About Me and My Interest in Computer Science

Hi Everyone! 👋

My name is James, I am a Computer Science major at Florida State University. I am originally from the US (Midwest). I am currently in my Senior year and will be graduating in the upcoming semesters. My interests are mainly on Software Engineering Processes, Mobile Development, and AI through Machine Learning.

I created this post as a way to show what I have learned in the past, what my goals are here at Dev, and what I want to achieve as a career.

My Journey In Computer Science:

I got introduced to Computer Science in the early 2000's when I obtained my own computer, this was a bit before I had access to the internet at home (we have gone quite a long way) 😆 My relatives worked in the IT sector, mainly on Database Admin stuff, and had some books on C programming, which was at one point (and still is in many cases) the ideal language to begin learning Computer Programming.

One of my first computers was a Compaq Presario with about 40 GB of Space, and 660 Mhz of processing speed, not much now, but typical for that time. With that computer I also learned Ubuntu Linux. Good times! 😄

I took courses on Web Design using HTML5, and CSS during my high-school years and then went on to take an actual course in C Programming during my junior college years. After getting my Associates I ultimately transferred over to Florida State University, where I am currently now. During the 3rd year of my degree, I completed coursework on Discrete Math, Computer Architecture, Engineering Statistics with R, Unix Administration, and Mobile Programming, and in my senior year with advanced topics such as Operating Systems, Analysis of Algorithms, Rule-Based AI and so on!

Last Fall, I helped complete a semester-long project in designing a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to detect nearby cars for Cyclists on the road. My team used a go-pro camera, and a Raspberry Pi for portability. I helped design the code and train the neural network via PyTorch using Python 3, and OpenCV to aid in the image processing. While the project may not have been very complex, it did show the potential for AI in many uses. As I write more articles, I will elaborate more on this interesting project!

What Am I learning At The Moment through Dev, and as Coursework:

I am currently learning Node.js and Software Engineering concepts around Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) using RESTful web services. After learning and applying so much C/C++, my Web Design skills have become a bit rusty. I am also taking on courses in Analysis of Algorithms, Algorithm Design, and Internet Programming using Java.

Main Programming Languages and Topics I am Familiar With:

1. ANSI C/C99:
   • Low-level programming
   • Compiler Construction
   • Operating-Systems Design
2. C++11/C++17:
   • Advanced & Generic Data Structures
   • Object-Oriented Programming and Analysis
   • Competitive Programming
3. Python:
   • Data Science
   • Machine Learning Applications
4. Java:
   • Mobile Development through Android

I will be making a complete series on fundamentals for each one of the topics.

My Goals at Dev:

1. Teach others and share what I have learned in the past several years, and meet new friends
2. Create my own blog
3. Ultimately work in either AI, .NET Development, or Android Development

Other Hobbies:

• Reading: A lot of science-fiction stuff
• Playing Retro Video Games: I still enjoy a lot of 90's video games
• World History

That's me in a nutshell! Stay tuned for more articles!

Thanks for reading and following! 😃