CST 338 - Week 2 Learning Journal

I have done most of my schooling online, so the first week of class felt like a normal start to any class, things like setup, and getting used to the tools and workflow. I already had some familiarity with Git and version control, so those commands I am fairly familiar with, so luckily, there was some relief on cognitive load. Since I have also worked with C++ before, the transition to Java was not too difficult conceptually; it was more about learning the syntax and conventions unique to the language. The biggest hurdle was remembering how strongly typed languages require explicit declarations and how that affects flexibility. I have not worked with a strictly typed language in a while, so it felt a little rigid compared to what I am used to. Even though Java is not my favorite language, and neither was C++, I feel I am somewhat getting in the rhythm of using it.

Getting used to IntelliJ, on the other hand, was a challenge in itself. It is a powerful IDE, but I found it overwhelming at times especially because I usually write Javascript so very rarely do I need such a heavy IDE. The amount of configuration and the number of menus and options made it feel heavy-handed for my usual workflow. Still, I can understand why it is a good choice for Java since it has excellent integration for testing, debugging, and version control. Balancing the first week’s workload was tough, though. Between my job and schoolwork, the assignments felt like a lot to manage all at once. Despite that, I have managed to finish the assignments so far with enough time to debug or troubleshoot any issues. I think these early challenges, learning the tools, writing tests, and practicing good Git habits, will make the rest of the course smoother and help me be more organized in future programming projects.