#computer science quiz for class 5

[danpuff-ao3]

Hi Dan! Can I ask for some fluffy, non-explicit Snarry recs, if you happen to know some? I am going through a heartbreak atm and I could use the warm fuzzies from some cute enemies to lovers 😥 Love your writing btw, you're a blessing to this world ❤️❤️

Hello my dear! I'm so sorry to hear of your sweet heart so broken! I will do my best to rec you some goodies!

I must warn you, I often tell people my angst-meter is broken and for similar reasons I think my fluff-meter is broken. 😂 But I will share with you some lighthearted reads I turn to when I most need them, and hope they bring you as much comfort as they bring me. 💛

First and foremost I'll start with some sneaky, shameless self-recs. I find family fics often have feel-good vibes, so I have rec lists for Snarry Raises Teddy and Family Fics you can check out. I also have some fluffy (for me!) fics of my own: Domestic Bliss (Snarry Style) series, The Gift of Love, and The Christmas Prince.

And with that...let's carry on with the proper recs, shall we? I do hope at least some of these fit your needs! (And lmk if you want the M & E rated version at some point!)

Sending you all of my love and hugs!!!! 🤗💛

Just Desserts

by accioslash. Rated G. 5k. AU.

Non-magic Coffee shop AU

The Beauty of Childbirth

by AnyaElizabeth. Rated G. 700. Mpreg.

The birth of Harry and Severus's first child. In which Severus remains cynical to the end.

a scratch for every itch

by bleedcolor. Rated T. 11k. Magical maladies.

Severus Snape is an itch that Harry just can't scratch.

Over Tea

by Dementordelta. Rated G. 5k. Severus & Minerva friendship.

Snape and McGonagall form a friendship based on tea, teaching, and Harry Potter. Inspired by a drabble called "Evening Tea", by Serenity, used with permission.

Lemons and Strawberries

by emeraldlove (@givereadersahug.) Rated T. 800.

Severus bakes a cake for Harry's forty-second birthday.

Lilac

by emeraldlove. Rated G. 1k. Humor.

"You're cursed," declared Hermione. She dropped several books onto the table, scattering the flowers lying about, and took a seat. There were petals on the table and on the floor — especially on, above, under, and surrounding Harry.

The Perfect Love Story

by emynn. Rated G. Mpreg.

They didn't have the traditional love story, but it worked for them.

Marks

by florahart. Rated G. 5k. Muggle AU. Podfic available.

Harry's a computer science student, but he needs a writing credit to qualify for an internship. All the writing classes are full, so he ends up in Snape's lit class as a substitute. Snape has a reputation as a hardass, but it can be said that no one passes his class without learning to write, so that meets the requirement, and then, once Harry starts working on that, it turns out they have something else in common.

Glitter

by khaleesisophie (@hereiamwithmyninjaclan.) Rated T. 6k. Gift giving.

Was it a tiny decision, made so many years ago? If he retraced his steps, would he always find his way back here?

Five times Severus almost kissed Harry (and the one time he did)

by Likelightinglass (@likelightinglass.) Rated G. 4k. 8th year. Pining. 5+1.

Severus wants to kiss Harry but doesn't. Eventually, he does.

So Quite a New Thing

by Likelightinglass. Rated G. 2k. 5+1.

Five times Harry gets thrown out of Severus' shop, and the one time he comes back.

Five Times Severus Saved Harry and the One Time He Didn't Have To

by Lunarlooroo. Rated G. 8k. 5+1. Postwar.

The world knows Harry has a saving people thing, but only Harry knows that Severus has always had a saving Harry thing. (Even if there are some things that Harry doesn't need saving from.)

(Not quite) For Your Eyes Only

by PinaNaponi (@vulnerasanenturmyprince). Rated T. 2k. 5+1. Alternating POVs.

Five times Harry and Severus don’t realise someone is watching, and one time they do.

Ronald Weasley, Stay at Home Dad

by PinaNaponi. Rated T. 6k. Matchmaking. Ron POV.

Prompt #62: Harry is the only one of them without a spouse. In Witch Weekly, Ron finds a ‘Find Your Ideal Partner’ quiz and fills it in on Harry’s behalf. The likely candidate – in fact, the ideal candidate – turns out to be someone just like Snape. He decides that it is up to him to bring the two together.

The Art of Coffee

by Snarry5evr. Rated T. 10. Muggle AU.

Taking over the overnight shift at the campus coffee shop, Harry meets an interesting stranger.

Birthdays Present

by Somn (@somnwritessometimes.) Rated T. 4k (so far.) Series.

various birthday fics for Harry and Severus

The Prince's Bride

by suitesamba (@suitesamba.) Rated T. 5k. Humor.

Hugo Weasley is sick and can’t go with his family to Diagon Alley to get Rose’s wand. Fortunately, Grandpa Arthur agrees to come and stay with him, and has a special book to read aloud. The book is The Princess Bride, and even though it’s not about Uncle Harry and Uncle Severus at all, Hugo would be a fool if he didn’t see the oh-so-obvious parallels. Fortunately, in the end, Uncle Harry arrives just in time to set the record straight and tell the real story.

[umichenginabroad]

Madrid Week 2: Taking Time

Hola a todxs! Niko here again, back for week 2 of studying abroad in Madrid. This week felt nearly as long as my first one in the city. Class started on Monday. Thankfully, schoolwork has been pretty light thus far, so I’ve had the spare energy and time to focus on adjusting to the new schedule, commute, and teaching/class style at UC3M, all while attempting to make new friends with Spanish, American, and International students from across Europe (and Oceania!). Also, I took a weekend trip to Granada in the southern region of Andalucía — more on that later.

SCHOOL STUFF (ACADEMICS?!)

With the first week now under my belt, I wanted to quickly touch on my academic experience so far in Spain. This semester, I’m taking a Spanish language class for international students, and three classes in English for a both national and international students: “Social groups and their cultural imaginaries” (a mix between philosophy and culture, INTERHUM 300 equivalent), “Materials Science and Engineering” (MATSCI 220 Equivalent), and “Databases and Structures” (EECS 400 Level Equivalent). Given that I pass 🙏, all of these classes should count towards my degrees (aerospace engineering major, international minor for engineers, computer science minor).

School at UC3M is quite different than it is in the states. Most notably, the grading system is unfamiliar. At Michigan, a big emphasis is put on required assignments that are due throughout the semester — homeworks, problem sets, mini projects, etc.. These required assignments force students to continuously engage with the content, which I feel improves focus and learning (if the assignments are completed with the right intention). At Carlos III, the final exam constitutes 60% of the final grade for the vast majority of classes, with the remaining 40% of “continuous assessment” depending on things like in-class quizzes and one-off assignments.

With no homework to keep me on track, I’m gonna have to pay close attention to make sure my classes don’t fall to the wayside with all of the 1,000,000 other distractions in Madrid (and Europe) vying for my attention. I’ve already decided to switch one class (Neural Networks) because I thought it would require a level of effort that I simply wasn’t prepared to put in while I’m abroad with bigger priorities than school (namely, exploration, self growth, meeting people, etc.).

This is a shift in itself that I’m going to have to get used to — for my entire life, performing well in school has been at the top of my list. However, while in Spain, all I need to do is pass (get a 5/10, 50% overall) for my credits to transfer with no effect on my GPA, so that’s what I’m shooting for now. I’m certain that this will cause some internal conflict (e.g.: a 60% on [x] quiz?! Oh no!!! tbh math 216 already got me over those bad grades tho lol) when things start to pick up, but I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. 

ON RELATIONSHIPS

Going into my study abroad experience, my biggest goal was to understand the culture of Madrid & Spain from a local point of view. I knew from studying in Buenos Aires that living in a different city can be a much more enriching experience than touring it for vacation, so long as I put in the effort. A big part of that goal was to make friends with people local to Madrid, along with other Americans*/ International students who shared that same mindset. I think that in explicitly setting this goal, I inadvertently put a lot of pressure on myself to make all these friends really quickly, in an environment and language I’m unfamiliar with, all while trying to adjust to and internalize a major lifestyle shift.

As a result, I think that — up until this week — this self-imposed pressure gave me unnecessary anxiety that inhibited me from being my true self. I spent time worrying about whether the Spanish students in my class would like me, if my Spanish was good enough to communicate with them, if they would judge me for being an American, how soon I should message the new person I met in the cafeteria so I wouldn’t appear too clingy… the list goes on. I was stressing and strategizing to make friends, when the best strategy is always to just be myself.

This is a lesson I’ve learned during my transition to Michigan, but being implanted into a new environment and University gave me a bit of a factory reset. I had to remind myself that I’ve only been here for 2.5 weeks. Directing my attention inwards instead of outwards will enable me to be fully present (and able to overcome the initial discomfort of making new relationships [see week 1 for discussion on discomfort]) when people that I can click with inevitably come along. Through this process, I’ll undoubtedly develop a stronger relationship with myself and increased comfort being alone, which is another personal goal of mine.

Funnily enough, that’s how things started to turn out in the second half of the first week. When I caught myself overthinking and was able to redirect my focus, I slowly started to reach out and become more friendly with some of the Spanish students in my culture class, and I met a group of Spaniards by chance that I really vibe with at the club on a Wednesday (oops, sorry it’s syllabus week :P ). Simultaneously, I’ve begun to get closer to some fellow American study abroad students. By no means have I found the perfect group of friend-soulmates that I’ll proceed to travel and experience Europe with for the rest of my 17 weeks in Spain, but that wasn’t something that I was ever expecting, anyways. Moving forward, I’m going to do my best to avoid resisting flow, always assuming positive intent to keep myself open to new interactions (check out what I mean by this by watching this video clip from a speech Mark Rober gave at the MIT graduation, I highly recommend the whole video), all the while prioritizing my own peace and happiness.

This weekend, I also visited Granada, a small town in the south of Spain famous for its Moorish influence and the incredible La Alhambra palace nestled in its hills. I might cover the trip in more detail next week, I guess we’ll see… but it was a beautiful weekend filled with beautiful architecture, beautiful sunsets, and great company. Per usual, check out the photo captions for some more context.

Until next week :) 

Niko Economos

Aerospace Engineering

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Madrid, Spain

*A LONG ASIDE ON THE WORD “AMERICAN”, for context & completeness

I would like to be clear about my use of the word "American". In English, there is no succinct way to say “Person from the United States of America”, unlike other nationalities (Spaniard, Argentinian, Norwegian, etc). American is the best word that we have. However, in conversations about US culture with people from other countries, I’ve been met with a similar critique in multiple instances (both with Europeans and South Americans). The Americas include the entire continent of North America and South America, which encompasses a huge variety of countries, cultures, and nationalities. When saying the word “American” while describing a person from the United States, we are inadvertently reinforcing the narrative that the United States is the most significant country across both continents and thus more righteously deserves the blanket term “American” over any other country in the region.

This conclusion is obviously more nuanced than what I’ve stated. The United States of America uses the word “America” in its name, which is likely where this blanket term came from. Also, I don’t think that the perpetuation of this US-centric language is due to intentional individual action, but rather a result of complicated cultural and etymological phenomena which I don’t have a comprehensive understanding of.

I won’t stop saying American in these blogs — primarily because saying “person from the United States” each time would likely distract from the points I'm trying to make — but I felt that an acknowledgement of this common criticism was important. In Spanish, Estados Unidos = United States, and US citizens are more precisely described as “Estadounidenses” (although the word “Americano” is still commonly used). When introducing myself to people from other countries, I always do my best to use the most precise language possible when referring to my nationality, which is one of the many ways I practice cultural humility. Stay tuned for another blog sometime this semester about how I go about practicing cultural humility, something that I think is very important for Americans who come from one of the most — if not the most — influential countries on earth (something that has also become apparent through my conversations).

[english-proficiency-learning]

Duolingo English Test: Interactive Practice Quiz with Answers

Introduction

Are you preparing for the Duolingo English Test and looking for an effective way to practice? Look no further! This interactive practice quiz is designed to help you get familiar with the test format, improve your skills, and boost your confidence. With instant feedback and detailed answers, you’ll be well on your way to acing the Duolingo English Test.

Why Take the Duolingo English Test?

The Duolingo English Test is a popular choice for students and professionals worldwide due to its convenience and affordability. It's accepted by numerous universities and institutions, offering a flexible alternative to traditional English proficiency exams like IELTS and TOEFL. The test assesses your abilities in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, providing a comprehensive evaluation of your English skills.

Benefits of Interactive Practice Quizzes

Realistic Test Experience: Interactive quizzes simulate the actual test environment, helping you get comfortable with the format and timing.

Immediate Feedback: Instant answers and explanations help you understand your mistakes and learn from them.

Targeted Practice: Focus on specific areas where you need improvement, ensuring efficient and effective preparation.

Engaging Learning: Interactive elements make studying more enjoyable and motivating.

Duolingo English Test: Interactive Practice Quiz

Ready to test your skills? Try the practice quiz below! Each question is designed to reflect the types of tasks you'll encounter on the Duolingo English Test.

Question 1: Vocabulary

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: "The scientist was awarded a prize for her _____ discovery."

A) Innovation

B) Misunderstanding

C) Criticism

D) Confusion

Answer: A) Innovation

Explanation: "Innovation" fits the context of a positive discovery deserving of a prize.

Question 2: Grammar

Identify the incorrect part of the sentence: "She enjoy to read books, especially during the weekends."

A) enjoy

B) to read

C) especially

D) during the weekends

Answer: A) enjoy

Explanation: The correct form is "enjoys" to match the third-person singular subject "She."

Question 3: Reading Comprehension

Read the passage and answer the question: "Jane Austen’s novels often explore the themes of love and social class. Her characters frequently face challenges related to societal expectations."

What themes are commonly found in Jane Austen’s novels?

