CS Lessons from the Classroom

I was first introduced to computer science my junior year, taking AP Computer Science Principles. This course presented me with a wide array of concepts such as visual programming, organization, and creativity. In APCSP, we worked with blocks of code, assembling them to create functions, sequential code, and event-driven functions. This method made it easy to visualize how the elements interacted together and prevented me from messing with the syntax. In this course, we created applications from simple drawings to interactive games and quizzes, each assignment allowing me to let my creative juices flow. Each time I successfully executed a function or found a small bug in my code, I experienced a rush of satisfaction and joy. The hands-on approach to coding sparked my curiosity and interest in the field.

Following my junior year course, I am now continuing my journey in AP Computer Science A. The transition from APCSP to APCSA has been natural and exciting. Unlike APCSP's block-based coding, APCSA introduced me to text-based programming, where I truly found my happiness. The act of typing each line of code feels so rewarding and technical. I love letting my fingers fly across the keyboard as I generate different classes, methods, and objects. In APCSA, the skills I developed in APCSP came into play, but in a more structured way. Learning to create classes allowed me to think more critically about designing my code and structuring it in a clean way. Working with methods honed my ability to break down problems into manageable parts. The challenges of debugging are definitely more intense, considering a missing semicolon or curly bracket could throw off my whole code, but the satisfaction after

finding it is now even better.

As I continue my journey in computer science, I am excited to delve

deeper into programming languages and software development. I look

forward to more opportunities to create, tinker, and collaborate with

others.