After entering university, I had not yet decided what I wanted to do in the future and had vaguely chosen to pursue a field in the sciences. When I took ICS 111 and learned about Java for the first time, I found it interesting to write code and got at least a basic understanding of programming. As time passed, I became increasingly interested in these, and I found myself researching more about the field. While researching, I learned about the wide range of fields within software engineering, and though I am still exploring, I have managed to discover several areas of interest.
Refactoring is a process of rebuilding code without altering its original functionality, aiming to enhance readability and maintainability without changing external behavior. Throughout my programming language classes so far, I have learned that there is not just one correct way to write code to produce the desired output. When I first learned about Java, I found myself contemplating how to make code more readable, adding indents for organization, and striving for clarity. Because of this, I have developed an interest in the concept of refactoring. From my perspective, refactoring can offer opportunities to advance programming skills by involving in deciphering existing code, understanding the intentions of past program writers, and learning from their thought processes.
Web design involves creating the visual and functional aspects of websites found on the internet, and it falls upon engineers to craft designs that are visually engaging and user-friendly, with the objective of delivering a smooth and intuitive experience for users. Learning about UI for the first time and experiencing the satisfaction of visualizing my own code as a tangible design sparked my interest in web design. Gaining a deeper understanding of web design can be considered as one of the advantages of learning it, as it enables me to have various perspectives when using the internet in the future.
Creating applications is also one of my interests in software engineering. I often find myself wishing for a convenient application that I can use to learn English, my second language. This led me to consider that creating one myself might be the best option, which sparked my interest. As someone who enjoys playing online games, I also have an interest in applications that allow me to consolidate in-game stats as numerical values and create compatibility charts. Therefore, developing such tools in the future is one of my hopes. I also believe that by actively using these applications myself, identifying areas for improvement, and making necessary adjustments, I can enhance my programming skills.