CS 373 Spring 2021: Brinda Prasad
Hello! Welcome to my blog for Software Engineering, where I’ll be keeping track of my progress throughout the semester.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Pflugerville, Texas. It’s about 30 minutes out from downtown Austin. Honestly, my hometown friends and I usually struggle to find fun things to do here when we’re back at the same time. During the pandemic, however, I’ve started going on long drives for the sole reason of admiring cows in fields.
What high school did you attend?
I went to Hendrickson High School.
What was your favorite extracurricular activity in high school?
I played tennis in high school. I definitely miss working out every day and having an outlet for stress. I’ve been meaning to go out and play again for a while now!
Why did you come to UT?
It’s a large, city school with lots of different things going on at once. I like that being in Austin makes it easy to constantly try new things and meet different people!
Why are you majoring in CS?
I have a hard time committing to just one thing, so I found some comfort in how broad of a field Computer Science is. I have no idea what I want to do with my degree, but it’s exciting to explore the different applications of technology in our rapidly changing world!
Why are you in this class?
A majority of our college education is structured predictably, with lectures, assignments, and exams giving us information that sometimes feels impossible to retain. I love that we’re applying our knowledge to something tangible in this class and think that the experience of working on a collaborative project from start to finish will be invaluable.
What are your expectations of this class?
I’m hoping to learn a lot on my own and from my classmates. By the end of this class, I want to know that I’ve created something from start to finish and feel confident that I could do it again.
How much Javascript/Python/SQL/Web programming do you already know?
I have some experience with Python and JavaScript but haven’t created any web products from start to finish.
How did you like the two lectures?
I enjoyed how interactive the hour long lectures were! The class itself is structured well and I like knowing what we’re going into each lecture.
How did you feel about the cold calling?
I’m not a huge fan of talking in larger classes, but I really appreciate how comfortable Professor Downing makes us feel. It’s nice that it serves both as a way to keep us engaged during lectures and as a way to actively be a part of the content being taught.
What made you happy this week?
I’ve been catching up with friends and loved ones this week. I tend to unintentionally isolate myself, so I definitely needed that social interaction more than I realized!
What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?
My pick of the week is Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein’s MasterClass on advertising and creativity. They’re the ones behind the “Got Milk?” advertising campaign. I finished their class a while ago, but there’s a lot to learn from people as excited about their work as they are. They’re funny too!
