Data Structures redux – linked lists
Today we had a lecture about singly linked lists. The lecture was given by one of the Hackbright graduates who serves as an advisor. The teachers chimed in regularly during the lecture, at one point even telling the lecturer not only to draw a diagram on the whiteboard, but then to draw it bigger … which made me wonder about preparation. I will have to study the concept further on my own.
Let there be – a whiteboard!
I met with one of my mentors at lunch in his office. The opportunity to talk through my project with him was invaluable. After explaining where I was, and my current status, he was really able to help me figure out the next steps. Namely, a database. He helped me to whiteboard my data model.
While it is not a finished product (lots more to add), I was having trouble visualizing it. It is different working on a database from scratch, versus homework or a lab that has been preconceived.
We also talked about my motivation for doing the project itself. I explained that I read this article, seven web development challenges you can’t ignore, and I wanted my project to speak to these issues. In (eventually) seeking employment, it is important to me to have knowledge in the areas that are problems for employers and show that I am aware of these problems and want to tackle them. I wanted his input on the seven items and whether there were any additional areas he could add and whether my ideas about how I was addressing them were okay. Here is my whiteboard, which I also showed him:
He said that I was on the right track (yeah!). Also, that I needed to make sure that I tell potential employers who may view the app that this is one of the big reasons why I chose to build the particular app I am building. Just looking at the app, an employer wouldn’t know why I chose it, and this is really important. I am so thankful to my mentor for sharing his time and talent!
The rest of the day was spent building a logout, and refining the database model.
michdcode 