A Welcomed Change
17 Jan 2024
System.out.println(“Hello World”);
As a junior, I’ve worked on various homework assignments and Java was the first coding language that I learned. I worked with Java for two semesters and by the end of the year, I was starting to get a good understanding of how Java works. But starting the next semester, I had to put Java on the shelf for a bit and work with C and C++ language. During the first half of the semester, we were asked to write a short response on what our opinions of C compared to Java. Honestly, at the time I didn’t really know how to answer this as we covered only the basics of what we already knew is Java, just in a new language. But after coding for more complex assignments, I felt that C and C++ had more of an “explicit” approach in comparison to Java. One example I can remember is how in C, to free up space in the heap you have to make sure to use the free() function. While in Java, that is done without user input. Syntax wise, I’m still in the middle and can see the positives of coding in both Java and C/C++.
console.log(“Hello World”);
Starting this semester, we kicked it off using JavaScript. Even though it has just been a couple of weeks, my initial impression of JavaScript is that…I just like it. To quickly get jumpstarted and understand the basics of how JavaScript works, during the first week we had to work on about 150 tasks learning what we already know how to do but in the JavaScript language. Certain parts of the syntax feel similar to me because of my previous experience with Java. But overall, there are a lot of differences that I need to adjust to (not in a bad way). An example of this is how it isn’t necessary to declare what type of array you want. Instead, you’re able to mix different types of variables, objects, or inner arrays into a single array. To me, this makes coding in JS feel more fluid. But at the same time, I need to remember how something works “under the hood” to avoid/understand problems that appear when working with more complex assignemnts.
let unlockNewSkill = “JavaScript”
As I look forward, I can see myself really liking JavaScript. I want to properly use my experiences from the WODs and Assignments to really understand the new things that I learn this semester and be able to confidently take what I’ve learned and apply to anything that I may come across in the future. Even though I really like JavaScript right now, my feelings might change throughout the semester as I fully understand how it works by working on more complex assignments/projects. Or it might not change and I come to love it even more. But I’m always open to learning new languages as it would help contribute to my goal of improving my skills for my future career.