Some code, some electives, and some fun!

Hey there!

I’ve just finished my fifth semester at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. My Junior year is off to a great start! Here’s an update on what I learned and what I did!

Classes

My classload this semester was not as programming-heavy as it has been in previous semesters. This is nice on one hand, but on the other I miss it! Here are the classes I took and what I learned:

• COSC361 Operating Systems - This course focused on the design and structure of Operating Systems. I studied the Linux Kernel through the course textbook, and through programming assignments I implemented parts of an POSIX compliant OS using C++. These assignments included a process scheduler, a block device driver, a mutex and semaphore, a memory management unit, a filesystem, and a VirtIO device. This course allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how an operating system is implemented, and encouraged me to think about how processes are executed by the OS.

• COSC494 Unconventional Computation - In this class I learned about methods of computation such as quantum computing, analog computing, molecular computing, and more. We went more in-depth with quantum computing, learning about algorithms and designing our own quantum circuits. While I don’t expect to be using any of these types of computers in the near future, the course encouraged me to consider alternative technologies and to view computation from a higher level. I also just found it super fascinating!

• ECE313 Probability and Random Variables - This math-focused course covered random variables and how to build probability models using them. I enjoyed learning this new toolset for modeling problems, and some of the applications of the math are super cool! For example, one can model the spread of requests coming to a server using a Poisson distribution. It definitely seems like one of the most useful math classes I’ve taken. Vegas here I come!

• ENT350 Intro to Entrepreneurship - This is the first entreprenuership course I have taken, and it covered topics from a study of different founders, to the financing models available to startups, to legal requirements for new companies. A large part of the course was a group project to invent and present a hypothetical startup pitch. This course made me start to seriously consider starting my own company someday. I have picked up Entrepreneurship as a minor now, so I will have several more courses about the topic in the next few semesters!

• GRDS150 The Idea of Design - This course was taken as an Arts and Humanities gen ed, but I was excited to get an introduction to Graphic Design. We spent the class discussing famous works in the graphic design world, as well as discussing some formal theory and creating some projects. My favorite part were some of the documentaries that we watched, such as one about IDEO design group and another entirely about the Helvetica typeface. This course introduced me to formally thinking about design, and encouraged me to notice the design of the objects I use every day. I hope to continue to improve the design of my own projects and creations.