A) Adventure and mystery

B) Love and social class

C) Science and technology

D) War and peace

Answer: B) Love and social class

Explanation: The passage states that Jane Austen’s novels explore the themes of love and social class.

Question 4: Listening

[Insert audio clip here]

What is the main idea of the audio clip?

A) The benefits of exercise

B) How to cook pasta

C) The history of computers

D) Traveling tips

Answer: A) The benefits of exercise

Explanation: The audio clip discusses various benefits associated with regular exercise.

Question 5: Writing

Write a short paragraph (50-100 words) on the following topic: "Describe your favorite hobby and why you enjoy it."

Sample Answer: My favorite hobby is painting. I enjoy it because it allows me to express my creativity and relax after a long day. The vibrant colors and the act of creating something beautiful bring me immense joy and satisfaction.

How to Use the Practice Quiz Effectively

Set Aside Time: Dedicate specific time slots for practicing with the quiz to ensure consistent progress.

Review Answers: Carefully review the explanations for each question to understand your mistakes.

Focus on Weak Areas: Identify the sections where you struggle the most and spend extra time practicing those skills.

Repeat Regularly: Regular practice will help reinforce your learning and improve your test performance.

Conclusion

Preparing for the Duolingo English Test can be a rewarding experience with the right tools and strategies. This interactive practice quiz offers a fun and effective way to enhance your skills and build confidence. Remember, consistent practice and reviewing your mistakes are key to success. Good luck with your test preparation!

[itsrenzzy]

Quiz 1

8 Facet of ICT

1. Cloud computing

Through the use of microsoft word. I make a hand outs for the students to have for their reviews and readings.

2. Software

In making my PowerPoint presentation I used the canva as it provides graphic designs that makes the presentation creative.

3. Internet browsers

To make my presentation and discussion scholarly I used google chrome to search websites and links that can be a good references for my topic.

4. Hardware

(Storage Devices)

After class or discussions. The instructional materials used such as the powerpoint presentations, videos, documents, photos, and online activities is stored in a hard drive for future use.

5. Transactions

The rewards given to the students during the discussion is bought in lazada and tiktok shop.

6. Communications Technology

The performance task in the lesson is to make a blog or podcasts on how science is applied in our everyday lives.

7. Digital Data

In the presentation I also include photos and videos that serves as a binary data for students to better understand the lesson.

8. Internet Access

Aside from using the books I searched for some information that will be included in my learning content for the days discussion.

[ollieinoue]

{ CONAN GRAY, 20, CIS MALE, HE/HIM } Is that OLIVER “OLLIE” INOUE? A JUNIOR originally from MANHATTAN, NY, they decided to come to Ogden College to study BUSINESS & COMPUTER SCIENCE on a ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP. They’re THE ERUDITE STONER on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance.

pinterest  x  playlist [tag]  x  wanted connections [ part 1 ] [ part 2 ]  

BASIC INFORMATION.

Full name:  Oliver Inoue Nickname:  Ollie, Olls  Birthdate:  January 25 Age:  19 (Turning 20 in January) Zodiac:  Aquarius Sun, Libra Moon, Capricorn Rising  Gender:  Cis Male Pronouns:  He/Him Sexual/Romantic Orientation:  Bisexual/Homoromantic (homoflexible) Ethnicity:  Japanese & White   Trope: The Erudite Stoner

BACKGROUND.

Hometown:  Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC Social Class:  Lower/Working Class Father:  Ren Inoue Mother:  Faye Inoue (nee Bright) Arrests:  None (yet) Prison time:  None (yet)

EDUCATION & OCCUPATION.

IQ Score: 169 (in the top .03 percent of the world’s population) Current Year: Junior at Ogden College Major: Computer Science & Business Extracurriculars:  Robotics Club, Hacking Club, Quiz Bowl Dream occupation: Self Employed Software Developer Past job(s):  He’s has a few internships Spending habits:  Not frugal but doesn’t over spend either In debt?: No

Skills:  He’s able to hack into the school systems pretty easily— not that he’d ever need to, of course.  /  Ollie has scary good handwriting, like instagram aesthetic level of handwriting, which always really surprises people.  /  He has a mind for completely useless fun facts, ask him about anything he’ll tell you something interesting about it. Shortcomings:  Artistic things like music, and art. He loves that kind of thing but he’s not good at it.  /  Speaking about and addressing his feelings and emotions. And truly opening up to people.  /  He’s a bit cocky... But it doesn’t come from no where! Languages spoken:  HIs parents have been speaking English and Japanese to him since he was a baby so he is fluent in both of those, but he’s only just now learning how to write Japanese. He also knows Spanish pretty fluently.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS.

Eye colour:  Brown Hair colour:  Dark Brown Hair type:  Curly Height:  5′8 Build:  Lithe Exercise habits:  He hates it but he tries to get exercise at least 3 times a week. Piercings:  His ear, and he has a septum piercing he rarely wears Marks/scars:  He has some scars from childhood mishaps and such Clothing style:   Extra Slutty Eboy. We have deep V sweaters with nothing underneath, we have half buttoned shirts. We have crop tops, and mesh shirts. A lot of oversized t-shirts with ripped and faded jeans. Most of his clothes are thrifted as well because he likes it better. Usually it’s higher quality, and cheaper. Jewelry:  He wears a lot of chains and necklaces, and stuff like that. Some rings too.

PSYCHOLOGY.

Positive Traits:  Laid Back, Open Minded, Clever, Quick Thinking, Friendly, Independent, Original, Energetic, Confident, Charismatic, Disarming, Cheerful, Inventive, Fair, Analytical, Flexible, Loyal, Dependable, Strong Willed, Witty Negative Traits:  Duplicitous, Mischievous, Aloof, Chaotic, Argumentative, Insensitive, Hides Emotions, Sarcastic, Easily Distracted, Often Bored, Jaded, Contrarian, Impatient, Absent Minded, Unpredictable, Self Centered, Distrustful MBTI type:  ENTP Enneagram type:  9w8 Moral Alignment:  Chaotic Neutral Temperament:  Sanguine Element:  Air Emotional stability:  Not much Introvert or Extrovert?:  Extrovert Drug use:  Yes Alcohol use:  Yes Mental Illnesses:  Addiction, and likely (undiagnosed) Bipolar Disorder & some kind of Anxiety Disorder. Prone to violence?:  No Prone to crying?:  Not too often no, definitely not in front of others Believe in love at first sight?:  No

MANNERISMS.

Accent:  A very slight New York accent Hobbies:  Coding, Hacking, Anything to do with computers, to be honest. Music, really he’s terrible at it, but he loves it. Really esoteric books (usually they are also really queer in some way). Getting Stoned lmao. Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Making others happy.   Habits:  He is very orally fixated (wink) so he likes to chew on things, or he runs his tongue over his teeth a lot when he’s thinking. He’s got some bad drug habits if we’re counting that. Drives/motivations:  Honestly he’s not sure. He constantly going just so he doesn’t stop.  Sense of humour?:  Something between sarcastic and sexual, and really cheesy dad jokes. He also really finds it funny making things as awkward as possible. Do they curse often?:  All the time.

FAVOURITES.

Animal:  Elephant! Beverage: Big Gulp Book:  Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Movie: The Big Lebowski Colour: Really dark blue Food:  Strawberries Scent:  Not to be a stereotype, but weed... Sport:  The only good thing about sports is hot guys getting dirty and sweaty. Weather:  Rainy and cold

ATTITUDES.

Greatest dream:  He just wants to be happy Greatest fear:  Living long enough that his bad decisions catch up with him Most at ease when:  Getting stoned. (also when he’s around Monty) Least at ease when:  Sober, or when talking about his feelings Biggest achievement:  He supposes being in mensa is a pretty big deal, getting into college was a pretty big deal as well. He doesn’t feel terribly strongly about either of those things, except for how they impact his parents to be honest. Biggest regret:  Taking that stupid IQ test lmao

FACTS.

Read about his family here! And where he grew up!

He was voted Home Coming King this year 😌

When I say Ollie is a genius I mean that literally. He has an IQ score of 169 which is higher than people like Stephen Hawking and Einstein. He’s been a member of Mensa since he was a freshman in High School, though he doesn’t really like to talk about it too much. 

He graduated High School early, and started college when he was only 17.

The first time he tried drugs he was 13, and he hasn’t been sober since he was about 14 years old. He’s not looking to get sober either, lest he have to deal with all the trauma and strain he’s put himself through (emotionally, mentally, and physically) because of his drug habits. 

He is extremely good at ... people. He’s just good at getting others to like him. He is so very charismatic and disarming, and tends to be more laid back and easy going. So, he is pretty well liked. But he can be a lot to handle, loves to make things awkward, and comes across as erratic at times so probably not everyone likes him. 

He sells test answers and essays to people, regularly. Some of it he does himself (what he’s able to do), some of it he hacks the answers to and such. He has both regular customers, and some who just need some help, so don’t feel afraid to ask. It can get pretty expensive depending on what you’re looking for though. A man’s gotta make a living.

He also sells drugs, but he sells drugs for Monty. So if you buy from Ollie you’re buying from Monty. Just consider him to be working the register, not running anything. He’ll just give his own drugs away if he likes you though. It’s a love language.

Ollie isn’t completely sure what he wants to do after finishing his undergrad studies. He’s planning on continuing into getting his Masters in Computer Science, but where that happens is still in the air really. He might stay at Ogden he might go to a STEM focused school, he might just burn out and not do that at all. Who knows.

[its-abbyyyyy]

10 Tips for Freshmen Year

1. Be prepared!! (but not too prepared)

I know that you may think you know this already, but on my first day of freshmen year I came to class with a thirty-pound backpack and could barely move by the end of the day. You really only need the bare minimum (notebook, pencil, other stuff on the syllabus), so don't waste your energy carrying around stuff you don't need! Also, take advantage of your locker.

2. Take awesome notes!

If you're in an exciting class, you'll want to absorb as much knowledge as you can. If you're in a boring class, you'll want to have something to do. Either way, notetaking is the way to go. I always bring one notebook to school to save space in my bag, then when I get home, I recopy my notes into different notebooks to make them neater. Another tip- do each chapter or unit with a different colored pen. For example, I did one chapter in orange, another in blue, another in green... This makes it a lot easier to find information you need when you're studying. Even when the teacher doesn't insist on taking notes, they will help.

3. Study. Study. Study.

When I was in middle school, I never really learned how to study effectively. One big tip? Make flashcards on actual paper. Even if you don't use them much, writing and searching for the information will help you remember so much more. Having a parent or family member quiz you is great, but studying with a friend in your class is so much better. They'll know more of the material than a parent, plus you're guaranteed a good time. I've studied for biology a lot this year with a close friend and not only did I get good grades, but I also had some of my best memories of freshman year.

Also: word clues help so much, especially when you're trying to memorize people for history or something. I had a hard time during the evolution unit remembering the names of scientists, so I came up with clues. For example, Thomas Malthus proposed that humans would grow faster than food needed to supply them. Malthus -> Mouth-us -> food.

4. Be yourself and be confident!!

I know, I know. But hear me out. High school is all about finding your people and you aren't going to find them if you spend all your time pretending to be someone else. Not everyone is going to like you, no matter what you do.

I have a really difficult time with the confidence part, but one thing that has helped me is having a morning routine. Before I get out of the car in the morning, I always say to myself, "Carpe diem. Seize the day. Make your life extraordinary." (yes, I'm a movie nerd. how ever did you know?) But whatever works for you!

5. Try new things. You won't regret it.

I tried sooo many different things: I became a part of the band, I joined clubs, I was on the track team... Not all of them worked out for me, but the ones that did, I wouldn't trade them for the world. I'm not the most athletic person, but the track team gave me a whole new community and an extraordinary role model for a coach, and this was all because I stepped out of my comfort zone.

I also tried band this year, and I'll admit that I was skeptical that we would play lame music or everyone would be better than me. I was completely wrong and now the band is like a second family to me. Even if you don't think you'll be good, even if you aren't super excited about it, try it. Maybe you'll hate it, but maybe you'll love it or even just make a few friends along the way.

6. Talk to people!

I know this one's obvious, but I feel like it should be said. Some of my best friends now, I just met them by making small talk in class. Get to know a few people in each of your classes and extracurriculars well, then just tag along with them and you'll eventually be absorbed into their friend group. At the beginning of the year, I was a loner and always read my book during lunch; now I have three different groups to sit with! It's always worth putting yourself out there, trust me.

7. If you like someone, wait a week or two.

Liking someone in high school is a constant struggle between throwing caution to the wind and not embarrassing yourself. My rule of thumb is to wait two weeks. A lot of times, your crush is just based on looks or a first impression, or you're just liking someone for the sake of liking someone. But if you still have feelings after that long, well... you only live once. You might as well have some crazy stories to tell someday.

8. Be polite to your teachers!

No one likes a teacher's pet, but just being polite can go miles. Just wave in the hallways, say "hi" and "bye" at the beginning and end of class, and answer a question every now and then. In my Spanish class this year, a lot of people were standoffish towards our teacher and ended up getting called on more than people raising their hands, so...

It really helps build relationships as well. Getting early to band class on Mondays and talking about music with my teacher allowed me to use the practice room instead of going to a study hall twice a week. I greeted my English teacher at the beginning of every class and asked her about a book I had recently read and I got an amazing final grade in the class. I waved to my computer science teacher in the hallway and ended up being able to watch Netflix when I was done with my work.

That being said, don't take advantage of their generosity!!

9. Always take someone up on the opportunity to do something fun.

I shied away from hanging out with people outside of school at the beginning of the year, but I eventually came out of my shell. Going on long drives, jamming along to music in study hall, or just playing a simple game of football can easily become your favorite part of the year. Don't miss out on it!

