National Computer Science Education Week is this week and we will be participating in a number of events in the area. We are also proud to feature local computer science students as guest bloggers right here on the Microsoft New England blog. Each of these students are an inspiration, touting their STEM skills and dedication in our local schools.
— Kolleen Lambert, Business Program Manager, Technology and Civic Engagement and Aimee Sprung, Civic Engagement Manager — Microsoft New England
School: Boston Latin Academy
Grade: 12th
CS Teacher: Ms. Roche
I have always been very interested in anything having to do with technology. Computer science allows me to get a better understanding of how things work behind the scenes. Although I know how complicated problems in computer science can get, I still like having an idea of what is going on.
My favorite part about computer science is dealing with real-life problems. Once we gain knowledge on new topics, it’s interesting to see how they apply to things that occur on a daily basis.
This year, I have four mentors in my Computer Science class besides my teacher. These four mentors volunteer their time to show us how to code. It is very gratifying to know that we are being taught how to code from people that work with coding every day.
I think that one of the greatest things I have accomplished in Computer Science is one of the first projects we ever had. We had just learned how to reuse methods so that we wouldn’t repeat parts in our code. Although now it seems like it was something that was really easy and simple, it was still so new to me at the time and everything was able to work out completely fine with no errors whatsoever.
Computer Science is definitely one of my favorite classes. It gives me the chance to really think about what I’m doing, by breaking down big problems and writing down pseudocode. At times it can get complicated and frustrating, but once I’m able to fix my errors and everything runs smoothly, it brings me a great sense of accomplishment.
Looking for more coding opportunities? Find more coding tools and resources for students, parents, and educators at microsoft.com/hourofcode.