CS373 Fall 2020: Mitchell Watkins
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Houston, TX, and have lived there my whole life. More specifically, I live in Stafford, TX.
What high school did you attend?
I attended Westbury Christian, a very small private school in Houston, TX. I had a graduating class of only 57 students!
What was your favorite extracurricular activity in high school?
Throughout high school, and actually my whole life, I played basketball. I’ve been playing basketball for as long as I can remember, and it was by far my favorite extracurricular activity.
Why did you come to UT?
For me, UT was ideal because it was in a Goldilocks distance from home, not too far, and more importantly not to close. I also chose UT because it is without a doubt an amazing University and more specifically the Computer Science Program is top-notch!
Why are you in this class?
I believe the topic area of this course aligns with my career path and the skills this course teaches are the skills I desire.
What are your expectations of this class?
I expect this class to have quite a big workload, but I also expect it to be worth it.
How much Javascript/Python/Web programming do you already know?
I was actually in the process of learning Javascript, Python, and Web programming over the summer. I got pretty far! I have a solid foundation in Javascript, Node.js, Python, HTML, and CSS. I’ve never really programmed in these languages in a class setting yet, just in my side projects.
How did you fell about the cold calling?
It sounded intimidating at first, but after seeing it in action I’ve realized it’s not so bad and nothing to fret over.
What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?
Professor Downing introduced Docker to the class and it is my pick-of-the-week. The application can be used to ensure that all the necessary tools for a project are packaged together and easily deployed and I’m excited to learn more about it.