10. Make friends with the upperclassmen.

Seriously. This helps you out so much. They can give you so much advice because they were just in your shoes, and they can even help you with homework and help you out with your teachers. If you're doing a sport and you get to know a few juniors and seniors, then you've got a built-in support squad. I was on a team this year and the loudest cheering didn't come from my friends, it came from the upperclassmen. They really aren't scary, more often than not, they take you under your wing and guide you through high school.

Having upperclassmen as friends also comes with a huge advantage. I tried out for the musical this year and didn't get a part, but I got to know a bunch of juniors in the band that happened to be theatre kids. Now, they say that they will spend hours helping me with my audition and even fight to the death to make sure that I get a part. (hopefully they were being dramatic.)

A side note to that- get to know people in your own grade as well. You don't want to have friends that are all juniors and seniors because they will graduate and it'll break your heart.

Bonus tip cause I feel like it- take care of your mental health!!

This is so important. If something about school is affecting your mental health drastically, talk to a parent or a friend or a teacher or the school counselor. I reached out several times this year and it was terrifying but it helped me so much.

Your mental health should come before your schoolwork. Always.

If you need a break, take a break. Drink water. Have a snack. Listen to music. Sleep. Go on a walk. FaceTime a friend. Do whatever you need to do, and if you miss an assignment because of that, chances are that your teacher will understand.

If you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be happy to help out! <3

[seedleaflesssapling]

Ver 2.0? Turning Point?

I can't really identify to which point in my life that i started to doubt myself but im pretty sure that it was because of UP. Damn, that school, my uni. It do really have the ability to make you feel small; i was in a disadvantaged side when i entered it, you know. I was acquainted, no we did not really talked one-on-one, but i heard when we did introductions - Pisay, UP High, science comprehensive schools, Xavier University, who wouldn't be intimidated by that when you came from Col. Ruperto Abellon National School (who would know where that is? I was lucky enough for a teacher recognized it and my classmates be like 'ahhhhhh,' .....really?! I dont even know where xavier is, it just sounds cool). Another thing is that, i wasn't a stem shs graduate - a leverage(?) or excuse (?) that i always use for them to know that i am at disadvantaged side here, not their competitor, probably a NOBODY. They, being stem graduates, have capstone projects you never thought that they have at that age, but i would hear them saying that it was publish in this journal (whatever, idk the journals lmao, i dont even understand their studies 2nd lmao, but that was some smart shit you know, a shit that makes me feel pathetic for being too proud of my what? Correlational study from inconsistent surveys?!!! Wtf, wtf, wtf). But it was a very good peer pressure you know, i kinda turned it that way. Being left behind, being on the rock bottom, i have no other place to go but up. It wasn't the goal, like making or taking the top spot, i just need to survive.

Inevitably, the exams came. I had hard time adjusting chem but math was kind to me. Who would have thought that i would get two 1.0 at my math subjects for the first semester, the sem that i thought i would barely pass. I was even a CS for that sem. Who would have thought? Our first chemical engineering subject that involves computations was on the list the next semester and the first exam, out of 100 i got something like 20ish. WTF. THAT WAS MY FIRST FAILED EXAM. but no, never did cry but tears were flooding inside. So apparently, i have to focus more on this subject and i did. Some were still failing, but i raised my average up. We also had physics, my first ever physics. I really love physics that time or that sir rommel is just a very good professor. I got the highest score on our second LE, everybody else did fail. Small victories. Not that they lose, but i just won. But i heard one time they were talking about me re: passing the physics exam and even getting a high score. They were uhm.. a guy i really look up to cause his good, the other was a girl that idk but i think she didn't like me back then. They were friends but eventually the girl transferred uni because who cares why. i heard the guy saying something like sin.o gid na si franklin nga taas iya score man, maybe even worse than that, i still look up to the guy even until now. But wtf. I really took it in that time, like i wanted to cry but did not. With all that, i got a fair grade at physics. I still got 1.0 at maths that sem and even maintained being on the CS list. S M I L E. BECAUSE WE HAVE A MIDYEAR CLASS. VERY EXHAUSTING FOR SOMEONE WHO DONT WANT ANYTHING BUT JUST ADJUST, SURVIVE, AND FIND MEANING OF BEING A UP STUDENT. It was just one subject and it was math, but i got 2.0?!!! I have no excuse to that, i am very grateful for the family who accommodated me. After midyear class, i did got sick, it sucks, really sucks. I wanted to file an LOA for the next academic year, it is the only thing i can think of for me to go back on track (i haven't said that my parents pushed me to graduate with latin honor and i wanted to also for my resume to look good because everything else in me is effed up). I really wanted to pause and be free for a while but i also wanted to graduate on time (mostly because i want to give the bitches who dared to have expectations be put on my shoulders not the satisfaction, but the audacity to tell them 'i aint did it for ya') so i asked mama. THANK GOD, SHE DID SAY NA KUNG ANO LANG KAYA MO, AMO LANG DA IH 😭😭🤧🤧 so i enrolled, but went to school late, haven't attended the school opening but all is good. I did kind of reset, just enough for me to face school again.

Second year, it was fucked. I did really love coding on octave and doing sheets at ms excel though. On that year, we have formed the che 103 bagsak group. Together with two of my classmates on 103 and math 55, we became buddies after failing che 103 on the first LE, another 30 over 100 exam hahahahaha. We made bawi just enough for us to pass the subject hahahahahuhu. I have thermodynamics sub, i barely pass. Thank G na wala ko nag removal. If ever i did, i am so sure that i wont make it. My GWA for that sem was not enough for me to be a CS. Who cares? I still did, actually but mama was never been too pushy since then, even since after midyear, after getting that 2.0 grade from the only subject i am good at. Btw, my math 55 for first sem, second year, was 1.25. Not a 1.0 but still, it's good. Second semester that year was when pandemic hit so there's nothing much to tell. I was, sorry but i was really, glad to be away from school for a while, not until for a while became forever. Virtual university set-up was very hard. With too much from taking in whatever i see and hear on my surroundings, even just at home, everything is difficult. It is very hard to find motivation and discipline in studying when i was surrounded with people who do nothing. Even to this point i am writing, everyday is like a battle, but is mostly an internal one. Self vs self, a war no one knows who will win. So the confidence, the tower of knowledge i did build, exponentially went down. I did really well when i was in grade 10, i did my best that time and it can be seen at the achievements i had that year. Being consistently on top 1 the whole year, placing second on division MMC (even getting the highest score on the written elimination round for the whole cluster), doing well sa physics under maam andico, placings on cluster journalism competitions - it was like a record best, best record (?) Whatever. But it wasn't enough you know, i eventually came fourth like wtf. I had read from somewhere Newton saying like the two years when he did write the three laws of motion and the calculus stuff were the two best years of his life, and it kept me thinking that what if mine already passed? That it was when i was in high school?

But, back when i was in school, every time that i was belittling myself or even at random times that i would feel nervous for nothing, my classmates and close friends would say na:

Uno mo man ang Math, uno mo na na (it was a one or two time thing, what if chamba lang to???)

Ikaw man highest sa first le sa thermo (it was really an absolutely one time thing, i barely passed that sub)

Alam ka man sa physics (i was just invested on physics and maybe nachambahan lang na ang ginpractice ko solve kay parallel sa exam ni sir)

Alam ka, d ka lang confident (OKAY???!)

I was ignoring those shit cause who cares if i did really good that time. Yeah, it felt good but it wasn't fulfilling. Satisfied but not happy. But with recent events, i think i would be changing. This post will be a written contract that i will push to be better, to start trusting myself, and build that confidence glow behind me; to believe that i am bright and i can hack it, whatever it may be.

For coherence, i would itemize na lang all of the events that brought me to epiphany lol

It was Friday, 17 Sep, when Dean, in our plant design subject, gave an activity for us - to come up with solutions that would address problems he presented. 1 off grid island community (either you address the water, electricity, and phone reception/signal problem under a 100k budget) and 2 vinegar packaging with a 500 mL volume and should cost less than the cost of vinegar. The due's on Monday, 20 Sep. The challenge is that you should come up with an idea that is not the same with those who already turned in their proposed solutions. I haven't turned in mine until Sunday afternoon. We are 23 in class, hence there should be 23 proposed solutions for each problem. However, only 20 or 21 turned in their solutions and as a student who decided to do it three days after the sheet was given, i was at the second to the last of the entries hahaha. I have limited choice since a lot have been proposed. And ngl, i did entered my idea for the first problem at Sunday evening and for the second problem it was on the afternoon of the next day. Those were basic solutions cause who am I? Am just your basic guy.

Tuesday, 21 Sep (#NeverForget #NeverAgain), class again for plant design (PD). Dean discussed stuffs which im ngl, i did not listen because im bored (not until he said 'we'll have a 5-min break and we'll have a quiz after that' like wtf, how will we do our quiz???!). After the short break, I did study cause i panicked as hell, he presented the prospects of the course, that we will be divided in groups and that the leaders were chosen based on the solutions they turned in the activity previously given. So there's no quiz, i was calm the whole time after that until my name was called. Like wtf??! Your basic guy will be a leader???! Hello!!! So i chat people, asked them if it was a good thing (course it was!!!? So dumb right?!). And then, i asked another leader and she agreed to my argument that we should only be divided into six instead of seven as what dean has decided. So i chatted dean (pic below). I just accepted the role half-heartedly.

As leaders, we should be hiring people for our team and we should make pubs. I dont have a canva account to help me do pubs. I made mine at MS ppt HAHAHAHAHAHA but im good so its cute. We were assigned with projects and i get to have the 4-member team. The vacant roles were project maven and liaison officer for a 3-member team. In my pubs, i included scrummaster as position to be filled, cause who am i to lead?! So yeah, that's it. I did the pubs Wednesday and I submitted my resume Thursday (third to the last hahahaha but my resume's cute hahaha).

Thursday. So i had this invite by a classmate to join the Shell event long time ago. He was reaching out for someone to ask Dean for his approval because Dean did not replied to the email he sent. So, i volunteered. I really want this competition cause this will be my first and maybe last competition as a UP student. So i DMed dean and blah blah blah he asked for selection process. I relayed the message and apologize to them for being me because i was thinking that it was me who made him come up with the decision of having the team be selected. Like, wtf i was just asking for his approval. Getting kicked out of the team was not my intention. Those whom i chatted that night were telling me that it wasn't my fault blah blah blah. So i half-heartedly agreed to them.

Friday came, yesterday, the interview. I am very anxious for someone who will be the one asking the applicants lmao. I already have been interviewed before for college applications and somehow remember the feeling, nerve wracking, whatever. To calm my nerves, i listed questions which i never got to ask properly btw, but at least i have concrete ideas on what to ask. The first interviewee was my very closed friend and so we just laugh and laugh and laugh HAHAHAHAHA. IDK if dean saw it but who cares. And the next and next and next. 3:30 passed by fast and guess what??? YOUR BASIC GUY HAS THE MOST NUMBER OF APPLICANTS TO THE POINT THAT DEAN CUT MY LIST. IT WAS EXHAUSTING BUT VERY FLATTERING. I FEEL SO HONORED. i really thought and very scared at the thought that no one will apply to me but wtf, just wtf. Ranking my applicants was damn hard. 1 i have a dream team but one was cut by dean; 2 this could make my friends mad; 3 this will be the group for the whole year; 4 i am really exhausted. But still, i submitted the list. I was hoping for the people i chose to choose me back. Only two out of three did, i am forever grateful.

Still on Friday, the classmate who invited me to the Shell thing and Dean had a zoom call and discussed about the competition. That classmate told dean what i told him the other day that i might be the reason for the decision of having the selection process done. He told me this through a voice memo, katamad daw magtype. A voice message that i played over and over again. Dean actually find me interesting (?), Invested (?) Idk exactly but the classmate told me na 'may nakikita daw talaga sya sayo. Na grabe ka ka-practical as a person like yung ideas mo daw sa plant design napakasimple lang pero napaka practical to the point daw na madami nag apply sayo kanina. And then, you need more confidence lang daw talaga' so ig, you basic guy is a practical guy now. It's just flattering.

Now, whatever happens, i must meet those expectations right? This could be a lousy motivation but what is if there's none? I dont know why im writing this. I just thought i should get my thoughts out. Ver 2.0? Turning point? Let's just do good 😌

PS I put this on my bio on FB, guess im getting more public, and if you happened to read this because you saw the link on my bio, send me a message about you thoughts.

PPS if your initials are JTZC, these have been my week and i miss you even though you're not interested in me anymore, you are hard to forget

[courseforfree]

Data Structures and Algorithms from Zero to Hero and Crack Top Companies 100+ Interview questions (Java Coding)

What you’ll learn

Java Data Structures and Algorithms Masterclass

Learn, implement, and use different Data Structures

Learn, implement and use different Algorithms

Become a better developer by mastering computer science fundamentals

Learn everything you need to ace difficult coding interviews

Cracking the Coding Interview with 100+ questions with explanations

Time and Space Complexity of Data Structures and Algorithms

Recursion

Big O

Dynamic Programming

Divide and Conquer Algorithms

Graph Algorithms

Greedy Algorithms

Requirements

Basic Java Programming skills

Description

Welcome to the Java Data Structures and Algorithms Masterclass, the most modern, and the most complete Data Structures and Algorithms in Java course on the internet.

At 44+ hours, this is the most comprehensive course online to help you ace your coding interviews and learn about Data Structures and Algorithms in Java. You will see 100+ Interview Questions done at the top technology companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft and how-to face Interviews with comprehensive visual explanatory video materials which will bring you closer to landing the tech job of your dreams!

Learning Java is one of the fastest ways to improve your career prospects as it is one of the most in-demand tech skills! This course will help you in better understanding every detail of Data Structures and how algorithms are implemented in high-level programming languages.

