Journal 3

Jan 22- 28

 Hi, future me. This week was my toughest yet, but everything turned out okay. I still have pneumonia, but antibiotics are going well. Winds were bad again this week and I went without power for over a day, so I had to be conservative with battery usage. A bad fire broke out near the house and we only had a few hours to pack everything up and evacuate. The two winter courses are nearing their end, so the workload is more than ever, and I spend most of my time completing homework assignments for the three classes. In hopeful news, I booked a trip to Mammoth with all of my friends to celebrate the end of the winter semester, I hope you can look back at this trip as a fun highlight, I am really looking forward to it. 

Part 1: Last journal entry, I listed creating a schedule for studying as one of my weak points due to the various hours assigned at work. Being sick this week has meant not getting to work at all, so I tried to be more mindful of setting specific times aside for study. 

1. A personal time survey:

a. number of hours of sleep each night: 7 x 7 = 49

b. number of grooming hours per day: 1 x 7 = 7

c. number of hours for meals/ snacks per day: 3 x 7 = 21

d. total travel time weekdays: 0.5 x 5 = 2.5

    total travel time weekends: 1

e. number of hours per week for regularly scheduled functions: 5

f. number of hours per day for chores, errands, extra grooming: 2 x 7 = 14

g. number of hours of work per week: 20

h. number of hours in class per week: 20

i. number of avg. hours per week socializing: 10

total: 149.5

168 - 149.5 = 18.5 hours allowed for studying

2. Study hour formula:

3 difficult class credit hours x 4 = 12

total = 12 hours

3. Daily schedules:

I do well with visualizing assignment due dates on a white board at my desk. I can write down a schedule of study hours that corresponds with when the assignment is due and the approximate number of hours needed to complete said assignment. This will help me to block out the best times for studying.

4. Don't be a perfectionist:

I find this portion to be particularly challenging as I am diagnosed with OCD and often obsess and stress over completion and perfection. I will be sure to work on this mindset in the future.

5. Learn to say no:

I could especially use some help in this area as my boyfriend typically only sees me once every week or two and I feel an obligation to spend time with him while he is here. I will work towards saying no to going out in order to prioritize studying and assignments.

6. Learn to prioritize:

I feel as though I do well in this area as I am good at getting things done around the house and in school. I can work on not utilizing one task to avoid another and truly doing them in order of priority.

7. Combine several activities:

I have recently been working on this as I am someone who enjoys listening to video essays or podcasts while I shower, get ready, or cook. I have begun listening to the video lectures rather than my usual YouTube content during these periods.

Part 2: This week's reading and activities was very interesting and informative. I took genuine interest in the "Ethics in the age of AI" video and found myself pausing to contemplate the questions Sandel was asking. I believe that utilization of an AI depiction of an individual without consent is unethical, despite how cool it may seem to see a deceased actor in a new movie role. I really had to sit and contemplate my thoughts on the question regarding whether the AI of a deceased loved one would be comforting or scary for me. I think, under current technological capabilities, I would not like to interact with the AI recreation of a deceased loved one as I do not believe a computer could capture the nuances of true human interaction, especially in such an emotional regard. However, should uploading a neural network of consciousness become a possibility, perhaps my views on the topic could change. The TED talk with Suleyman was very eye-opening and I enjoyed his addressing of both the need for and the issues with artificial intelligence. It is comforting to hear of the vast potential benefits of AI from the eyes of a working professional on the topic, as I often see a myriad of online discourse of laypeople speaking on the dangers and fears associated with AI. The writing lab portion of the week contained slides that delved into the different types of ethical frameworks, and I looked further into most of the categories for examples and clarification. I truly enjoyed the philosophy ethics course I took in community college, so I am eager to apply the same frame of mind to technology.

Part 3: Truthfully, I found the "What every computer science major should know" reading to be a bit overwhelming. While I appreciate the information and perspective, the amount of areas included that I lacked knowledge or experience in felt a bit disheartening. I know I am still at the beginning of my computer science journey, and I will come to learn many of these topics, but the sheer amount of listed topics that I "should know" almost gave me a sense of imposter syndrome. On the contrary, when I did come across a topic or language I was familiar with, I felt a bit of relief. This reading put into perspective the amount of work and dedication I must commit to fulfilling this goal of becoming a computer science major. I feel the presentation of a long, thin, seemingly-endless scrolling format also contributed to my feelings. I be sure to reference back to this article as I continue my journey at CSUMB so that I can see how much of this list I learn by the end.

Part 4: After reading the code of integrity, I feel it is important for myself and other students to adhere to such for fairness purposes. Not only would it not be fair to peers and teammates if work was being plagiarized, it would be unfair to my future self should I find myself in a computer science career. I will need to truly learn these topics to be successful, and I am paying my own money to be here in these courses. I am cheating myself by not committing my best to learning the material presented and completing assignments to the best of my own ability.