CS373 Fall 2020: Abdul-Ghaffar Balogun
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Houston, Texas.
Why did you come to UT?
Initially, I had hopes of attending UC Berkley, but I was denied admission. This then led me to strongly consider UT Austin because it was cost-effective and offered quality education. Another big factor was that it was close to home, so I can easily go back home whenever I pleased.
Why are you majoring in CS?
I initially didn’t know what I wanted to do upon coming to college. I knew whatever I wanted to do has to involve math or field with a similar type of thing. I found that CS was perfect for me because it encourages that logical and analytic thinking, while also allowing me to use that to create something entirely new!
Why are you in this class?
I want to become a Software Engineer after graduation, and I believe this class will equip me with the tools necessary to succeed in that field. I was recommended to take this class by a UT alumnus, so I am intrigued to see how much I can learn in this class.
What are your expectations of this class?
I want to be able to readjust my way of thinking in a way that would allow me to envision a big problem and break it down into smaller problems, specifically, concerning creating a website. There are a lot of details and technological insights required to do that and I hope to be able to have a decent grasp of this knowledge by the end of this class.
How much Javascript/Python/Web programming do you already know?
I would consider myself a novice to this to the technologies. I have had some experience with this mainly Typescript, HTML, and CSS, but not to the extent where I feel very comfortable with them. I have also been exposed to python, but I haven’t used it very much.
How did you like the two lectures?
I have enjoyed them so far. I feel as though I have a better grasp of what is expected of us as well as what we can hope to get out of this class. Some of the discussion with docker images went over my head
How did you feel about the cold calling?
I think it’s a little nerve-wracking, but necessary to help us stay engaged with the material. Especially with class being online, it’s so easy to drift away from the class and be distracted by so many different things, this way we have something to bring our attention back to the lecture.
What made you happy this week?
I was able to see my niece this Sunday! It was nice to be able to play with her and see her beautiful smile. It was very much needed amid this extended period of quarantine.
What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?
We have free access to LinkedIn Learning, which offers a variety of courses taught by industry experts in software, creative and business skills. Just use your utexas email and you should be good to go! Take some Python, Javascript, or any web programming courses to improve your skills. https://www.linkedin.com/learning/