We’ll take you step-by-step through engaging video tutorials and teach you everything you need to succeed as a professional programmer.

After finishing this course, you will be able to:

Learn basic algorithmic techniques such as greedy algorithms, binary search, sorting, and dynamic programming to solve programming challenges.

Learn the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of data structures, so you can choose the best data structure for your data and applications

Learn many of the algorithms commonly used to sort data, so your applications will perform efficiently when sorting large datasets

Learn how to apply graph and string algorithms to solve real-world challenges: finding shortest paths on huge maps and assembling genomes from millions of pieces.

Why this course is so special and different from any other resource available online?

This course will take you from the very beginning to very complex and advanced topics in understanding Data Structures and Algorithms!

You will get video lectures explaining concepts clearly with comprehensive visual explanations throughout the course.

You will also see Interview Questions done at the top technology companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

I cover everything you need to know about the technical interview process!

So whether you are interested in learning the top programming language in the world in-depth and interested in learning the fundamental Algorithms, Data Structures, and performance analysis that make up the core foundational skillset of every accomplished programmer/designer or software architect and is excited to ace your next technical interview this is the course for you!

And this is what you get by signing up today:

Lifetime access to 44+ hours of HD quality videos. No monthly subscription. Learn at your own pace, whenever you want

Friendly and fast support in the course Q&A whenever you have questions or get stuck

FULL money-back guarantee for 30 days!

This course is designed to help you to achieve your career goals. Whether you are looking to get more into Data Structures and Algorithms, increase your earning potential, or just want a job with more freedom, this is the right course for you!

The topics that are covered in this course.

Section 1 – Introduction

What are Data Structures?

What is an algorithm?

Why are Data Structures And Algorithms important?

Types of Data Structures

Types of Algorithms

Section 2 – Recursion

What is Recursion?

Why do we need recursion?

How does Recursion work?

Recursive vs Iterative Solutions

When to use/avoid Recursion?

How to write Recursion in 3 steps?

How to find Fibonacci numbers using Recursion?

Section 3 – Cracking Recursion Interview Questions

Question 1 – Sum of Digits

Question 2 – Power

Question 3 – Greatest Common Divisor

Question 4 – Decimal To Binary

Section 4 – Bonus CHALLENGING Recursion Problems (Exercises)

power

factorial

products array

recursiveRange

fib

reverse

palindrome

some recursive

flatten

capitalize first

nestedEvenSum

capitalize words

stringifyNumbers

collects things

Section 5 – Big O Notation

Analogy and Time Complexity

Big O, Big Theta, and Big Omega

Time complexity examples

Space Complexity

Drop the Constants and the nondominant terms

Add vs Multiply

How to measure the codes using Big O?

How to find time complexity for Recursive calls?

How to measure Recursive Algorithms that make multiple calls?

Section 6 – Top 10 Big O Interview Questions (Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft)

Product and Sum

Print Pairs

Print Unordered Pairs

Print Unordered Pairs 2 Arrays

Print Unordered Pairs 2 Arrays 100000 Units

Reverse

O(N)  Equivalents

Factorial Complexity

Fibonacci Complexity

Powers of 2

Section 7 – Arrays

What is an Array?

Types of Array

Arrays in Memory

Create an Array

Insertion Operation

Traversal Operation

Accessing an element of Array

Searching for an element in Array

Deleting an element from Array

Time and Space complexity of One Dimensional Array

One Dimensional Array Practice

Create Two Dimensional Array

Insertion – Two Dimensional Array

Accessing an element of Two Dimensional Array

Traversal – Two Dimensional Array

Searching for an element in Two Dimensional Array

Deletion – Two Dimensional Array

Time and Space complexity of Two Dimensional Array

When to use/avoid array

Section 8 – Cracking Array Interview Questions (Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft)

Question 1 – Missing Number

Question 2 – Pairs

Question 3 – Finding a number in an Array

Question 4 – Max product of two int

Question 5 – Is Unique

Question 6 – Permutation

Question 7 – Rotate Matrix

Section 9 – CHALLENGING Array Problems (Exercises)

Middle Function

2D Lists

Best Score

Missing Number

Duplicate Number

Pairs

Section 10 – Linked List

What is a Linked List?

Linked List vs Arrays

Types of Linked List

Linked List in the Memory

Creation of Singly Linked List

Insertion in Singly Linked List in Memory

Insertion in Singly Linked List Algorithm

Insertion Method in Singly Linked List

Traversal of Singly Linked List

Search for a value in Single Linked List

Deletion of a node from Singly Linked List

Deletion Method in Singly Linked List

Deletion of entire Singly Linked List

Time and Space Complexity of Singly Linked List

Section 11 – Circular Singly Linked List

Creation of Circular Singly Linked List

Insertion in Circular Singly Linked List

Insertion Algorithm in Circular Singly Linked List

Insertion method in Circular Singly Linked List

Traversal of Circular Singly Linked List

Searching a node in Circular Singly Linked List

Deletion of a node from Circular Singly Linked List

Deletion Algorithm in Circular Singly Linked List

A method in Circular Singly Linked List

Deletion of entire Circular Singly Linked List

Time and Space Complexity of Circular Singly Linked List

Section 12 – Doubly Linked List

Creation of Doubly Linked List

Insertion in Doubly Linked List

Insertion Algorithm in Doubly Linked List

Insertion Method in Doubly Linked List

Traversal of Doubly Linked List

Reverse Traversal of Doubly Linked List

Searching for a node in Doubly Linked List

Deletion of a node in Doubly Linked List

Deletion Algorithm in Doubly Linked List

Deletion Method in Doubly Linked List

Deletion of entire Doubly Linked List

Time and Space Complexity of Doubly Linked List

Section 13 – Circular Doubly Linked List

Creation of Circular Doubly Linked List

Insertion in Circular Doubly Linked List

Insertion Algorithm in Circular Doubly Linked List

Insertion Method in Circular Doubly Linked List

Traversal of Circular Doubly Linked List

Reverse Traversal of Circular Doubly Linked List

Search for a node in Circular Doubly Linked List

Delete a node from Circular Doubly Linked List

Deletion Algorithm in Circular Doubly Linked List

Deletion Method in Circular Doubly Linked List

Entire Circular Doubly Linked List

Time and Space Complexity of Circular Doubly Linked List

Time Complexity of Linked List vs Arrays

Section 14 – Cracking Linked List Interview Questions (Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft)

Linked List Class

Question 1 – Remove Dups

Question 2 – Return Kth to Last

Question 3 – Partition

Question 4 – Sum Linked Lists

Question 5 – Intersection

Section 15 – Stack

What is a Stack?

What and Why of Stack?

Stack Operations

Stack using Array vs Linked List

Stack Operations using Array (Create, isEmpty, isFull)

Stack Operations using Array (Push, Pop, Peek, Delete)

Time and Space Complexity of Stack using Array

Stack Operations using Linked List

Stack methods – Push, Pop, Peek, Delete, and isEmpty using Linked List

Time and Space Complexity of Stack using Linked List

When to Use/Avoid Stack

Stack Quiz

Section 16 – Queue

What is a Queue?

Linear Queue Operations using Array

Create, isFull, isEmpty, and enQueue methods using Linear Queue Array

Dequeue, Peek and Delete Methods using Linear Queue Array

Time and Space Complexity of Linear Queue using Array

Why Circular Queue?

Circular Queue Operations using Array

Create, Enqueue, isFull and isEmpty Methods in Circular Queue using Array

Dequeue, Peek and Delete Methods in Circular Queue using Array

Time and Space Complexity of Circular Queue using Array

Queue Operations using Linked List

Create, Enqueue and isEmpty Methods in Queue using Linked List

Dequeue, Peek and Delete Methods in Queue using Linked List

Time and Space Complexity of Queue using Linked List

Array vs Linked List Implementation

When to Use/Avoid Queue?

Section 17 – Cracking Stack and Queue Interview Questions (Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft)

Question 1 – Three in One

Question 2 – Stack Minimum

Question 3 – Stack of Plates

Question 4 – Queue via Stacks

Question 5 – Animal Shelter

Section 18 – Tree / Binary Tree

What is a Tree?

Why Tree?

Tree Terminology

How to create a basic tree in Java?

Binary Tree

Types of Binary Tree

Binary Tree Representation

Create Binary Tree (Linked List)

PreOrder Traversal Binary Tree (Linked List)

InOrder Traversal Binary Tree (Linked List)

PostOrder Traversal Binary Tree (Linked List)

LevelOrder Traversal Binary Tree (Linked List)

Searching for a node in Binary Tree (Linked List)

Inserting a node in Binary Tree (Linked List)

Delete a node from Binary Tree (Linked List)

Delete entire Binary Tree (Linked List)

Create Binary Tree (Array)

Insert a value Binary Tree (Array)

Search for a node in Binary Tree (Array)

PreOrder Traversal Binary Tree (Array)

InOrder Traversal Binary Tree (Array)

PostOrder Traversal Binary Tree (Array)

Level Order Traversal Binary Tree (Array)

Delete a node from Binary Tree (Array)

Entire Binary Tree (Array)

Linked List vs Python List Binary Tree

Section 19 – Binary Search Tree

What is a Binary Search Tree? Why do we need it?

Create a Binary Search Tree

Insert a node to BST

Traverse BST

Search in BST

Delete a node from BST

Delete entire BST

Time and Space complexity of BST

Section 20 – AVL Tree

What is an AVL Tree?

Why AVL Tree?

Common Operations on AVL Trees

Insert a node in AVL (Left Left Condition)

Insert a node in AVL (Left-Right Condition)

Insert a node in AVL (Right Right Condition)

Insert a node in AVL (Right Left Condition)

Insert a node in AVL (all together)

Insert a node in AVL (method)

Delete a node from AVL (LL, LR, RR, RL)

Delete a node from AVL (all together)

Delete a node from AVL (method)

Delete entire AVL

Time and Space complexity of AVL Tree

Section 21 – Binary Heap

What is Binary Heap? Why do we need it?

Common operations (Creation, Peek, sizeofheap) on Binary Heap

Insert a node in Binary Heap

Extract a node from Binary Heap

Delete entire Binary Heap

Time and space complexity of Binary Heap

Section 22 – Trie

What is a Trie? Why do we need it?

Common Operations on Trie (Creation)

Insert a string in Trie

Search for a string in Trie

Delete a string from Trie

Practical use of Trie

Section 23 – Hashing

What is Hashing? Why do we need it?

Hashing Terminology

Hash Functions

Types of Collision Resolution Techniques

Hash Table is Full

Pros and Cons of Resolution Techniques

Practical Use of Hashing

Hashing vs Other Data structures

Section 24 – Sort Algorithms

What is Sorting?

Types of Sorting

Sorting Terminologies

Bubble Sort

Selection Sort

Insertion Sort

Bucket Sort

Merge Sort

Quick Sort

Heap Sort

Comparison of Sorting Algorithms

Section 25 – Searching Algorithms

Introduction to Searching Algorithms

Linear Search

Linear Search in Python

Binary Search

Binary Search in Python

Time Complexity of Binary Search

Section 26 – Graph Algorithms

What is a Graph? Why Graph?

Graph Terminology

Types of Graph

Graph Representation

The graph in Java using Adjacency Matrix

The graph in Java using Adjacency List

Section 27 – Graph Traversal

Breadth-First Search Algorithm (BFS)

Breadth-First Search Algorithm (BFS) in Java – Adjacency Matrix

Breadth-First Search Algorithm (BFS) in Java – Adjacency List

Time Complexity of Breadth-First Search (BFS) Algorithm

Depth First Search (DFS) Algorithm

Depth First Search (DFS) Algorithm in Java – Adjacency List

Depth First Search (DFS) Algorithm in Java – Adjacency Matrix

Time Complexity of Depth First Search (DFS) Algorithm

BFS Traversal vs DFS Traversal

Section 28 – Topological Sort

What is Topological Sort?

Topological Sort Algorithm

Topological Sort using Adjacency List

Topological Sort using Adjacency Matrix

Time and Space Complexity of Topological Sort

Section 29 – Single Source Shortest Path Problem

what is Single Source Shortest Path Problem?

Breadth-First Search (BFS) for Single Source Shortest Path Problem (SSSPP)

BFS for SSSPP in Java using Adjacency List

BFS for SSSPP in Java using Adjacency Matrix

Time and Space Complexity of BFS for SSSPP

Why does BFS not work with Weighted Graph?

Why does DFS not work for SSSP?

Section 30 – Dijkstra’s Algorithm

Dijkstra’s Algorithm for SSSPP

Dijkstra’s Algorithm in Java – 1

Dijkstra’s Algorithm in Java – 2

Dijkstra’s Algorithm with Negative Cycle

Section 31 – Bellman-Ford Algorithm

Bellman-Ford Algorithm

Bellman-Ford Algorithm with negative cycle

Why does Bellman-Ford run V-1 times?

Bellman-Ford in Python

BFS vs Dijkstra vs Bellman Ford

Section 32 – All Pairs Shortest Path Problem

All pairs shortest path problem

Dry run for All pair shortest path

Section 33 – Floyd Warshall

Floyd Warshall Algorithm

Why Floyd Warshall?

Floyd Warshall with negative cycle,

Floyd Warshall in Java,

BFS vs Dijkstra vs Bellman Ford vs Floyd Warshall,

Section 34 – Minimum Spanning Tree

Minimum Spanning Tree,

Disjoint Set,

Disjoint Set in Java,

Section 35 – Kruskal’s and Prim’s Algorithms

Kruskal Algorithm,

Kruskal Algorithm in Python,

Prim’s Algorithm,

Prim’s Algorithm in Python,

Prim’s vs Kruskal

Section 36 – Cracking Graph and Tree Interview Questions (Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft)

Section 37 – Greedy Algorithms

What is a Greedy Algorithm?

