Prior languages that I have had experience in only include Java, C++, and C. Compared to those languages, I like javascript because it doesn’t need to deal with classes unlike Java and C++. Javascript is also nice in that most of the memory management is “automated” unlike C. Javascript is also syntactically similar to some of these languages, which helps a lot with the learning process in the beginning. I think javascript is a good programming language from a software engineering perspective, but every language has its pros and cons. Performance-wise, javascript may not be the best language to choose, but it is highly accessible to anyone as long as they can open up a browser. It is also one of the most used and popular programmings in the world due to its prevalence throughout the internet. If you want to make software that most people will get to use, you will most likely need to know javascript since web-based applications are continually growing in popularity.
WODs are essentially problems that are needed to be done every week and are assigned a maximum time limit needed to complete and solve the problem. Practice WODs are essentially the same, but with the difference that they are not assigned a grade and are not a part of any official evaluation. Having taken my first WOD, I do feel that the difference between a practice WOD and an in-class WOD are rather significant, which has a lot to do with the stress and pressure involved in problem solving on the fly. However, I can see the reasoning behind doing in class WODs and the effectiveness of Athletic Software Engineering so I must not knock it until I try some more of it! Though I do find the practice WODs to be useful and rather enjoyable because it gives me the opportunity to gauge where my level of aptitude is at. Even when I am unable to finish a WOD on my own within the time limit, I still learn a lot from comparing my code to the solution afterwards in order to pick up any careless mistakes or new strategies to problem solving. However, as mentioned, essential difference in pressure was significant as my grade was on the line and my success or failure in solving the problem would have a larger impact on it. The fragility of my grade and the power of the WOD does not mix well, but I hope that it will turn me into a hardened software engineer.
The practice WODs did seem to help to an extent because it let me practice being in a time limited situation and gave me learning experiences, but I do feel I need more time to accomodate the skill to do them in class. In conclusion, at the moment I find the practice WODs enjoyable and see how they can help me improve for the future. In-class WODs are similar, but gives me a greater amount of stress and, at the moment, I am not sure if that will work for me but I will continue trying my best to adapt and improve on my WOD scores.