Education
Summary
I am pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the University of South Dakota. Currently in my senior year, I plan to graduate in May 2018. During my years at the U, I have spent time studying some of my interests in addition to technology. Particularly, I have completed minors in both composite mathematics and the German language. I have also been a participant in music ensembles for a number of years.
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Computer science (specifically, software development) is my passion. The University of South Dakota offers two undergraduate computer science degrees: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. Both are general computer science studies. That means the Department of Computer Science does not offer specializations or a specific degree for an area of computer science (e.g., networking or programming). My degree, the Bachelor of Science, outlines the following course requirements:
In addition to these courses, the degree also requires 15 credit hours of electives, and a composite mathematics minor. The electives I completed are the following:
I recognized I had a knack for computers sometime around junior high or early high school. Surprisingly, I don't remember exactly how I got into it, but I began learning on my own how to write Windows message box scripts. After that, I moved on to learning the Command Prompt and writing simple batch scripts. At some point, I found an easy-to learn programming language--complete with IDE--from Microsoft called Small Basic. It was with this language that I wrote a program that uses a turtle to draw a house, and made a presentation for my ninth grade geometry class.
Fast forward to my senior year of high school. During the spring semester, a dual credit programming class was offered in conjunction with Northeast Community College. A computer science instructor came over from the college to teach this class every morning. We learned Visual Basic and naturally used Visual Studio for the IDE. I caught on really quickly, and the instructor noticed this. He asked if I would be a tutor for the students who were struggling, and I accepted. I ended the semester with a strong understanding of basic programming fundamentals like scope, methods and functions, and references. This class is really what confirmed that I wanted to study computer science in college.
- Computer Science I
- Computer Science II
- Machine Organization
- Algorithms & Data Structures
- Operating Systems
- Software Engineering
- Systems Analysis
- Database Management Systems
In addition to these courses, the degree also requires 15 credit hours of electives, and a composite mathematics minor. The electives I completed are the following:
- Computer Networks and Security
- Theory and System Fundamentals
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Vision
- Social, Ethical, and Legal Aspects of Computing
- Unix Environment
- Rich Internet Applications
I recognized I had a knack for computers sometime around junior high or early high school. Surprisingly, I don't remember exactly how I got into it, but I began learning on my own how to write Windows message box scripts. After that, I moved on to learning the Command Prompt and writing simple batch scripts. At some point, I found an easy-to learn programming language--complete with IDE--from Microsoft called Small Basic. It was with this language that I wrote a program that uses a turtle to draw a house, and made a presentation for my ninth grade geometry class.
Fast forward to my senior year of high school. During the spring semester, a dual credit programming class was offered in conjunction with Northeast Community College. A computer science instructor came over from the college to teach this class every morning. We learned Visual Basic and naturally used Visual Studio for the IDE. I caught on really quickly, and the instructor noticed this. He asked if I would be a tutor for the students who were struggling, and I accepted. I ended the semester with a strong understanding of basic programming fundamentals like scope, methods and functions, and references. This class is really what confirmed that I wanted to study computer science in college.
Composite Math Minor
The BS computer science degree from USD comes with a composite mathematics minor built in to the course requirements. I took the following courses for this minor:
Starting in fifth grade, my teacher recognized that I, along with several other students, was fit for an advanced track in math. (It was probably a standardized test with which I did well rather than my teacher actually recognizing my strength, but I do not remember all the details since this was early in my life and education.) The advanced-math fifth graders were placed in a sixth grade math section; and from this year forward, we would be a year ahead of everybody else when it came to math. As such, I finished my junior year of high school with pre-calculus under my belt. I had the opportunity to take AP (Advanced Placement) Calculus during my senior year, but the class period for which it was offered conflicted with AP Physics. I opted to take AP Physics.
I have always had a strength for math, and I have usually liked doing it. That is why I barely batted an eye when I learned my degree had this math minor already built in to it. When I say "built in", I mean I did not have to tell anybody I wanted a math minor, and I did not have to take any extra classes in addition to my major classes. Upon completing the requirements for a BS computer science degree, I automatically have a composite math minor. (There is also a regular math minor, which does require additional courses beyond the ones required for a composite math minor.) I completed the minor requirements after the first semester of my junior year.
- Calculus I
- Calculus II
- Discrete Structures
- Introduction to Statistics
- Linear Algebra
Starting in fifth grade, my teacher recognized that I, along with several other students, was fit for an advanced track in math. (It was probably a standardized test with which I did well rather than my teacher actually recognizing my strength, but I do not remember all the details since this was early in my life and education.) The advanced-math fifth graders were placed in a sixth grade math section; and from this year forward, we would be a year ahead of everybody else when it came to math. As such, I finished my junior year of high school with pre-calculus under my belt. I had the opportunity to take AP (Advanced Placement) Calculus during my senior year, but the class period for which it was offered conflicted with AP Physics. I opted to take AP Physics.
I have always had a strength for math, and I have usually liked doing it. That is why I barely batted an eye when I learned my degree had this math minor already built in to it. When I say "built in", I mean I did not have to tell anybody I wanted a math minor, and I did not have to take any extra classes in addition to my major classes. Upon completing the requirements for a BS computer science degree, I automatically have a composite math minor. (There is also a regular math minor, which does require additional courses beyond the ones required for a composite math minor.) I completed the minor requirements after the first semester of my junior year.
German Minor
The University of South Dakota offers several foreign languages to its students. These languages include the typical Spanish, French, and German; as well as Russian, Latin, and Lakota. For a minor in German, I completed the following requirements:
Both of my parents took German classes in high school. Our family has German heritage. Naturally, I also began German in high school (from the same teacher who taught my parents). I learned German during my first two years of high school. I would have liked to go for three years, and to have been in the first fourth year German class at my high school; but unfortunately the program was cut for budgeting reasons. I was playing with the idea of minoring in German in college, so I decided to take the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) test for the German language. Even after two years without a German class, I was still able to test out of the first two semesters. I completed the minor requirements after the first semester of my junior year.