Well known Greedy Algorithms

Activity Selection Problem

Activity Selection Problem in Python

Coin Change Problem

Coin Change Problem in Python

Fractional Knapsack Problem

Fractional Knapsack Problem in Python

Section 38 – Divide and Conquer Algorithms

What is a Divide and Conquer Algorithm?

Common Divide and Conquer algorithms

How to solve the Fibonacci series using the Divide and Conquer approach?

Number Factor

Number Factor in Java

House Robber

House Robber Problem in Java

Convert one string to another

Convert One String to another in Java

Zero One Knapsack problem

Zero One Knapsack problem in Java

Longest Common Sequence Problem

Longest Common Subsequence in Java

Longest Palindromic Subsequence Problem

Longest Palindromic Subsequence in Java

Minimum cost to reach the Last cell problem

Minimum Cost to reach the Last Cell in 2D array using Java

Number of Ways to reach the Last Cell with given Cost

Number of Ways to reach the Last Cell with given Cost in Java

Section 39 – Dynamic Programming

What is Dynamic Programming? (Overlapping property)

Where does the name of DC come from?

Top-Down with Memoization

Bottom-Up with Tabulation

Top-Down vs Bottom Up

Is Merge Sort Dynamic Programming?

Number Factor Problem using Dynamic Programming

Number Factor: Top-Down and Bottom-Up

House Robber Problem using Dynamic Programming

House Robber: Top-Down and Bottom-Up

Convert one string to another using Dynamic Programming

Convert String using Bottom Up

Zero One Knapsack using Dynamic Programming

Zero One Knapsack – Top Down

Zero One Knapsack – Bottom Up

Section 40 – CHALLENGING Dynamic Programming Problems

Longest repeated Subsequence Length problem

Longest Common Subsequence Length problem

Longest Common Subsequence  problem

Diff Utility

Shortest Common Subsequence  problem

Length of Longest Palindromic Subsequence

Subset Sum Problem

Egg Dropping Puzzle

Maximum Length Chain of Pairs

Section 41 – A Recipe for Problem Solving

Introduction

Step 1 – Understand the problem

Step 2 – Examples

Step 3 – Break it Down

Step 4 – Solve or Simplify

Step 5 – Look Back and Refactor

Section 41 – Wild West

Download

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[custardcove]

Here’s a fifteen-questions meme I stole from my splat-blog! 

I’m not tagging fifteen people, but if you’re a mutual of mine that wants to take part, consider yourself tagged. 

1. Are you named after anyone? 

Pansy: A flower, if that counts! It’s a family tradition for the firstborn.

Ivan: Not exactly. I share a name with some video game character Alice liked the sound of.

Queenie: Sadly not. While I appreciate that my name stands out, sharing a name with one of my ancestors would’ve been a mark of pride.  

Taylor: Mmmnope. I like ‘Taylor’ enough because it starts with a T like Tomiichi, but I wasn’t named after anybody—though you know, as a point of interest, it was meant to rhyme with my brother’s name!

Neo: I was named after my grandmother.

-

2. When was the last time you cried? 

Pansy: Aw, man… I try to stay positive around Prim, but I do cry about silly stuff sometimes. Maybe a week ago? Sometimes the past just catches up to you.

Ivan: Longer than I can remember.

Queenie: What an invasive question! I don’t think that’s any of your business. I do not cry frequently.

Taylor: Now why’d you want to know a thing like that? I think I’ll keep it to myself!

Neo: Mind your own business.

-

3. Do you have kids?

Pansy: Have you met Primrose? That’s my daughter. She’s really sweet, but she’s also quite shy, so please keep that in mind.

Ivan: This is a difficult question to answer. I’d say no. I don’t think granting someone’s wish makes me a father.

Queenie: Not yet. I intend to.

Taylor: Woah, no! Do I look responsible enough to be a dad? Ahah…

Neo: No. I would rather not.

-

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? 

Pansy: I try not to, er, I’m not so great at it. And it’s kinda mean.

Ivan: I get reprimanded for being sarcastic. It happens regularly.

Queenie: What do you think?

Taylor: There’s always room for some well-placed sarcasm!

Neo: Any time I make a joke.

-

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people? 

Pansy: I try to get a good read on folks—so, I guess their whole profile? That’s before I start looking at their individual features. If something sticks out to me from there, I’ll focus on that—but not in a mean way! Like, seeing someone’s smile, or if they’re carrying something, or their size, or claws. That’s what I mean.

Ivan: Their aura. It’s not difficult for me to discern a person’s moral alignment, and that’s important for my role.

Queenie: Their posture, how they walk, how they talk. It’s important for a first impression and can often be an indication of status. Or, perhaps more importantly, an indication of their intent…

Taylor: Their mood! I don’t want to step on the toes of anyone that’s angry, and happier people are more likely to give you the time of day, you know? Improving someone’s low mood is great too, but I have to gauge my limits.

Neo: I’m not known for noticing people. How social they are, I suppose.

-

6. What’s your eye colour? 

Pansy: Psychic pink! They do that thing where they get more vivid when I use my powers—just the psychic ones, though. And I don’t use those too much ‘cause I risk a headache… still, I like my eyes.

Ivan: Brown, orange.

Queenie: Smoky Quartz.

Taylor: Brown. You know, like coffee? If I were a coffee, I think I’d be a Caffe Latte. … But, yeah they’re darker than that.

Neo: …I don’t mind my eyes being green as much as my hair.

-

7. Scary movie or happy ending? 

Pansy: Don’t mind either one, but I’d prefer a happy ending, even in a scary movie. That said, there are scary movies I just won’t watch, so I guess happy endings win out.

Ivan: I don’t waste much time watching films unless I’m asked to, but I prefer a happy ending. A good story is the most important, though.

Queenie: Happy endings are far too sappy and saccharine, but I can’t say I receive much thrill from horror either. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy watching them … my favourite part of a movie is criticizing it.

Taylor: Happy endings, please! I can’t understand why anyone would want to scare themselves – unless it’s silly fun, but that’s different. Y’know, not that I scare easy or anything…

Neo: Scary movies tend to be more interesting, but… I don’t have anything against happy endings. Horror isn’t my genre, either, unless it’s psychological.

-

8. Any special talents? 

Pansy: I have a bit of a green thumb!

Ivan: That all depends on your perspective.

Queenie: I’m an excellent piano player.

Taylor: People tell me I’ve got a lot of charisma, and I consider that a talent!

Neo: I suppose converting myself into digital matter could be considered a talent.

-

9. Where were you born? 

Pansy: A town not so different from Erryton, actually! It’s not far.

Ivan: Great question.

Queenie: Enigma Island, not far from Thorn’s Peak.

Taylor: Would you believe me if I told you I couldn’t remember? Aha. I know we moved when I was really young.

Neo: Doesn’t matter.

-

10. What are your hobbies? 

Pansy: Well, like I mentioned, I quite like doing plant stuff. I used to sketch ‘em and make notes about ‘em too, but I stick more to the practical side these days. I also like to bake! Mainly pies, cakes and cookies.

Ivan: I play the flute and cithara. Next question.

Queenie: I have a wide array of hobbies. I enjoy painting, reading, and  playing the piano—as I have already mentioned. While I’m not … particularly adept at sewing, I practice cross-stitch on occasion. I also like to write poetry, and take a bit of interest in botany…

Taylor: Most of my hobbies have some aspect of music tied to them—I like playing the guitar, mixing tracks, and just listening to albums. But I also like playing videogames and taking apart machinery for fun. I can even help people fix things! Er, sometimes.

Neo: I read comics and watch movies, like most people. You wouldn’t be interested.

-

11. Do you have any pets?

Pansy: Not anymore, but I’ve had two cats – Mr Ravioli in my childhood home, and then Kiki later on. I’ve considered getting another, but I think I should wait until Primmy is a little older…

Ivan: No.

Queenie: Estelle! She’s a darling little kitty-cat and I love her so. <3

Taylor: One dog, a shibe—my father bred his, and I got a puppy. Tadashi!

Neo: My brother makes robots, and we have one of those roving floor cleaners. I would consider that a pet. We call him V.I.N.CENT.

-

12. What sports do you/have you played?

Pansy: I’m not really big on sports – I like magic fights? But I don’t do that a lot now.

Ivan: I may have taken part in some sport or another, but if I did, I did not commit it to memory.

Queenie: I like to swim, though I have not played any sports as such. I have also been horse riding—oh, and I’ve played badminton once or twice.

Taylor: Alice likes table tennis, and we play together sometimes. Apart from that, um… I’ve been asked to play football and baseball before?

Neo: I like to run. Parkour is fun too.

-

13. How tall are you? 

Pansy: Five foot seven, and I’m the shortest in my family…

Ivan: Depends.

Queenie: A reasonable five feet and ten inches without heels.

Taylor: Ahaha … let’s just skip this one, shall we? You don’t need to know that.

Neo: Taller than you.

-

14. Dream job? 

Pansy: I’ve pretty much got my dream job, all things considered! I guess I’d like it if I could get paid to do plant study, but I never really had the grades to do that as a job.

Ivan: I’m working on my rank.

Queenie: I have entertained the possibility of having a career before. Hotel management seems like an interesting prospect … or a jeweller, perhaps? Oho, I don’t know if I could be trusted to sell anything. Either way, I’m comfortable enough managing my home and finances.

Taylor: I’ve always wanted to be a big-name tv presenter—hell, even a small-name gameshow host! I’ve not given up on my dream yet, but being a radio show host is close enough. I can use it as a stepping stone. Yeah, a music quiz show would be great…

Neo: I don’t know. Even when it comes to things I like doing, I’m not sure I’d want to make a job out of it. Coding is just convenient.

-

15. Favourite subject in school? 

Pansy: Science! I also liked geography, ‘cause I was pretty decent at it.

Ivan: I have never attended school.

Queenie: I’ve both been to school and had private tutors, but my favourite subjects were history and literature. They rely on eachother, so were easy to write papers on.

Taylor: Apart from the obvious ‘music’, it was mathematics—and yes, I’m serious! I also liked science and IT.

Neo: From what I remember of school, I liked science and computing classes. The rest of what I learned was from online courses.

 That’s… that’s it? It just ends? Alright then.

[the-voltage-diaries]

If KBTBB men were teachers, what subject would they teach?

Hey, anon!!

Haha, that’s quite the question you’ve got. It took me a while to compile this list, and honestly, I thank @leoamber66 for helping me do so.

So, here goes nothing:

1. Eisuke Ichinomiya: Economics or Business Studies

Eisuke, no doubt, has a very, very analytical mind. Being a hotel tycoon in the game, I am pretty sure he keeps himself updated on the latest trends to be able to fulfill the demands his customers might have. His in-depth knowledge of the basics of being an entrepreneur and the pros and cons of starting one’s own business, and his phenomenal understanding of concepts of demand-supply relations, market equilibrium, and consumer-producer analysis would make him a brilliant teacher of Economics and/or Business Studies.

2. Soryu Oh: Mathematics

Soryu, like Eisuke, has a very quick, logical and analytical mind. I can see him having fun with numbers. His stoic face, ability to do quick calculations and his way of working around with formulae would make him a great maths teacher. With him being the leader of Ice Dragons in the game, I think he would have the ability to connect with every student and push them to do their very best, even though he might seem cold and intimidating. He would play around with numbers and equations, and make mathematics so much more interesting for every single one of his students.

3. Ota Kisaki: Arts

Haha, is there even a question about this? Ota, being an artist in the game, would no doubt be an Art teacher in school, too. His creative mind and his ability to play around with colours and create masterpieces would inspire his students to no end to create their own works of art. Moreover, his humorous personality and carefree aura would make the students feel free to create what they want to, without feeling like they are being held back by anything. His seriousness when it comes to his art and his capability to lead his students to have fun while forming the colourful visions in their minds would make him the perfect, and probably the best Art teacher.

4. Mitsunari Baba: English

Baba is all about the jazz, and what better way to be jazzy than teach English? Baba, being a thief in the game and traveling to numerous countries in order to steal, makes me believe that he would have an impeccable command over multiple languages, including English. English is a hard language for those who have never studied it before, and his kind, sweet and charming personality would definitely lift up his students’ spirits when they feel down about not being able to understand the language. He would be the perfect person to lift the students up and make them feel their best and have fun while learning this language.

5. Mamoru Kishi: P. E.

Mamoru, being a detective in the game, would have good skills when it comes to knowing how to keep his body and mind ready for anything. But, as a P. E. teacher, I believe he would be more indifferent than anyone else. He would just allow the students to go and play whatever game they want as long as they don’t interrupt his break. He would be pretty laid-back and nap away without a care in the world while the kids play to their hearts’ content. I think.

6. Luke Foster: Biology

Luke is the Doctor in the game, and it’s quite obvious that he loves getting to know more about the human body anyway. Although, as a teacher, he would be more inclined towards teaching about anatomy because it interests him more, but he wouldn’t mind taking lectures on other parts of biology too. During most of the day, he would look like a zombie because of his habit of missing meals, but while teaching, he would be more energized than ever. While he is not taking lectures, he would be cooped up either in labs or in the library, reading a thesis or working on the dissection of a small animal to keep his skills on point. I’m guessing his classes would mostly be filled to the brim because nobody would want to miss out on his detailed and informative lectures.

7. Shuichi Hishikura: Political Sciences

Shuichi is a diplomat, so his political game is as strong as it gets. He would be a strict teacher, for sure, and would work his hardest to produce results out of his students. He would work them to the bone, but only because he knows they have that potential. He would keep himself up-to-date with all the world news there is, and make sure his students follow the same practice. He would keep a short quiz daily on the topics of political awareness, where-in he’ll test the students on their ability to make sense of political activities, while also testing their world awareness. He would make sure each and every one of his students become a politically sound person who is able to analyse the reason for certain activities (political in nature), all the while being neutral and diplomatic about it.

