CS373 Spring 2021: Nathan Jackson

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Houston, Texas and I lived there my whole childhood. I have been living in Austin, Texas the past two and a half years attending The University of Texas at Austin.

What high school did you attend?

I attended Mirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School in Houston, Texas.

What was your favorite extracurricular activity in high school?

My favorite extracurricular activity was theater. I was in the school’s theater troupe, and I loved putting on our Spring musicals. We performed ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ my junior year and ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ my senior year.

Why did you come to UT?

I came to UT because it had an excellent computer science program. The school was also not too far from home (normalcy, for that matter) and well valued for the in-state tuition I pay.

Why are you majoring in CS?

I love solving problems. My grandma could tell you about all the summers I would spend solving puzzles and building Jenga towers with her. I value the ability to write code and see the results nearly instantaneously in a way that I couldn’t in other engineering disciplines. CS is art, and I hold the paintbrush.

Why are you in this class?

I want to be a better developer and gain more familiarity with Python, Javascript, SQL, and Web Development. Furthermore, I am excited to work on the group project and expand my full-stack development skills.

What are your expectations of this class?

I want to gain proficiency in Python, Javascript, and SQL, become familiar with the tool-chain, and work closely with my peers on projects.

How much Javascript/Python/SQL/Web programming do you already know?

I know a good deal of Javascript from my internship this past summer. I have very basic understandings of Python and SQL.

How did you like the two lectures?

I have enjoyed the lectures. Roping individuals in for a couple minutes to lead the Socratic discussions we have is valuable for class accountability. I do wish it were more engaging but I expect that to ramp up as the material gets more engaging.

How did you feel about the cold calling?

I love the cold calling in this class. It keeps me on my toes and ready to answer questions when my opportunity comes.

What made you happy this week?

I got to play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends this weekend and it was enjoyable to talk with them!

What's your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?

I think Docker is an awesome tool that I haven’t used much before. Being able to contribute to a cloud image directly from my local computer is extremely valuable for code accountability. I’m looking forward to exploring the tech more as the semester proceeds!