| Course Number | Course Name | When Taken | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| LATN 301 | Advanced Prose | Fall 2016 | We studied Cicero's Pro Sexto Roscio in my first class dedicated to Latin literature. Pro Sexto Roscio was a speech made by Cicero in defense of a man, Sextus Roscius, accused of killing his father for the inheritance. We explored the complex Ciceronian sentence structure which is rich with subordinate clauses, catalogues and adjectival clauses physically disconnected from the nouns they describe. One of the focuses of the class was memorization and recitation of a section of the defense which drove home the skill of Roman orators not only in memorization but also in delivery. |
| CS 209 | Software Development with Java | Fall 2017 | Software Development served as my introduction to Java. My introductory classes were taught in Python (to which I am still preferential) and the Computer Architecture class I took the previous semester included LC-3 assembly language and C. For this class, my four team mates and I built a GUI-based Freecell game from scratch. More in depth discussion of the game, along with screenshots can be found here on the projects page and the code can be found at this page on my github. |
| MATH 121 | Discrete Math | Fall 2017 | Discrete math showed me the mathematical basis for many concepts in computer science. Some of the topics covered in the class include permutations and combinations, binomial coefficients, induction, the Pigeonhole Principle and integer partitions. This class allowed me to develop a foundation in mathematics that would come to be invaluable in CS 209: Algorithm Design and Analysis. |
| CS 210 | Computer Architecture | Winter 2017 | This survey of computer architecture discussed topics such as data types, digital logic structures, finite state machines and the von Neumann Model. Additionally, we used the LC-3 and it's ISA to practice operation, data movement and control instructions in machine language. The class also afforded an opportunity to practice writing in assembly language and C. |
| LATN 321 | Lyric Poetry: Ovid and Catullus | Winter 2017 | This second advanced Latin class was the end of a 7 year latin journey but it opened my eyes to how concepts of Latin still persist in today's language. This class also ignited in me the desire to carry out a text analysis research project on the corpus of Catullus. The project explores the themes of love and hate and how the poet uses these to relate to his audience. |
| CS 112 | Data Structures | Winter 2017 | I got the opportunity to implement data structures from scratch in Python in this second-semester computer science class. We wrote code to build lists, dictionaries, stacks, and trees. We also got to practice using them by creating projects such as a GUI calculator app and a concordance program that con be run on any text file. |
| CS 211 | Algorithm Design and Analysis | Winter 2018 | I found my algorithm analysis and design class fascinating. It was a proofs-based class that involved in-depth discussions of many topics in computer science such as graph traversals, divide and conquer algorithms, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, and network flow. The rigor associated with proving correctness and running times for algorithms discussed in this class was a treat and this class has added more to my education than maybe any other single class. |
| DH 110 | Web Programming | Winter 2018 | This class gave me an introduction to HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Additionally, it provided me with the tools necessary to start thinking about how I can develop my own web applications. Having a solid foundation in logical thinking and writing code allowed me to worry less about chasing down bugs so I could spend more time exploring what the tools we were using could do. The class culminated with group project building a webpage that uses HTML, CSS and Javascript which can be viewed here. |
| CS 317 | Database Management | Winter 2018 | I had the opportunity to work on the construction of a database, all the way from the enumeration of business requirements to entering test records and performing test queries. For the first half of the semester, we spent a significant amount of time discussing the structure and operation of a relational database and learning SQL. Over the course of the second half of the semester, we were divided into groups of 4 and tasked with building a relational database from scratch in pgweb. |
| CS 250 | Robotics | Spring 2018 | This class allowed me the opportunity to build an arduino-based lawnmowing robot. We began with an arduino, some motors, wheels, a weed wacker, an aluminum pipe and a plan. Our plan had to be revised a number of times but in only four weeks we were able to overcome a number of engineering challenges, both electronic and mechanical, and present a working remomte controlled prototype. You can read more about the process and planned improvements here. |