8. Hikaru: Cafeteria Guy/Computer/Criminology

I tried. I tried to the utmost of my ability to place him as a teacher. But, sadly, I just couldn’t imagine it. Because Hikaru has such a complex personality, with him being an (ex) assassin and also someone working in the service industry (looking after the guests in the hotel), I don’t see him “teaching” anything. But, he would be that cafeteria guy who would feel content just watching the kids munch on the school lunch for the day while talking to each other to their heart’s content. Yes, he would also have a mysterious, hidden, sadistic sort-of side, but because he is just a cafeteria guy, nobody would really pay mind to it. Then again, he could make a good criminology teacher (thanks @kageseirelle ).

Edit: Hikaru might actually make for a great computer teacher, given his hacking abilities in the game. He would teach students how to build codes in the most fun ways possible, making his classes one of the most enjoyable ones. Moreover, his sarcastic personality and dry humor would only pull more students in, making him connect with them very well (thanks @voltage-vixen ).

9. Rhion Hatter: Drama

So, Rhion is the Mad Hatter, and he honestly loves and truly values the power of dressing up and becoming someone else. His classes would be attended by a large group of people and his passion and dedication to the art would leave everyone in awe. Although he would be pretty shy and quiet normally, during his classes, he would take on a whole new vibe. He would teach his students the power of becoming a whole new person through drama and theatre and would make them understand how empowering it really is. His classes would probably also be one of the most popular ones because nobody can really ignore how charming he is, right?

[enigmaris]

Holiday Truce Gift!

Here’s my gift for @voidetrap. 

I hope you enjoy the fic! I’ve never written anything about Wes before so I hope I I met your expectations!!

The fic is Wes Weston vs. Jazz Fenton.

Check it out below the cut!

Why No One Believes Wes Weston:

Wes settled down into the chair, his heavy backpack clanking as he placed it on the floo beside him. He had to be careful, if he damaged any of his camera equipment, he wouldn’t have the chance to catch Fenton in the act. Last time Fenton had purposefully transformed in front of him when he saw that his camera’s lens was broken.

The bastard.

After Wes had confronted Fenton for the first time, Fenton had started messing with him consistently. Wes hadn’t gone to the rest of the school with his suspicions, and he wouldn’t until he had real evidence. Which is what the cameras were for. Soon enough he’d record the transformation and then it would be undeniable.

Not that Wes was planning on hunting Fenton down right then. No. He was here for a tutoring session. The tutoring sessions were held in one of the older classrooms, that went more or less unused since the ghost Poindexter had had his old locker moved in there by the principle and claimed it as his own. Despite this the ghost was hardly ever even there, but his haunted locker gave most everyone the creeps.  Other than the old locker the classroom was filled with wooden desks and chairs and an old dirty chalkboard. Wes had never actually been in this room before but it looked like most every other classroom in the school.

His grades in science were slipping and his teacher had promised him extra credit if he attended five sessions. She’d been offering that deal to every student, but most kids didn’t take her up on it because tutoring was the lamest way to spend an afternoon. Wes had done it to get his parents off his back. He didn’t know who was running the session, maybe one of the biology teachers, and he didn’t much care. He just had to get through an hour of this and then he could get back to following Fenton around for evidence. The door to the classroom opened and Wes looked up to see one other student walk in.

Jazz Fenton.

Dubbed the hottest senior girl by Wes’ gym class, Jazz Fenton was the anomaly of the Fenton Family. She wasn’t weird, she didn’t scream about ghosts or have to go to the bathroom constantly. She was also human and not a ghost masquerading as a human. She was beautiful, intelligent, and kind. People liked Jazz Fenton and Wes was no exception. He just wondered if she knew what her brother was. Was she even safe from him in Fentonworks?

“Oh!” She said. “Someone’s here.”

“Do people not normally come?”

“Oh, only around finals.” She joked. “What’s your name?”

“W…Wes. Wes Weston.”

“Alright Wes. What class are you in?”

“Chemistry.”

“Mrs. Anderson’s class?” She asked and Wes nodded in lieu of an answer. “Well great! I know what section you’re on then, open up your textbook and let’s get started.”

Wes pulled his textbook out of his bag and listened to Jazz begin to tutor him on stoichiometry. Wes sort of understood what that was but that didn’t mean he was any good at it. It relied on a lot of math that had never been Wes’ strong suit. He’d totally bombed the quiz on it last week and he was almost grateful to be getting the review. She wrote out a few practice problems and walked him through it very carefully. Wes followed along step by step, enjoying having her pretty eyes on him and listening to her friendly voice. Once she was sure he’d gotten it, she gave him a few to do on his own.

“So. Are you the only tutor?” Wes asked.

He wondered if he should tell her what he knew. Maybe then she could help him. Besides if her brother was dead then she needed to know. Living in denial couldn’t be good for anyone.

Wasn’t she all about psychology anyway? She’d love the warning!

“Yep. No one else wants to stay at school after hours since there’s more ghost activity in the late afternoons. Poindexter usually comes by but he and I have an agreement.” She answered. “I volunteered to do most of the afterschool work. It looks good on college applications too.”

“You know you’re pretty cool.” Wes said, trying to subtly warn Fenton’s hot and awesome sister that her younger brother was actually a ghost. “Normal, I mean. Danny’s a bit...”

The girl stiffened and then looked at the Wes with the fakest calm look Wes had ever seen. She looked frightened, as if Wes was threatening her.

“What are you talking about?” She squeaked. “Danny is the normal one.”

What?

Wes spent the rest of the tutoring session in a daze, asking questions and trying to understand why Jazz had reacted like that. Jazz spent the rest of it emphasizing how normal Danny was compared to her, just a normal boy with normal abilities.

She knew.

And what’s worse, she didn’t care.

If Jazz Fenton considered Danny normal then…

Then what was she?

When Wes got home, he started to frantically pace his room. Think Wes. Think. Jazz Fenton seemed normal. She wasn’t a ghost, Wes’ ghost detection equipment would’ve went off around her like it did Danny. So, then what? She was beautiful, pale, intelligent, and most people just got lost in her eyes when she talked. What if she was using some sort of mind control? What if people only thought she was pretty because she had something supernatural going on?

How deep did this thing go?

Wes put a picture of Jazz, taken from the online newspaper from the time she won the science fair, on his cork board and started sticking post-it notes around her, listing out everything he could possibly think of to describe Jazz. Mesmerizing. Strong. Capable. Smart. Welcoming.  As he muttered to himself, he started connecting various lists together using yarn. By the end of it, Wes looked up at his tangled mess and gasped.

“No. No. No.”

It can’t be.

He rushed over to his computer and brought up google. He typed in a search term and looked at the various Wikipedia articles that came up all while denying his conclusions.  

Strong.

Pale.

Beautiful.

Intelligent.

It was all there.

“Jazz Fenton is a vampire.”

He felt a trickle of fear run down his spine. Ghosts. Ghosts Wes could handle. Everyone in Amity knew how to handle ghosts. If you had ghost weapons you fired, if you didn’t you ducked out of the way and waited for someone who did. But vampires? No. That was new. That was dangerous. No one had vampire hunting equipment in Amity. Why would they?

They’d need them now.

Where were her fangs? Obviously, she wore fake teeth, or maybe they could retract to a normal length when she wasn’t feeding. Wes had seen Jazz Fenton fight ghosts with a whip, no one human could be that strong and that skinny. It was all coming together. The Fentons had adopted two undead teenagers and Jazz thought Danny was the more normal one because he was at least human half the time.

Now Wes just had to prove it.

The next day at school Wes snuck around at lunch trying to catch Jazz Fenton in the act of not eating or drinking blood or something. He didn’t even know where to start and he had to be careful. One false move and she’d be on his neck and then it would be game over. Wes couldn’t die, not when something as dangerous as a vampire walked among them. He didn’t see her in the lunchroom though. He also didn’t see Danny. He frowned and snuck out of the cafeteria. It didn’t take long to find the two Fenton teens talking to each other in an empty hallway.

“I’m serious Danny. The guy asked so many weird questions.”

“It’s just Wes.” Danny scoffed. “He’s not going to figure it out.”

“What if he does? We can’t let this get out, what about our-”

“Jazz. I swear he’s not going to hurt you or anyone else. He’s harmless.”

Wes narrowed his eyes. He’d show Danny harmless.

“Okay. I just. With information like that he could really hurt you.”

“You should be worried about yourself. You’re the one who has to interact with him for hours at a time. Don’t let him get to you. Don’t give anything away.”

The two teens kept talking about but it stopped being interesting, so Wes snuck back without them being aware that he’d listened in from behind a corner. He sat back down in the cafeteria and pulled out his notebook. He grabbed a cheap clicker pen and started to write out on the top of a clean page.

How to hunt a vampire:

1)      Garlic:

      a.      Wear garlic necklace (or put garlic in pocket) to next tutoring session.                   Look for averse reaction to smell.

2)      Cross:

      a.      Borrow mom’s cross and hide it in palm, shake hands with potential                     vampire, look for burns

3)      Sunlight??

      a.      Are vampires weak to sunlight? Jazz Fenton never seen outside on                     sunny day, always studying? Potential hazard? Open blinds during                       tutoring?

            i.      Warning could be defeated by thick sunscreen, check for zinc smell.

4)      Holy water?

      a.      Need to go to church with parents.

            i.      Plan heist of cathedral???

5)      Mirror:

      a.      Test for reflection

6)      Invitation:

      a.      Does Jazz need to be welcomed into a home to enter?

            b.      How to test??

                       i.      Hold a party?

It was a start Wes thought. He could try the first two easily tomorrow at his next tutoring session.

Wes’ mom kept asking him why he needed the garlic in the pantry, but she let him have it and she didn’t even notice that he’d borrowed her rosary. Wes kept the garlic in his pockets all day and occasionally rubbed it on his skin just so that he smelt very thickly of garlic. People avoided him in the hallways which meant he knew it was working. When the tutoring session started, Wes held out a hand, rosary hidden in his palm. Jazz saw it though and paused.

“Is that a cross?” She asked instead of shaking his hand. “It looks nice.”

“Don’t like crosses?”

“I’m not very religious.”

Right.

Test 1 failed.

At least he still had the garlic.

He put the rosary back into his pocket and pulled out his work. He’d placed a fan in the room so that it was blowing air from him to Jazz, ensuring the scent of garlic was going directly to her face. She didn’t seem to notice at first. But within a few minutes Wes noticed her sniffing.

“Do you smell something?”

“Uh no?”

“Oh. Must be some phantom smell. My parents experiments sometimes smell horrible and it sticks with me for hours after.”

Her parents made her immune to garlic. Damn.

The next tests were also not very successful. He couldn’t get her to look at a mirror without it sounding weird and the classroom didn’t have any reflective surfaces. He asked his parents if he could hold a party and they said no, he had after all gone home covered in garlic and gotten her rosary tainted with garlic smell. He tried to get Jazz to touch crosses multiple more times, but she always managed to slither her way out of it.

Fenton noticed Wes’ suspicions and got really protective. He kept Wes from doing anything to Jazz outside of the tutoring sessions.  

It all came to a head two weeks after Wes’ discovery.

He hadn’t slept well in days. Nights were filled with fears and doubts about vampires and ghosts. If ghosts and vampires were real then what else was? Bigfoot? Werewolves? Mermaids? How many things were trying to kill people? How was no one else noticing this? Were they all blind?

He saw Jazz Fenton drinking a red liquid from a thermos during lunch and snapped.

“THAT’S IT!” He shouted loud enough to be heard throughout the cafeteria. Everyone quieted down. “EVERYONE LISTEN UP! I HAVE SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT JAZZ FENTON!”

Wes stood up and climbed onto the top of his lunch table. He struck a very dramatic pose and pointed at Jazz.

“She is a vampire!”

A beat of silence and then the entire school burst into laughter.

“No No! Look, she’s drinking blood!”

“It’s tomato soup.” Jazz denied. “Look.”

She thrust the open thermos over to one of her table mates who sniffed it and confirmed it was tomato soup.

“I’ve never seen you in the sun!”

“I’m on the school’s swim team.” She argued. “Get plenty of sun that way. Wait is that why you kept thrust a cross in my face?”

“Oh my gosh.” Danny said loud enough for everyone to hear. “You’re crazy next thing you’re going to be telling all of us that I’m a ghost!”

He then laughed loudly and the entire school followed suit, even Dash was willing to laugh along with Danny at the expense of Wes.

And from that day onward no one ever believed the boy-who-cried-vampire.

[sedehaven]

Saving Ophelia Grace’s Toe

Y’all seem to like my stories about being a witch in the Bible Belt, so here’s another one. This is a coming of age story about a young witch (me), a bunch of adults of various degrees of uselessness, and Ophelia Grace’s rotten toe.

This is not a happy story.

Names changed when necessary.

CW: Body squick, graphic injury, incompetent nurse, malevolent nurse, poisoning, bureaucratic nightmares, dark DARK shit ahead

So, in spite of the crushing poverty that I grew up in, I was given the opportunity to attend a very prestigious boarding school for Juniors and Seniors in Klan Kountry, LA. It’s a public school, so it takes kids from all over the state.

My school was run by a dude named Brother Dave.

Brother Dave was so awful that one of our senior pranks (I DID NOT DO THIS) involved a password-protected screensaver on every communal computer in the school (including, I think, Brother Dave’s office computer) of a bouncing, 3-D image of this:

Dude was NOT well-loved. It is important to know that he and I did not get along. When I was still a prospective student, he told us that our mascot was the mighty Eagle, because Eagles Flock Together.