- Introductory German I (CLEP Exemption)
- Introductory German II (CLEP Exemption)
- Intermediate German I
- Intermediate German II
- Advanced Composition and Conversation I
Both of my parents took German classes in high school. Our family has German heritage. Naturally, I also began German in high school (from the same teacher who taught my parents). I learned German during my first two years of high school. I would have liked to go for three years, and to have been in the first fourth year German class at my high school; but unfortunately the program was cut for budgeting reasons. I was playing with the idea of minoring in German in college, so I decided to take the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) test for the German language. Even after two years without a German class, I was still able to test out of the first two semesters. I completed the minor requirements after the first semester of my junior year.
Music
My experience in music dates back to 2005. I was nine years old and just beginning fourth grade. Interested by the orchestra recruitment performance put on by a small group of high school students, I decided I wanted to learn how to play the violin. It was then that I learned my great grandfather was quite talented with the violin back in his day. In fact, my grandparents still had his violin in storage. We dug it out of the basement, and the rest is history. I still use the same violin to this day.
The next year, fifth grade, was when band recruitment started. After a year of hard work on the violin, I decided I wanted to try band. Would band be in place of orchestra? Of course not! I would go on to practice and perform with both the violin and the trumpet. Originally, I wanted to be a percussionist. I opted for my second instrument of choice, trumpet, when I learned that they recommend having a couple years of piano lessons for playing in the percussion section. This experience was preferred because a person could learn pitched percussion instruments, such as xylophone and marimba, more quickly.
In high school, I was a part of several music ensembles. I played violin in the string orchestra and trumpet in concert band, symphonic band, pep band, and marching band. In addition, I played trumpet in jazz band for a year, and I spent a year of symphonic band filling in as a horn player. (Horn is the instrument colloquially known as French horn.) Make no mistake: violin has always been my "main" instrument. I enjoy playing it over trumpet, and, probably because I do enjoy it more, I can play it better.
My high school in Norfolk was the host of the annual District Music Contest. High schools from around northeast Nebraska come together to compete in large ensembles, small ensembles, and solos. Groups and individuals are scored by judges on a 1-5 scale, where 1 is Superior and 5 is Poor. I consistently scored Excellent (2) on my violin solos each year. I performed with a number of small string ensembles and small wind ensembles, helping each group score Excellent or Superior. I decided to try a trumpet solo during my senior year, and to my absolute surprise, I scored Superior.
I have continued to be involved in music through college. In fact, I started out as a double major in computer science (BS) and musical arts (violin emphasis, BMA). During my freshman year, I took music theory and had my first professional private lessons on violin. Unfortunately, due to time and financial constraints, I decided to dial back from music major to music participant. For my post-graduation goals, I didn't see much advantage to holding a music degree, or even just a music minor, so I knew it would be best to focus my effort in computer science.
Despite changing my plans, I have still been active in the Department of Music. I enjoy playing violin in the symphony orchestra, which includes students, faculty, and members of the community. I played with the chamber orchestra, a small, audition-only group, for three years, and reluctantly sat my senior year out so I could focus on my major coursework. I wasn't as active with trumpet in college as I was in high school. I played in the marching band, The SOUND of USD, as a freshman and as a junior. It was a lot of fun, but it also took up too much time to participate all four years.
The next year, fifth grade, was when band recruitment started. After a year of hard work on the violin, I decided I wanted to try band. Would band be in place of orchestra? Of course not! I would go on to practice and perform with both the violin and the trumpet. Originally, I wanted to be a percussionist. I opted for my second instrument of choice, trumpet, when I learned that they recommend having a couple years of piano lessons for playing in the percussion section. This experience was preferred because a person could learn pitched percussion instruments, such as xylophone and marimba, more quickly.
In high school, I was a part of several music ensembles. I played violin in the string orchestra and trumpet in concert band, symphonic band, pep band, and marching band. In addition, I played trumpet in jazz band for a year, and I spent a year of symphonic band filling in as a horn player. (Horn is the instrument colloquially known as French horn.) Make no mistake: violin has always been my "main" instrument. I enjoy playing it over trumpet, and, probably because I do enjoy it more, I can play it better.
My high school in Norfolk was the host of the annual District Music Contest. High schools from around northeast Nebraska come together to compete in large ensembles, small ensembles, and solos. Groups and individuals are scored by judges on a 1-5 scale, where 1 is Superior and 5 is Poor. I consistently scored Excellent (2) on my violin solos each year. I performed with a number of small string ensembles and small wind ensembles, helping each group score Excellent or Superior. I decided to try a trumpet solo during my senior year, and to my absolute surprise, I scored Superior.
I have continued to be involved in music through college. In fact, I started out as a double major in computer science (BS) and musical arts (violin emphasis, BMA). During my freshman year, I took music theory and had my first professional private lessons on violin. Unfortunately, due to time and financial constraints, I decided to dial back from music major to music participant. For my post-graduation goals, I didn't see much advantage to holding a music degree, or even just a music minor, so I knew it would be best to focus my effort in computer science.
Despite changing my plans, I have still been active in the Department of Music. I enjoy playing violin in the symphony orchestra, which includes students, faculty, and members of the community. I played with the chamber orchestra, a small, audition-only group, for three years, and reluctantly sat my senior year out so I could focus on my major coursework. I wasn't as active with trumpet in college as I was in high school. I played in the marching band, The SOUND of USD, as a freshman and as a junior. It was a lot of fun, but it also took up too much time to participate all four years.
