After finishing and following along the ML project in the Python video, I decided to check out 3D printing because I haven't done a 3D printing project since my senior year of high school. I went through the Tinkercad tutorials and I realized that it was very similar to the software I used to use (Autodesk Inventor). I learned the basics such as creating basic shapes on the workplane and extruding them out.
I work on my personal website and I decided that I had to brush up on Python syntax since it has been awhile since I coded with Python. I have technical interviews coming up so I decided this would be the best course of action. I took some notes this time around. Additionally, I am interested in machine learning and AI and I saw some beginner projects on YouTube so I decided to learn more about Python. I also started on a Discord bot project so I have to review some Javascript as well.
I decided to look towards various robotics projects that I can do since I have experience with them (Arduino and Raspberry Pi) in high school. I had a lot of fun working on these projects so I decided to look into any new ones that I can potentially work on just for fun but to also gain experience and put it on my resume. My personal website is coming along and I need to put images in the proper tags to make it look more put together. I am also looking through other people's code and websites to look for new ideas to spice up my website.
Today, I worked on my website a bit more by taking out of sections that I thought was unnecessary. I looked through lot of personal websites and decided that a contact section was not necessary. As for the portfolio section, I decided that I was going to try to find a way to display my projects through a slide through menu (almost like a PowerPoint). Additionally, I also looked into being a data analyst. The main thing I learned today was the difference between a data scientist and data analyst and their roles since I was previously under the impression that they had the same tasks.
Because the template I used for my personal website involves bootstrap, I decided to look more into it. I also decided to check out different programming languages for backend programming once again and I have decided to stick with Javascript. Additionally, I decided to dive more into the investing unit since I heard from many people that it is currently a great time to invest (during a recession). I recently put some of my earnings into bonds since the interest rate is sitting quite high at over 9 percent so I decided to check out other investment opportunities, such as commodities.
I decided to look into creating niche websites as I am still slowly working on my personal website. Niche websites extend from the web development unit but also considers monetization off of a website that you can personally create for yourself and not sell as a service to someone else. I thought that was great because there are so many topics that can work as a website so I decided to look further into it. One new thing I learned about is featured snippets, which can definitely be used to draw further attention to websites from Google results.
Today I decided to review part of the Git tutorial since I was having some trouble configuring Git (between my school and personal account). I managed to get it in check and I decided to start working on my personal website (hosted by Github, submitted the link). It is still a work in progress, especially since I only pushed an index.html file to the repository and no CSS file so it does not look great. I decided to grab a template from online since most of the structure is already done for you and I would just like to edit it for my own needs which I will be doing throughout the next week.
Today, I got a more in depth tutorial of how Adobe Premiere Pro works. Besides the standard video editing basics such as adding and splicing videos, I also learned that you are able to create presets. There are also many keyboard shortcuts for the software which makes navigation through the software much easier and faster than going through tabs.
Today I reviewed various video editing environments. Although a lot of them are similar, the ones that appealed to me most were Adobe Premiere Pro (being the paid option) and Shotcut (being the free option). Adobe Premiere Pro is already used by many professional video editors so there are many resources on it which will make the learning curve a bit easier. As for Shotcut, I like the fact that it is an open source editing software that people can use for free. Although it doesn't have as many features as Adobe Premiere Pro (such as VR editing), it is still a great free option for many video editors that may just be starting out or doing simple editing.
I decided to start the unit on video editing since I have a friend who made vlogs on YouTube. The lesson compared being a freelance video editor versus someone who works under a corporation, showing each side's benefits and drawbacks. It also introduces various softwares used to edit videos, such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Davinci Resolve. I started reviewing the tutorial on Final Cut Pro and learned how to not only splice videos as well as adding voiceovers (the topics I paid most attention to since I may use it in the future).
I completed the database design course. The last section I went through covered different types of joins to establish relationships or combine columns. Additionally, I started the analyst section today. I learned about the role of a business analyst, including the skillset needed for the field along with certifications to further advance in a business analyst career. A job as a business analyst sounds like a great option to me if software engineering does not work out.
Today, I reviewed the database design course video. It covers various ways to design a database. From designing relationships between databases (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many), parent and child tables, as well as various types of keys in order to uniquely identify a specific row in a database. The different types of keys include surrogate, natural, foreign, null, and many more.
Today, I reviewed the video covering the basics of MySQL. Although the first tutorial with NCLabs covered a lot of content, I learned how to make columns and add to them as well as use different functions such as union to combine columns. I also learned about the differences between mySQL and MongoDB, with the main difference mySQL is used for structured data while MongoDB was used for unstructured data).
Today, I reviewed cross platform app development using different programming languages and software. I went through a tutorial on React Natives, which was a bit similar to the web development unit. Other software includes Flutter (which is created by Google) which is very easy and simple for beginners to pick up as well as BuildFire with its drag and drop features, allowing for those with little coding experience to build an application.
Today, I decided to learn more about app development but on Android. Because the common languages for Android app development are Java and Kotlin. Kotlin also does not seen too difficult to learn as concepts and syntax remain similar across most programming languages. Additionally, I watched the videos on how to start a career in web development. I am glad to have gained these skills but I am unsure if I want to go into the field. I much rather prefer software development. Lastly, I worked towards finishing the database section and reviewed MongoDB. I have to admit that I certainly like SQL more since it is used for structured data, making it much easier and less time consuming.