Y’all. Someone watched himself too much Mighty Ducks.

I replied, loud enough for the whole auditorium to hear, “That’s not true, sir. Eaglettes push their smaller and weaker siblings out of the nest as soon as they can.”

He looked to the staff for support, red-faced and embarrassed by this ninety-pound child who stole his thunder.

The biology teacher (who left for greener pastures after my first year--rumored to have been forced out for being too fabulously dykey for the new administration) looked at him and stated, in her very particular and crisp fashion, “Well, she’s right.”

Safe to say, he hated me from the start. So, if you read this and you wonder, “Why didn’t this silly kid just go to the grown-up?” That’s why. He was our grown-up.

Brother Dave started at the school the year before I did. He was brought in by a local Senator, because said local Senator Fucked Up Colossally.

Senator Fuckup was running against Mr. Sketchy Businessman. Mr. Sketchy Businessman was backed by the Ku Klux Klan (a big deal in parts of the world, folks. My school was in David Duke country.)

Senator Fuckup had a fancy name--well-respected all around the state. Like, several statues of one of his relations decorate the state capital. Big name.

Problem is, Senator Fuckup is half-Black.

In Klan Kountry.

Y’all.

So he’s already at a disadvantage. As it turns out, it takes a village to start a magnet school. Senator Fuckup was one of the founding board members, and promised all kinds of benefits if they put the school in HIS district.

Their other offer was in my own hometown, the Hub City, where several of our major state highways cross with two Interstates.A place with art and history and culture. A place with one of the largest outdoor music festivals in the state--a multicultural, international music festival! With art walks and museums and Mardi Gras parades! With a three-story library, a library for French language and culture, and the second-largest university in Louisiana!

Senator Fuckup PROMISED that the school wouldn’t want for anything if they went to Klan Kountry.

So they did.

It was no great secret that this school was Senator Fuckup’s baby. At the time that I attended, the school was number one in the nation. Something to be proud of.

Except.

Except.

Except that in order to keep various forms of funding, the school was required to take in more melanin-blessed individuals than the locals liked.

Enter Mr. Sketchy Businessman, who ran a series of TV and radio ads claiming that our STATE funded school was stealing money from the local school district.

That’s right. He claimed that our school took money away from the poor Whites of Klan Kountry and gave to the diverse and metropolitan school for the gifted.

Senator Fuckup tried to deflect and dismiss, BUT did NOT rebut those claims. He didn’t believe that the school’s funding was THAT MUCH of an issue.

Any reasonable person would understand that the school was funded from the State taxes. Right?

As it turns out, Klan Kountry is not filled with reasonable people.

Senator Fuckup is a member of a particular subgroup in Klan Kounrty--a not-insignificant population of Catholic Creoles. So, after he wins his election--barely--he realizes that Something Must Be Done to help the image of the school that everybody knew as HIS baby.

Enter his old friend, Brother Dave. Brother Dave, who nearly bankrupted his previous school. His brother-in-law was a contractor who got a few really juicy contracts through him.

Protip: Nepotism only works if the person being nepotized is competent.

Spoiler: Brother Dave’s brother-in-law built schools about as well as Brother Dave ran them.

Brother Dave’s old school is attached to an order of monks who build cheap and simple caskets for people who are into that kind of thing.

They bake bread for the poor. These are good people.

Y’all, these people made it KNOWN--statewide--that they had a casket ready for ol’ Dave if he ever stepped foot in their town again.

Still, Senator Fuckup decided that THIS was the man who would lead my school into a glorious future.

Brother Dave took an aggressive stance on admissions. He wanted kids who didn’t have a lot of drama, and kids who looked (WHITE) good on the recruiting materials. He pulled hard from the local Catholic (Segregation) Academies.

Y’all.

Our Black kids were nearly White-passing mixed-race kids, one kid who was ACTUALLY from Africa, a couple of kids from Catholic schools, and one dark-skinned Baptist girl who is bombshell model-gorgeous. (For those glossy brochures.)

So as many White Catholic kids as possible.

Y’all.

I’ve competed with private school fuckwits in academic contests my whole life, up to that point. If it was something that required preparation (science fair, for example), they wiped the floor with us.

Because daddy the petroleum engineer did the project for them.

If it was a you-know-it-or-you-don’t thing (quiz bowl, for example), they lost so brutally that I might have felt bad for them. You know, if they had souls. Which they did not.

So Brother Dave populated our school with what he thought were “good kids”. White, Catholic kids.

Spoiler: My class started with 250 students. We graduated less than half of that, even after he backfilled our class with new kids between junior and senior year. The class after mine was worse.

Why is that?

White Catholic kids at segregation academies in the late 90′s basically did busy-work worksheet stuff all day. They were not ready for 10 page papers and 5 page lab reports and 100+ pages of reading and 20-50 math problems and projects, projects, projects!

Also, if all you do is worksheets and sit-down-and-shut-up, there has to be a certain...chemical element...to cope.

So, yeah. Drugs. So much drugs. And booze.

Brother Dave also hired Nurse Bitchy Fuckface. She was actually his first hire.

Nurse Bitchy was a walking disaster.

I was sixteen when I first met her, and because she didn’t smell like street drugs (I KNOW WHAT THAT SHIT IS), I missed a lot of signs.

Looking back, I think that she might have been a Prozac-and-wine kind of person. But, as the only drugs that I was familiar with came from street pharmacists, I thought she was just evil.

Hateful to the queers, pagans, Goths, and all assorted weirdos.

You know, all the kids who could actually handle the schoolwork and the pressure. *eyeroll*

I’m allergic to Sudafed. Weird, huh?

A senior at my school told me to be careful with Nurse Bitchy. She has a sensitivity to acetaminophen (Tylenol) and couldn’t have it. Nurse Bitchy had given it to her a couple of times.

It was on my senior’s medical chart. If you’re keeping score, that’s felony attempted murder.

Nurse Bitchy gave me Sudafed seventeen times (that I remember) while I was at that school. She very nearly killed me doing it. Some times I knew, and some times I did not.

“But why did you take it, if you knew?”

Well, you innocent dove, if I refused to take the medicine that the Nurse gave me, then I got written up. Enough write-ups and I got kicked out.

My home school in the Hub City? Eh...as bad as Klan Kountry was, I didn’t have someone assaulting me daily. I didn’t have a gang of girls who got away with attempting to rape me with a broom handle. I didn’t have a very big kid who was given liberties with me (BY THE STAFF) because he was special ed.

Or, as my guidance counselor liked to say (after my father was murdered and I was flunking chemistry--not because of dad’s death, but because the chemistry teacher put all the girls and Black boys in the back of the class--which had NO air conditioning on hundred-degree days--after Brother Dave’s brother-in-law “fixed” it that summer), “Stephanie, you know that you’re the poorest student here. Do you really want to go back to THAT?”

No. I did not.

Under pain of going home to poverty, rape, assault, and maybe death, I took her poison. She watched me do it. And she smiled.

I only went to Nurse Bitchy when I was forced to. This happened far more often my Junior year. The teachers would send me because I was sick (I come from a smoker’s home, and I’m an asthmatic who is allergic to tobacco. My family never quit, so I’d end up with smoker’s pneumonia most times that I went home. Thanks for the lung scars, fam.)

Eventually, when I was a Senior, my computer science teacher realized that I was unresponsive with a fever in her class. She was new that year, and didn’t know any better. So she woke me up and sent me along. Nurse Bitchy gave me the usual and sent me back to class.

Very few humans retain the ability to projectile vomit after age seven. Did you know that?

Lucky me, I did. I still can.

I hurled all over my keyboard. I hurled and hurled. My classmates screamed and ran.

My computer science teacher, an ice-cold woman of Indian descent with a very posh English accent, unplugged the vomit-soaked, ruined keyboard. She took it and me to the nurse.

She slammed the keyboard down on her desk and screamed at her to NEVER send a sick child to her class again.

Nurse Bitchy was (shocking, I know) a racist. She feared the angry Indian lady.

My computer science teacher, I believe, spread the word about Nurse Bitchy’s ineffectiveness. Teachers stopped sending students to her.

That left a vacuum. Nobody was being forced to get medical help. But medical help was still needed.

Before going to school in Klan Kountry, I was a veterinary technician. I worked under-the-table from too young. Illegal-child-labor-too-young.

But, I knew my stuff. I had a stocked medicine cabinet and a dissection kit.

I started doing everything up to and including prison surgery in my dorm room.

I could handle most anything. Which was better than worrying that the nurse was going to poison one of my friends into the ground.

I didn’t ask for money or food or anything (food was a commodity at that school because our cafeteria was infested). I worked for the goodwill of my classmates, which is the shiniest coin in the realm.

I’d gotten into witchcraft earlier that year. People trusted the witch over the nurse. That’s where my school was.

I only had one case that I really couldn’t treat.

Y’all.

It was traditional in the girls’ dorms that unless you were asleep or studying, you kept your door open. Mine was open that night. I was writing Sailor Moon fanfiction, procrastinating on one project or another. I don’t remember, it was twenty-two years ago.

Ophelia Grace (not her real name) came to my door in Doc Martens, favoring a foot. Her roommate or a suitemate or maybe another theatre kid was holding her up as she hobbled into my room.

I hadn’t heard that she’d been hurt, but apparently she had been. She was feverish and weak. Her face was bright red. She was babbling.

“I’m sorry,” she said over and over again. She apologized for coming late. She apologized for coming at all. She was shaking.

I sat her and her friend on my roommate’s bed (we’d bunked them, and I had the top bunk). My roommate was out, in the art lab working on a particularly tricky painting. Probably for the best. He was squeamish (my ex-roommate is a transman, so I’m using his preferred pronouns.)

I grabbed a large bowl and a mug, filled both with water (salted the bowl of water), and went down the hall to the microwave.

The water in Klan Kountry was filthy. It smelled bad and tasted worse. Remember Mr. Sketchy Businessman? He wanted to relax EPA regulations for himself and his sketchy business friends.

They were actively dumping into the city reservoir. But Mr. Sketchy Businessman promised to KKKeep KKKlan KKKountry Lily, so he got 49% of the votes.

Racist douche.

I boiled the water in the microwave--first the mug, then the bowl. It was a walk I’d make several times that evening.

Ophelia had a fever, holding steady at “fucking HOT” by the estimate of her friend. My thermometer pegged it at 102. Not good.

I put a teabag and two whole cloves in the cup and let it steep while I took her temperature. I asked her what happened. I don’t remember the specifics of the injury, but I believe that something got dropped on her toe. I think it happened in the theatre.

Ophelia thought she could walk it off. I remember that.

She kept apologizing. I honeyed the tea and shoved it in her hands. The tea helped. She was shivering--hard--from the wracking chills of her fever.

I remember how her febrile shivers made the bunk beds shake.

I remember thinking that I was in over my head.

I remember grabbing my oldest towels, and closing my door.

I remember praying.

And then I took her boot off.

Y’all.

I’ve smelled rot. Some people think that all rot smells the same.

It does not.

Corpse stink has its own bouquet. Blood rot has a distinct stench. Necrotic yeast infections almost smell good--like yeast rolls and something meatier.

I’d smelled Ophelia’s particular rot before.

I was fourteen. A momma dog was brought in, heavily pregnant. She’d been delivering, and the third pup got stuck. There were 11 left. The stuck pup was dead, but we managed to save 4 behind him, plus the first 2, born healthy.

The uterus had begun to rot inside, and several of the pups had been dead for some time.

The spaying that happened after the pups were removed was green and black, with the consistency of pudding. We pulled as much out as we could, but the rest had to be rinsed out.

Thankfully, I’ve smelled that smell very few times after. It smells pungent and strong. Like garlic. Like a cream of garlic stew.

I thought I’d gotten a whiff of THAT smell when Ophelia walked in, and again when she sat down. Pulling her boot off was like the first deep cut into momma dog. Garlic and blood.

The smell of something rotting in someone still alive.

She had on two socks. I peeled off the first one. There was a stain at the toe. The second sock was worse. The smell hung around.

Our windows were screwed shut. I couldn’t do anything about the smell.

Ophelia cried into her tea. She was still apologizing.

The toe was purple and black. There was a lot of yellow pus under the nail, which was leaking out on either side. Red streaks ran up her instep, tracing her veins.

The toe was swollen and needed a lance.

I had no idea how she climbed the stairs to get to me. (I was on the third floor, and she lived below. We had no elevator.)

She started to get loud (peeling those socks off HURT), so I asked her a question. I asked about her history paper. The ten-page history paper was a rite-of-passage at the school, and I knew it was coming due for her. I told her to tell me about her topic and her sources.

She did.

Thank the Lord and Lady.

I got my dissection kit and rubbing alcohol. I made things as sterile as I could.

I told her that it would probably hurt, but that I would work quickly.

Her friend left after the first cut. She didn’t stay gone long, but I heard her vomit in our suite’s toilet.

Ophelia kept talking about her paper. I led her around on that topic, asking questions and asking for clarification. Asking about the books she’d read, and offering a few that I was familiar with on the subject.

This is why doctors and dentists know so many things about so many subjects. Talking keeps the patient calm.

Meanwhile, pus and blood dripped from the slits that I made in her flesh, onto a towel that bore the stains until I donated it to the animal shelter, years later.

I soaked her toe in the bowl of water. The salt burned, but she couldn’t scream.

There was an adult who was supposed to be watching us. If she was alerted to my low-tech medical unit, she would have stopped me and sent Ophelia to the murder nurse.

I filled another bowl, salted it, and microwaved it.

Ophelia’s friend rejoined us, and watched as I squeezed the rest of the pus out of her. Her toenail slipped off in the third bowl. The toenail was cracked. Ophelia kept it.

