CST300 - Week 3

This week, the readings discussed ethics, including different ethical theories and frameworks. This was a completely new topic for me and I really enjoyed learning about it for the first time. The readings went into depth describing metaethics - where morals originate from and what they mean, normative ethics - the standards that we should adhere to, and applied ethics - the way ethics applies to controversial subjects. Ethical frameworks define what is morally right and wrong based on what benefits the most people, rights that humans have and the duties to protect these rights and the general virtues of a person, to name a few. It was interesting to read about how ethics are based on certain principles such as beneficence, least harm, respect for autonomy, and justice. I feel that I have gained a lot of knowledge on this topic which will equip me to write the upcoming ethics paper.

Time Management and Study Strategies

https://www.academictips.org/acad/index.html - Choose a study tip topic you listed as one that needs improvement in your last journal entry.

I chose to read the article "Tips for Writing Research Paper." The first tip is to give yourself enough time for each step of the writing process and create a schedule of when you will do each part. Once you've done this, you need to formulate a strong thesis statement. Then, start researching and use colored index cards to keep track of all of the information you gather. The next step, the step where I can improve, is to write an outline to organize your information and ensure that you are addressing the thesis and assignment specifications. After this, start writing a rough draft of the paper. Lastly, revise your paper and make sure you have the proper citations and references.

http://www.studygs.net/timman.htm - Overall study overview.

This website gives different strategies on how to use your time wisely and effectively. The article suggests blocking study breaks at times when you are most productive. For me, this is in the evening and late at night. Another great tip that I would like to adopt is to review assignments, notes, and the calendar weekly. This will help keep me organized and refresh my mind. Lastly, the article recommends prioritizing your tasks and starting with the most difficult assignment. When I approach the assignments of the week, I like to first tackle the small tasks, but that leaves me with the big projects to complete under pressure at the last minute. I aim to try and begin with larger assignments in the future.

Reflect on Readings

One of the major readings in this module was "What a Computer Science Major Needs to Know." This was a very comprehensive article that explained the need for a portfolio, languages that programmers must know, and the importance of knowledge in various subjects such as robotics, databases, and cryptography. On one hand, the article delineated exactly what students should know in a clear format so that I am able to really see what I need to learn and track my progress. On the other, reading through the article was very overwhelming as I determined how little I know! My hope is that I will learn a lot of these fundamentals mentioned over the next two years and supplement it with my own learning. "What a Computer Science Major Needs to Know" is a great resource and I appreciate that it was provided in the module. Other readings this week included an in-depth guide to project management and a review of the CSUMB policies.