Week 2. Class: CST 300 - Major Pro Seminar

 Part 1: Review and Reflect Learning Strategy

After reading Learning Strategy, I can say that my top 3 items that I am good at are:

• Creating and Following a Study Schedule: I habitually block out study time in my calendar, which keeps me on track and prevents the possibility of being late.
• Choosing a Distraction-Free Environment: I’ve set up my work desk specifically for studying - it's a quiet and comfortable space where I can focus. Everything I need is within reach and neatly organized, which helps me stay on task and avoid unnecessary distractions.
• Active Reading with SQ3R: Before diving into a chapter, I survey headings, turn them into questions, and then read to answer them. That helps me retain key concepts.

Here are the top 3 items that I need to improve: 

• Tendency to Cram When Tired: I sometimes push into late-night review sessions when I'm already exhausted, which makes studying inefficient and causes stress levels to spike.
• Inconsistent Note Organization: Although I take good notes, I don't always transfer loose sheets into my binder promptly, so I hunt for them later.
• Skipping the "Recite & Review" Steps: I often read and highlight but then move straight on without pausing to recite or do a quick review, so the material doesn't stick as well.

Part 2: Preview Time Management Skills

Part 3: Project Management Basics

The presentations provide an overview of project management, focusing on key tools and principles. The first video defines a project as a temporary, goal-oriented initiative constrained by time, cost, and scope. It is often called the project management triangle. It explains that projects are driven by business needs, market demands, technology, or regulations and emphasizes the role of the project manager, who is accountable for aligning the project with business strategy while managing all stakeholders and constraints. The second video explores the Work Breakdown Structure, a crucial planning tool that decomposes a project into smaller, manageable deliverables. It emphasizes the importance of clear labeling, organizing work hierarchically, and ensuring all tasks are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. The third video explains the Gantt chart, which is a visual timeline tool that maps tasks against time. Tasks are represented as bars, making it easy to track progress and dependencies. It stresses the need for clarity in chart symbols and milestones. 

Part 4: Check Out Previous Capstones

1. The project by OtterSoft, called AutoParsing, is an NLP-based resume parser built with Python that extracts key information such as education, work experience, and skills to assist recruiters in quickly identifying qualified candidates. The team used Prodigy for manual annotation, spaCy for model training, and Flask for the web interface. The presentation was clear and well-structured, with each member explaining their part in the process. I appreciated the live demo, which showed how resumes were processed and parsed in real time. The project was effective and demonstrated a solid proof of concept. However, it could be improved by tracking formal accuracy metrics and enhancing functionality to recognize cumulative experience across multiple roles. Additionally, there were minor GUI imperfections that could be addressed to improve user experience. For example, displaying a loading message or a progress bar while the resume is being processed would help manage user expectations. It would also make sense to redirect users to a summary page or display a clear message once processing is complete. These adjustments would contribute to a smoother and more intuitive interface. Despite these areas for growth, the tool shows strong potential for real-world use in recruiting and HR settings.
2. The Dcomp project is an organizational management tool developed by dKomplex. It helps visualize employee structure using stratum levels based on Requisite Organization theory. Built with React, WebSockets, and integrated with Microsoft Graph API and Dataverse, the tool enables real-time collaboration and secure access through Microsoft credentials. The presentation was well-organized and showcased advanced features such as dynamic scaling, profile syncing, and editable employee data. I was particularly impressed by the multiplayer functionality and the visual clarity of the hierarchical structure. It’s evident that the team invested significant thought into both the design and functionality. However, the tool currently operates exclusively within the Microsoft ecosystem, which could potentially limit broader adoption. It might be beneficial to support non-Microsoft users in the future, although I understand this could be challenging given the app’s deep reliance on Microsoft services. Additional improvements, such as expanded user role types and further UI refinements, could enhance versatility and user experience.
3. Nathan Simpson's capstone project, Out of Mana, is a 2D roguelike game developed using the Godot 4 engine. Inspired by games like Vampire Survivors, the game blends auto-battler mechanics with customizable weapon upgrades. I liked how Nathan designed it to suit casual and strategic players by allowing varying levels of interaction. His use of reusable components and iterative feedback through focus groups showed thoughtful planning and adaptability. The presentation clearly explained development choices, challenges, and progress. One of the most impressive aspects was the implementation of saving progress using encoded JSON in the browser version. Although time constraints limited the full scope, the project demonstrated strong potential and technical skills. It could evolve into a fully released independent game with more content and polish.

Part 5: Summarize Your Week on Your Learning Journal

This week felt much more intense than the first. Although most assignments were relatively easy, two - particularly the Learning Journal and the Industry Analysis Draft with Peer Review—were highly time-consuming. The Learning Journal included nearly three hours of video content, and completing the journal took me over six hours. The Industry Analysis Draft and Peer Review was even more demanding. Between research, drafting, and reviewing peer work, I spent over 20 hours on it - not even counting the time spent reading background materials. It felt like an excessive workload, though I imagine some students might move through it more quickly than I did.

Despite the heavy time commitment, I did learn some valuable things this week. I picked up a few helpful study strategies and began to understand APA style formatting better. Still, I think I'll need more time and practice before I'm confident using APA consistently. On the brighter side, I've continued to stay organized using my "CS Online Assignments" spreadsheet, which helped me keep track of deadlines and progress again this week. I'm glad I started that early. Overall, this week was challenging but productive. I hope future weeks will be a bit more manageable.