I wonder if she still has it?

Triple antibiotic ointment and a sterile dressing later, I told her to tell the nurse that she needed a doctor. Nurse Bitchy couldn’t keep us from a doctor if we asked for one. She said that she would.

I gave her a few oral anti-inflammatory pills and some Benadryl to get a good night’s sleep.

She left, with her boot in her hand and a soft smile on her lips. I cleaned my tools, my bowls, the floor where her foot was, and had to do a load of laundry because that one rag smelled so awful.

My roommate came back in time for headcount, and asked if I’d made ramen. Said it smelled pretty good in there.

It did. Rot can do that.

It was hard to sleep that night. I cried quietly until sleep took me.

Ophelia recovered. She became a witch some time later. In college, I think. We’re still friends, in a Facebook kind of way.

Brother Dave is still alive. After working for my school, he ended up helping the Church cover up three decades of sex abuse at a diocese school. Not sure what he’s up to, but probably nothing good. He’s a garbage human.

Nurse Bitchy just retired. She lasted twenty years at that school. God knows how.

Senator Fuckup died in a car crash and the school is being renamed after him. So are the new dorms that are being built.

Klan Kountry cleaned up their water after I left. That’s really good news.

The school continues. Apparently, it got better with Brother Dave’s leavetaking. I hope that’s true.

And me?

I’m still a witch. I’m still here.

And I can still smell that rotten toe on the edge of nightmares half-remembered.

~*~

I don’t want my diploma revoked or to be sued, so disclaimer time.

This is fiction. Any resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental.

[addierose444]

Spring 2020 Courses

Today is the first day of my second semester of college! This semester I will be taking a variety of courses totaling 23 credits. I know it’s an insane number of credits, but there are so many courses I am interested in taking. Besides, we have an add/drop period. If you’re curious about the other courses I have taken at Smith, check out this page.

For my major (B.S. in Engineering Science), I am taking Fundamental Engineering Principles (EGR 110) and Calculus II (MTH 112). EGR 110 is an introductory engineering course. I am really excited about EGR 110 because I think it will be interesting and challenging. Based on the course description, we will learn the basics of thermodynamics, study various systems, and learn about differential and integral balances. MTH 112 is a continuation of MTH 111. Specifically, we will learn specific techniques of integration (integration by parts and u-substitution), dive deeper into differential equations, and study infinite series that approximate other functions. 

I am also taking Introductory Physics II (PHY 118). In PHY 118, we will learn about electricity and magnetism. Second-semester first-year engineering students usually take Introductory Physics I (PHY 117). In PHY 117 students learn about force, energy, and momentum. I have fulfilled that requirement via the AP Physics C Mechanics exam. For my major, PHY 118 counts for lab science credit. I decided to take PHY 118 for my lab credit because it sounds interesting and relevant to the specific engineering I am interested in (computer engineering). Alternatively, I could have chosen to take a chemistry course (CHM 118 or CHM 222) or a biology course (BIO 130/131 or BIO 132/133). To read more about the specific engineering requirements, click here.  

Studying engineering at a liberal arts school means that I can take fantastic non-engineering courses! In fact, I am required to minor in a non-STEM field or fulfill the Latin Honors Distributional requirements. This spring, I am continuing my study of the French language in High Intermediate French (FRN 220). Last semester, my French course (FRN 120) focused primarily on grammar. FRN 220 is significantly more reading intensive. We will be reading a comic book, a play, and a novel. I will be further exploring the liberal arts in Game Theory (ECO 125). Economics is a totally new field to me, but I will be able to apply my knowledge of calculus to study the cooperation and competition of rational people. All I know about game theory is from reading the course description and some basic research to determine if I wanted to take the course. I expect to write a blog post about game theory once I fully understand what it is, so keep an eye out for that! ECO 125 has a social science Latin Honors designation which is another plus. 

In addition to regular courses, I will be taking private guitar lessons for credit. The course is generically called First Year of Study (MUS 914Y). The “Y”, means that the course is a full-year course. It is worth noting that while I am allowed to start in the spring I must continue my lessons next fall. Once I complete both semesters, I will earn credit that has the arts designation for Latin Honors. I have already started my lessons which has been awesome. This course pairs perfectly with my 2020 goals. It is also worth noting that private lessons cost $690 (or $490 with financial aid) per semester. While this is a sizable chunk of money, it’s actually an incredible deal. Declared music majors and minors have the cost of private lessons waived.

Below is my 2020 course schedule. I don’t yet know for sure when my guitar lesson will be because it depends on the availability of my instructor and his other students. That said, it will probably be sometime after 3:00 on Tuesdays. I know my schedule looks sort of weird with all of the white space in the middle. During that time I will be having lunch and working at my work-study job. I know it’s going to be a busy semester, but I am so excited about all of my courses.  

As you will see some of my courses this semester are weird lengths. For instance, PHY 118 meets for 25 extra minutes per class and has a 40-minute quiz block. PHY 118 is a 5-credit lab course, but the lab component is incorporated into the course itself rather than having a separate lab section. As far as I can tell, that’s why it is longer. On the other hand, FRN 220 meets for 25 fewer minutes per class. I am unsure why, but it may be because many 4-credit courses only meet twice a week. 

[helloecoleglobale]

A New Way to Teach and Learn-Five Technology Trends in Education

Technology is teaming up with education, and also the partnership is making life easier for each lecturer and students. Best boarding school in Dehradun like Ecole Globale use best technology into their education. Due to technological trends in education, students will kiss their 10-pound geometry and history textbooks goodbye, and lecturers can arrange a semester's worth of coursework from the comfort of their tablets. Here are 5 of the highest technology trends in education for 2014 – concentrate as a result of there may be a pop quiz later.

Video killed Blackboard

No need to worry, teachers! Though the video is opening new digital doors in terms of classwork and teaching designs, it's not taking the place of actual instructors. Whether lecturers need to record their lectures or choose from thousands of video lessons on-line, video within the room is adding to the teaching and learning method.

Likewise, video within the classroom makes a method for video outside of the school in the form of a school assignment. Rather than handing out textbook style assignments, lecturers will send school assignments via email or through the school's learning management system (LMS)with a video tutorial attached.

Gaming is the New Learning

Games create learning easier; that is precisely why ABC building blocks and color-coded form games are thus crucial for early development. The very same plan of gaming as the way to show extends to higher education. Whether your decision it tutorial gameplay or educational entertainment, gaming within the room is quickly changing into a significant teaching trend.

Forget Super Mario Brothers, as a result of classroom gaming, uses utterly totally different goal setting techniques. Rather than fighting a villain or conquering an empire, students will solve advanced math problems or find out about historical moments with the same high stakes excitement as Mario saving princess toadstool. The most effective part is, with room gaming, students will truly compete against each other, which makes game learning even more interactive.

Backpacks: Textbooks are Going Digital

Backpacks are going the method of the newspapers as a result of digital textbooks have become the new norm in hallways and lecture rooms all across the planet. With the proliferation of the almighty e-Book, it's solely a matter of your time till students equipped with T-Mobile tablets left their textbooks altogether and put the facility of digital learning within the palm of their hands.

Laptops are still thought of as the digital domain of e Learning; however, tablets are solely obtaining smaller and more capable, which makes them succeeding trend in professional school learning. The concept of digital textbooks only scratches the surface of tablet-inspired learning – suppose tablet-ready homework and web-based coursework on the go.

The Cloud classroom

The tech world is buzzing concerning the cloud's anyplace capabilities, and educators are catching on by using cloud computing and its several benefits each within and outside of the room. For lecturers, the cloud is excellent for managing and accessing student knowledge like check scores and files from anyplace.

As for school children, the cloud represents access to information on work, class schedules, and coming school-wide events. According to various boarding school review it is found that boarding schools implement best technologies into their Education  Also, the cloud brings parent/teacher conferences to a whole new level. With the cloud, parents will have constant access to their child's in-school performance as lecturers do, that bridges the communication gap between parents, students, and lecturers.

Education Analytics is putting student report cards to shame

With all-things educational turning into the digital era, it's no surprise the technology and science behind internet analytics are coming into the classroom yet. Where education analytics and internet analytics differ is within the research subject. Instead of tracking web site hits and traffic, analytics for the classroom will track how assignments, teaching designs, and coursework loads affect individual students.

Instead of standardized testing, education analytics will facilitate lecturers, and instructors pinpoint specific weaknesses in the learning method of every student. In alternative words, it's SEO: Student Education optimization, and it ends up in improved teaching styles and efficient learning. Education analytics is possible due to the technology trends in education that create learning a scalable, traceable, digital method.

As technology continues to search out its seat in the room, more and more educators realize the tech-ed partnership deserves an A+.

[shakilali-goldsmiths-blog]

Blog from Word (3rd June - 20th September 2019)

See below the blog I started on Microsoft word. This was due to me starting the blog and my project, before module data was released (i.e. information that we needed to record everything on tumblr).

3rd – 7th June 2019

This was the first week after exams finished. We were given the computing project presentation, along with previous project examples. This gave me an insight into what the third year consisted of. In addition, I was able to mentally start planning out my actions over the summer, which would aid me before I started my final year.

10th – 14th June 2019

Post the computing project introduction, I began my summer placement. To get a sense of the variety of project ideas, I asked multiple colleagues about their projects. The colleagues ranged in positions, from Software Developers to Database Administrators. The ideas were vast, for example: online vehicle registration, cinema ticket booking and educational software tools.

17th – 21st June 2019

In my spare time, I began exploring the internet for previous computer science projects. Sites I used include: https://1000projects.org/projects/cse-projects and  https://www.youtube.com/. When deciding which areas, I wanted to build my project on, I noticed I was gravitating towards ideas which encompassed my strengths and past modules. For instance, I studied ‘Algorithms and Data Structures’, and a project that interested me was a quiz application which tested fundamental mathematical knowledge and formulas.

24th – 28th June 2019

Towards the end of June, I began listing down a few project ideas which I would like to investigate further. The list did not contain anything concrete; it was quite diverse. This was so I could get a rough idea on where I could possibly delve deeper.  

1st – 5th July 2019

At this stage, I had quite a lengthy list of Computer Science related final year projects. They were in no particular order. This list was primarily put in place so I could begin marking off which types of projects I wanted to do and vice versa. I further assisted myself by placing this data in a spreadsheet and labelling how confident I felt about a certain project (Green = Confident, Yellow = Unsure, Red = Not Confident).

8th – 12th July 2019

During this week I filtered my spreadsheet, so I could see all the ‘green’ and ‘yellow’ projects. For the  yellow project’s, I made a new column which contained actions I would have to take in order to prepare  for that project e.g. learn AngularJS. As for the green project’s, I felt as though I had the necessary skills to carry out a project successfully.

15th – 19th July 2019

I used this week to look through my yellow project list and retain those which had reasonable steps for a successful project. At this point, there were still many projects in my green list. Therefore, I settled this by taking the top 10  projects I may want to do. These 10 were determined by colour (i.e. green or yellow), how confident I was in completing a successful project with them and how interesting they were to me.

22nd – 26th July 2019

Towards the end of the July, I began planning for my ideation. I wanted to test out my newly acquired LaTex (Document Preparation System) knowledge, therefore I installed Texmaker (cross-platform open-source LaTeX editor) and started a new document. I made an ideation template using the information on the VLE and planned to commence work on it the following week.

29th – 2nd July/August 2019

As aforementioned, I generated a spreadsheet which enclosed project’s and their status in accordance to my skill set and interests. This spreadsheet facilitated my ideation, as I was able to select my contexts, techniques and initial ideas from it. This week was spent filling in my ideation template.

5th – 9th August 2019

I wanted to use this week to begin one of my selected projects. This was so I could put my skills into use and consolidate them. At this stage, I was still carrying out my summer placement at Servelec. At Servelec, one of the many software products we provided was a digital case management software, Mosaic. This was primarily used in the social care sector. I decided, after much research, I would try to build my own web-based, digital case management system.

12th – 16th August 2019

Research went into how I would go about building my project. This was primarily based off YouTube tutorials. The outcome I came to was building it locally, using Python (OOP language). More specifically, Django, a python web-framework. As I did not previously code in Django, I felt the need to start an introductory course on Udemy.

19th – 23rd August 2019

During this week, I completed the Django introductory Udemy course. This enabled me to grasp elementary Django expertise. As previously mentioned, I did this course so I could begin development on my digital case management web application. This was the tutorial playlist I followed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-FTlQ7Djqc. Although, it was for a blog, it was the initial steppingstone for my end goal.

26th – 30th August 2019

My project began taking shape. I had created my first app (many app’s were used to make up the overall web application – part of SoC). Although the web application was quite dull, functionally and visually, I completed the base code, which in turn serves as the fundamental component for the entire application.

2nd – 6th September 2019

This week I completed and submitted my ideation. It contained my contexts, techniques, inspirations and initial ideas. In addition, I finished another app: articles. My web application now displayed articles written through Django’s in-built administration url. I also learnt more in depth about Django concepts such as Models, Templates and Migrations.

9th – 13th September 2019

The Django tutorials are almost coming to an end. I finished implementing the last mini app: accounts. This app took care of individual accounts (including super users and normal users). In addition, it now meant articles were linked to their authors. Throughout the process of the tutorial, I was adding in my own additions. For example, my naming conventions were specific to case management.

16th – 20th September 2019

My Django playlist had now ended. Final videos included demonstrations on how to style the web application, and make it more aesthetically pleasing. In order to adhere to SoC (Separation of Concerns) principles, my CSS (Style.css) went in a different folder (assets) to the mini apps. Classes were assigned to various html elements, and these were corresponding to code given to them in Styles.css. I made my own changes to the CSS by integrating in bootstrap.