CS 371P Spring 2021: Caroline Hatcher

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Arlington, Virginia, which is a suburb of Washington, D.C.

What high school did you attend?

I attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia.

What was your favorite extracurricular activity in high school?

In high school, I started participating in History Quiz Bowl my junior year. I really enjoyed being part of the club, especially since it was very different from my usual activities. I’ve always loved trivia games and watching Jeopardy.

Why did you come to UT?

I came to UT because of the strong academics and the computer science program. I also was influenced by a particularly cold winter to go somewhere warmer. Finally, I wanted to be in a city that had other aspects to it besides the university.

Why are you majoring in CS?

I really enjoy the ability to problem solve creatively in computer science. I’ve always enjoyed math/quantitative problems, so computer science is an engaging and challenging field for me.

Why are you in this class?

I want to have the chance to learn more about C++ and Object Oriented Programming conventions. I’ve also heard from word-of-mouth that this class is a good learning experience.

What are your expectations of this class?

I hope to come out of the class feeling almost as comfortable using C++ as I do using my preferred languages Java and Python.

How much C++ do you already know?

I know some C++ from previous classes, but I wouldn’t say I am confident using it in Objected Oriented Programming scenarios.

How did you feel about the cold calling?

I like cold calling because I struggle to be engaged with online classes as much as in person ones sometimes. I think cold calling is a great way to reintroduce the interactions we have in in-person classes. I also believe it promotes more accountability when I’m listening to the lecture, and it offers an opportunity to have some questions cleared up regardless of whether I am the observer or the student selected to answer.

What made you happy this week?

I have a waffle maker, so I like to take the time to have a long and enjoyable breakfast on the weekends using it. I made myself waffles with maple syrup and sausage yesterday.

What’s your tip-of-the-week?

I use VSCode’s ssh feature to ssh into the UTCS computers. I enjoy having all the features of an IDE while still saving my work on the lab computers. Before I did this, I wasted a lot of time on VIM.