought about the tools and concepts I had at my disposal and how they could be applied to the problem. This involved visualizing the steps the code would need to take to produce the correct output.
• Implementation: I started coding my solution based on the plan. For simpler problems, this often involved writing the code directly. For more complex problems, I wrote the code incrementally, testing each part as I went along.
• Testing: Testing was a significant part of my process. For the harder problems, I often tested multiple times to see what specific output was needed. This iterative process of testing and debugging helped me refine my solution.
• Research: There were a few problems where I needed to do some additional research to remember how to implement certain things in Java. The resources provided at the bottom of the exercises were very helpful in this regard.

What Worked:

• Planning: Taking time to plan the solution before coding was effective. It helped me avoid many potential pitfalls and made the coding process smoother.
• Incremental Testing: Testing my code incrementally allowed me to catch errors early and often, making the debugging process easier.

What Did Not Work:

• Overcomplicating Solutions: Sometimes I overcomplicated my solutions by trying to incorporate too many advanced concepts. Keeping it simple often proved to be the best approach.
• Rushing: On a few occasions, I rushed through the problem without fully understanding it, leading to more errors and wasted time.

Number of Tries:

• For simpler problems, I usually got the solution within one or two tries.
• For more complex problems, it often took several attempts iterative testing, and research to get the correct solution.

Week Summary:

Overall, the Coding Bat exercises were a valuable learning experience. They not only helped me improve my Java skills but also reinforced the importance of planning, testing, and iterative improvement.