Life Of a CS Major: SELECT StressFreeDays FROM University

I hoped to consistently release a new blog once a month when I began this series, but my 3-month streak came to an end. Long story short, university became overwhelming, and I don't have the best coping mechanisms. So much happened since last I wrote, and I can't fit everything in this post, but I'll try...

I've always wanted a pair of prescription glasses to filter out the blue light that I'm exposed to 24/7. At the end of October, I finally got myself a pair, and it is, hands down, the 2nd best purchase of my life to date. It really has done wonders for my confidence, and it tricks me into trying to act smart. Once I put the glasses on, I feel obliged to be "in character". I like playing these sorts of mind games with myself.

The Library allows books to be taken out - this wasn't allowed last semester because of Covid - and I found a book I've been dying to read. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe. It only took me one chapter to get me hooked. The bad news is, I lost the book so now I've got to pay the Library for a new one.

I've developed the habit of using pen and paper before coding out the solution to a problem. Previously I would jump straight into the solution without giving much thought to my approach. I often find myself switching back and forth between applications to reread the question, which makes me lose my train of thought. This new approach is like writing a rough draft or mind map of an essay before writing it out. It helps give me a better idea of what I'm doing, which means I actually spend less time solving the problem.

Future Aspirations 🗺️

I want to study abroad. The problem is, I haven't got the slightest idea to go about doing it. Firstly, I've got to secure a scholarship or bursary to study and live overseas because, as it stands, the finances are not don't add up. Secondly, international Universities, or at least the ones I'm considering, start their academic year in September. Here in South Africa, school begins at the start of the year around January/February. This means I would probably have half a year of waiting before continuing my studies, and I'm not sure what I should do with that time.

In terms of career aspirations, I've been considering technical writing. I enjoy writing these blogs. I've created a habit of reading tech articles and watching tech YouTube. I think I know just enough to start curating my own newsletters. The only things stopping me from doing that is, well, my lack of commitment and finding an audience for my content. But who knows? Stay tuned to find out if I ever capitalise on that idea.

What am I learning? 🧠

The last topic we learned in both Information Systems and Computer Science was Databases. I've learned SQL enough times to know that I would do well in this course without attending most lectures. And I was right.

One of the last topics we covered in Mathematical Statistics started getting into linear regression using the method of least squares in statistics. Linear regression is a way of finding the correlation of two random variables so that we can predict how they behave with respect to each other. And because the course is called Mathematical Statistics, we obviously do a lot more mathy proofs than examples and applications. This would be my last month of Mathematical Statistics because I've decided to major in Information Systems and Computer Science. As much as I found the course interesting, I'm glad I am leaving it 2021

What am I building? 🛠️

You would think that learning the same 2 subjects in two different modules would mean that I have more time on my hands. In reality, Mathematical Statistics took up whatever extra time I had, which meant I didn't have much time to work on building anything. On the upside, we had a project for Mathematical Statistics. That's gotta count for something, so I might as well show you what coding I get up to.

Hypothesis Testing R-project

Our big assignment this term was to use data that was given to us and apply the Hypothesis testing techniques we've learned throughout this term to decide whether a particular Hypothesis may be rejected or not. Hypothesis testing is basically about testing whether an inference made on a population may be invalid or not. I'll save you the nitty-gritty details and math involved and just show you what the R-language is capable of

Mathematical Statistics had a R-programming component and it showed me what a beautiful language R is. It is the programming language of statisticians. Although they have unconventional features like indexing lists starting from 1 instead of 0, it is great for manipulating data and plotting it as you can see.

General updates 🔔

• Another Hacktober has passed, and I haven't contributed to Open Source yet
• I started a demo investing account, and I think I've learned just about enough to start doing it for real, but I'll start next year.
• I've got my drivers license but I don't 🥑
• I made sub warden in my residence. (Translation: I got a part-time job)
• The school year has ended, so now I can finally relax without feeling guilty about it.

Summary

This was one of the most awkward periods in my life. The stress of university is disorienting. Assignments, deadlines, projects, tests, exams... It's a lot. The pressure builds up, and it never really goes away until after you've written the exam. There are very few feelings better than the joy of being done with examinations. I recently finished my exams, and I feel like a new person. I am so much happier.

As always, thanks for the read and happy coding.