CST300 - Week 2

 

This week was the second week of my journey towards earning an online bachelor’s degree and I can say that it was pretty cool. We wrote our first draft of our industrial analysis essay and did two peer reviews. It was quite a challenge, but I definitely learned something new! We also learned some new information. It was divided into four parts.

Part 1: Review and Reflect Learning Strategy

First, we learned about effective study skills through a document by Dr. Bob Kizlik. It talked about how no one studies the same way and not every tip works for everyone. After reflecting on what I read in this article, the three things I am good at is –

1.        Maintaining a daily schedule. It helps me plan a routine and act productively throughout the day. I like to follow the fixed routine I have set for myself, and I would say that I am diligent at following it. I try to use my study hours to the fullest, taking breaks when needed. It satisfies me and makes me feel fulfilled at the end of the day.

2.        Taking notes. I love taking notes, especially when I can be creative with them. Using different colors and outlining/highlighting important information in my own way helps me enjoy what I study.

3.        Studying for lecture courses. I like to read assignments and material beforehand, so I know what to expect during class, and if needed, be prepared for it. Things like making a schedule, deciding how much time will be needed for each assignment, and distributing the time and effort equally throughout my days helps me to manage my stress and work in a balanced manner.

However, after reading the document I feel like there are a lot of areas I can improve in as well. To state three of them, I would say –

1.        Developing thinking skills. I need to start thinking deeper into what I read.

2.        Reading. I don’t really like reading, so sometimes I just skim over content. I need to stop doing this because I often miss out on crucial and important details and/or instructions.

3.        Studying effectively. I feel like this is one of my weakest points. Exams stress me out and studying overwhelms me. I need to learn to start ahead of time and use the study tips I have read in this document, such as studying no less than 30-90 minutes after a meal, and never studying within 30 minutes of going to sleep.

 

Part 2: Preview Time Management Skills

After learning about effective study tips, we read about time management skills and made an activity log as well!

Part 3: Project Management Basics

We also watch videos about Project management basics. The first video was an introduction to what projects are. It stated what projects are, what the differences are between projects and operations. It also clarified the phases of project management, including initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing.  The video talked about statistics, failure in time management,  scope management, cost management, quality management, and project management skills.

The second video was about work breakdown structure. I tmeand a deliverable-oriented hierarchal. It went over facts like doing projects to produce deliverables, organizing and defining the total scope, and the basics of phases and subprojects.

The last video talked about the Gantt Chart, which is a chart that show data of terminal elements and summary elements of a project. It is a visual of project management and can be created through apps like Excel.

Part 4: Check Out Previous Capstones

We were given videos to watch about capstones. I picked three presentations and these are my insights:

The open energy dashboard project is well done and outlines main information that would engage an audience interested in learning more. It addresses the issue of the difficulty of understanding 2D graphics and confined data. The solution was incorporating a 3D graphics feature to help users visualize energy usage better and optimize data analysis. There’s a clear and smooth transition between presenters and the slides with multiple examples and graphics to help understand better. Towards the ending it would have been better to improvise speaking or removing sentences from the slide rather than reading straight from the slide.

Juryup is fixing how angular  limits the flexibility of teams. Additionally it is addressing the negative users experiences of slow internet connection, lengthy load times and the issues that come with downloading. The preview given of the user interface is very professional and thorough, cover all the import aspects a user would need to know for easy navigation.

What can we play is a web application that allows people to collaborate and enjoy multiplayer games with a large community of gamers. It provides recommendations of games and provides real time updates to allow user friendly experiences for players. The introduction to the presentation is very engaging and interesting for audiences. Overall the project was very well done and is a great example for a thorough, concise, and informative presentation.

 

This week was kind of a handful, but I think I am coping well. There is definitely a lot of new information so hopefully I will be able to remember it all. I am excited to move on to next week to see what our professors have in store for us!