Object-Oriented Programming

This week I will start by talking about object-oriented programming. 

Let us start off by explaining what object-oriented programming (OOP) is:

Programming is usually modeled around actions and logic. OOP, however, uses the concepts of objects and data rather than the usual programming model (actions and logic). These objects are data structures that contain different types of data, capsulated within classes or objects. The code itself is written in methods under every class instead of functions. One of the major bonuses that come from using OOP is that the methods in the class can modify the data held in the class. Computer programs in OOP are often designed by making the different objects interact with one another to create the main program. 

OOP has really helped programmers to advance the world in programming by making it easier to create your own classes and make them do exactly what you want them to do. With OOP, you can create sub-classes of a class without re-writing the _ _init_ _ method. By doing this, there is less chance of humans making a copying error when re-typing the _ _init_ _ method. Since every method in the class only uses the data established in the _ _init_ _ method, the other data in the main program is safe and will not be changed while running different classes. This also benefits programmers in the way in which, for example, two variables are the same, and the method only changes the variable in its own class.

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Tracing Recursion

So far, my experience with this course has been a good one. Because I do not necessarily have a concern at the moment, I will talk about what I learned this past week.

The past week, I learned about tracing recursion.

At this point, the concept of, and understanding tracing recursion is not too complicated. It seems pretty easy; which could be because at this time, only two functions are being used.  However, as I think about it and look ahead, adding more functions will definitely complicate it, just as math may get more complicated as you add more functions within a single question.

When I started studying for the recursion lesson and lab, everything made sense. For this lesson, everything was explained well, and in a way in which I found easy to understand and comprehend. The only difficulty I had, however, I was the format in which the professor wanted the answer to be in. 

As I mentioned in previous posts, I use my time after class to go back to the lesson, work on problems, labs, and go through elements that I have difficulty with. After this lesson, I went home, and began to try and better understand exactly what the professor expected. By doing so,  I was able to understand through trial and error, and realized that what the professor wanted wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be; I just needed to focus, and really concentrate. 

The time I take after class to further understand the material discussed in class really helps me understand what was being taught to another level. I enjoy going back to lessons in a relaxed environment, taking my time to go through each element I didn’t quite understand as I may have hoped to. I plan to continue to carry out this routine every week to make every effort in ensuring as requirements are met, and that I gain a firm understanding of what is being taught.

My experience over the first few weeks.

For this week’s post, I will be writing about my experience with the course over the last few weeks.

I find CSC to be quite interesting, and even more so after taking CSC108 last semester. Though I am not required to take this course, I chose to do so because of my requirement of electives, and wanted it to be a class I’d enjoy. My major is quite different from CSC, as I am an accounting student, majoring in economics at the University of Toronto, Mississauga campus. 

After the winter break, it was difficult to get back into ‘school-mode’. My holidays were relaxed, and were generally spent performing leisure activities. Going back to school required that I put those leisure activities aside, focus on school, and stay on track. I felt overwhelmed when I went back to school, so much so that everything, including school content, felt difficult and complicated. As the weeks went on, I began to get used to the routine. Though I may sometimes struggle now with my course load, I am at a much better place than I was during the first week.

Currently, the material being covered in CSC148 is not too difficult, and taking CSC108 definitely helped. There were times, however, in which things seemed very complicated. During my first week of laboratories (labs), I didn’t understand everything the way I should have, which in turn, made me confused and had me making mistakes. I understood that I was confused, but also knew that I had to think of a way to understand better, and make the course work well for me. After the first lab, I came home and began to try and figure out my mistakes, correct them, and hoped to avoid them for future labs. By trying it at home, I was able to successfully complete the assigned work. This made me realize what worked for me – working on the content at home, and being prepared for the lab; using that time as a time for further questions. 

This however, was the way in which I felt worked best for me, and may not be the best solution for everyone. Our struggles are a chance to make improvements to ourselves and this is the way in which I felt was best for me.