Today, I finished the video lesson on PHP while I followed along. The rest of the lesson covered conditionals and loops as well as more complex concepts such as classes. I also went through the NCLab SQL Course and learned SQL. The lesson started very simple but still only covered a small amount of topics. Moving forward, I think I will continue to review databases and go through the lessons again just to grasp a better understanding of them.
I am currently going through the video tutorial on coding in PHP. I have never heard of PHP before this unit so I was curious about the language. The syntax is familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. For example, in order to print something in PHP, you would use the echo function rather than the print function in most other languages. Most other concepts are similar (as expected of programming languages), such as arrays and variables.
I am halfway through the full Python lesson and it has taught me a lot about Python. Although I do code in Python, I never got to learn it properly as I simply just looked up syntax in order to figure out how to code, which got me quite far. However, the lessons broke down a lot of simple things for me and also showed me a lot of methods that I did not know existed especially with strings, lists, and dictionaries. One thing I learned that I found interesting was the emoji converter cause I have never even seen emojis used in code at all.
Today, I went over the Node.js tutorial as well as a Javascript tutorial. It wasn't hard for me to grasp the basics of Javascript since I already had prior coding experience. A lot of the syntax was similar to Java as well (which makes a lot of sense). While following along the tutorial for Node.js, I originally had some issues with installation but I managed to fix the issue. I can see how Node is especially useful since it can run Javascript without a web browser which can be useful especially if there is no connection. Additionally, I also watched the WordPress tutorial which I will definitely use in the future for websites as it appears to be much simpler than coding one from scratch.
Today, I focused on the web development unit again. I learned about version control of code using Git/Github (which I already some prior knowledge of) and SVN (which I have never heard of). SVN seems a bit more complicated to use. Additionally, I followed along more videos regarding web development and managed to construct a website with multiple pages along with a decent layout. I also looked into the beginnings of Javascript since it is the most popular programming language and many major companies use Javascript for front end development.
Today I covered mobile application development (mainly IOS). I went through lessons on how to use SwiftUI to develop user interfaces compatible with IOS. Then, I transitioned to web development on how to host websites, putting it online, and ensuring the proper security measures for websites. The videos provided a lot of information and showed me other alternatives other than to use Amazon Web Services (AWS). I also reviewed the modules and videos relating to web design since I want to build my own personal website to set up as a portfolio.
I decided to dive deeper into online trading since it can allow me to make money passively. I'll admit that I did not have much knowledge about online trading and the vast amount of investments that can be made beyond stocks and cryptocurrency. Today, I learned a lot about the forex (foreign exchange) market in which foreign currencies are exchanged. I have heard of the term previously but I never knew what it meant and the process behind it. Now that I am more knowledgeable about forex, I do not think it is something that I would want to invest a lot of time into (along with any sort of day trading). As for now, I think I would just like to invest in stable stocks (like the S&P 500) and let my money grow instead of micromanaging prices constantly.
I finished the required introductory courses and I have decided to shift my attention towards web development and artificial intelligence. Although I am a computer science major, I do not have any experience with developing a website so I had to start from the very beginning with basic HTML and CSS syntax. The videos that were provided were extremely helpful and I felt like I learned quite a lot within a few hours. I also tried to follow along to the videos through Visual Studio Code which helped to propel my learning. It was not difficult to learn as many of the tags and properties were self-explanatory in its name. I am not exactly sure what kind of website I would like to build but I think my first one should be a personal website for professional recruiters.
This unit mainly relates to self-improvement, from economical (finances) to health. Proper management of finances is especially important as money is needed for almost every necessity and desire in life. Learning to save and be conscious of money is essential, especially as we reach retirement age. Learning how to manage your time wisely is also important, as time is a very important resource. Proper time management can be used to not only save time on tasks but to also increase productivity by working more efficiently. There are many applications that have been created to aid in time management. Most importantly, living a healthy lifestyle can also be fulfilling. Beyond exercising, it is also imperative for individuals to maintain a healthy mind, which can range from getting enough sleep to helping others in need. Fortunately, I have been attempting to improve my personal wellness but sometimes I can go astray. This unit served as a reminder to put myself and my future first.
There was a lot more additional information which I found especially helpful, including how to maintain a productive remote environment (ranging from using the Pomodoro technique, using Slack, and the use of group emails which I was unaware existed). There was also information regarding different types of scams and what to look out for which some I thought were a bit common sense (especially those that seem too good to be true) but there were also others that I have not considered (such as the merchandise but pay for shipping only).
Techie Youth's first course "Intro to Learning Money Online" covers basic information on the variety of ways to make money online, starting from the very first steps in securing a checking account to career preparation to find virtual and online jobs. There are tips to maintaining a business and overlooking employees, such as looking for efficiency rather than heroic effort. The information regarding cryptocurrency was especially interesting since I did not know much about cryptocurrency in the first place. There was also information on how to deal with online payments (such as Paypal, Square, vs. merchant accounts) that I was unaware about for paying for online services and goods. The idea of a public image is also heavily emphasized, as there is evidence that a poor public image can affect your chances of being hired.