My CS Online Journey

Part One: Educational Goals My main educational goal is to graduate by May 2026 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science , maintaining a GPA of at least 3.7 . I want to become skilled in both theory and hands-on work, especially in areas like algorithms, systems, software engineering, and web development. Along the way, I plan to complete two internships that will help me gain real-world experience, ideally in cloud infrastructure or back-end development. One milestone I am working toward is scoring  90 percentage or higher on the ETS Major Field Test in Computer Science . After reviewing the exam topics, I know I need to improve in networking, operating systems, and automata theory, but I look forward to using this as a challenge to push myself. This goal matters to me because I want to finish the program feeling confident in my abilities and proud of the work I’ve done. Writing everything down has helped me see the steps more clearly, and it’s already made a difference ...

Part 1: Rethinking How I Manage My Time This week I focused on time management, specifically the strategies outlined on AcademicTips.org. Since procrastination has been something I’ve struggled with, I decided to go through the full personal time survey. Honestly, it was a bit of a wake-up call. Once I added up how much time I spend on sleep, commuting, meals, classes, exercise, and other daily routines, I realized I do have time left for studying. But I haven’t been using that time in a meaningful or structured way. A lot of it gets lost in distractions or doing “just one more thing” before I start homework. This made it clear that it’s not really a lack of time. It’s a lack of intentional use of time. The Study Hour Formula also shifted my perspective. I used to assume every class required the same amount of study time, but that’s not realistic. Now I’m thinking about my classes in terms of difficulty. Courses like Data Structures and Systems Programming clearly require more hours ...

Part 1: Reflection on Effective Study Skills After reading Dr. Bob Kizlik’s article on study skills, I was able to identify three study habits that are currently strengths for me: Note-taking : I usually take well-organized notes during lectures and readings. I use a mix of handwritten outlines and digital tools, which helps me better retain information. Goal-setting : I tend to set clear short-term and long-term academic goals. Having those in place keeps me on track and gives me a sense of direction throughout the semester. Using a schedule : I regularly use a planner and tools like Google Calendar to map out my week, allocate time for assignments, and balance personal responsibilities. At the same time, there are a few areas where I need improvement: Procrastination : I sometimes wait too long to start assignments, especially larger projects. This usually results in unnecessary stress closer to the due date. Reviewing regularly : I don’t always review course material ...

Week 1 of CST300 is done! It feels great to finally start the CS Online program. This week was mostly about getting settled, meeting my team, exploring the course structure, and learning about APA formatting and plagiarism. This week, I spent time getting familiar with the structure of the class and meeting my team. Our group started introducing ourselves and sharing ideas for the first assignment which is the  Team Name and Collective Resume.  It’s a bit of an adjustment figuring out how to collaborate remotely, but I have a strong team which will make a big difference. Other than that this week’s focus was mostly on foundational skills. Understanding plagiarism, getting comfortable with APA formatting, and reviewing CSUMB’s history and the CS Online program. I appreciated the OLI modules because they were interactive and gave real-life scenarios that helped reinforce what we learned. I’ve already started brainstorming for the industry analysis assignment. Outside of sch...