Week 2: Learning Strategy Reflections, Time Management Activity Log, Project Management Basics, Previous Capstones That Interest Me, Weekly Reflection
3 learning strategies I am good at and 3 learning
strategies to improve from Dr. Bob Kizlik's Effective Study Skills piece:
Dr. Kizlik's write-up on effective study skills gave me a
lot to consider. On one hand, I feel particularly capable of a handful of
approaches listed but on the other hand, there are more abstract elements of
effective studying that I still need to nail down for myself. As far as more
controlled aspects of my personal study culture go, I will say I am great at
making a study schedule, gathering the proper materials before writing or
working, and making every hour that I am actually studying count.
It's difficult for me to begin working on
any project without mapping out the workflow and estimating rough windows of
time that each phase of the process might take. I am good at reassessing how I
need to use the allotted study or work time as usefully as possible. As someone
who has been a student for over 20 years, I am not thrilled with expending
energy or time superfluously. Another way to accidentally spend superfluous
effort on a project is not having all the necessary materials gathered, I would
never try to paint a picture of a lake before actually sitting myself in front
of the lake with paint, a canvas, and all the other necessary tools to paint a
picture of a lake. This all speaks to my final studying strength I will note,
which is making the hours count. If I have managed to make the plans and gather
the materials, I have already overcome my worst obstacles in the process.
Putting in the effort to establish a sturdy studying foundation yields
results.
While I mostly have a sound strategy for
establishing that aforementioned sturdy studying foundation, there are aspects
of the process I could improve. Firstly, I have toyed with the idea of a tablet
for note taking for years but have remained attached to the tactile nature of a
physical notebook. The physical notebook is limiting in the modern world as
keeping detailed notes for multiple classes or focuses quickly leads to needing
more physical notebooks. My backpack has weighed at least 30 pounds the last
two years. Among other struggles, I find that my study space leaves much to be
desired. My wife and I are currently in the process of trying to establish an
office space for me at home as I tend to have my work and school laptops open
concurrently along with whatever materials needed for each. I will also say my
drive to complete assignments sometimes leads to wanting to push myself until
everything is done even when I have ample time, which leads to staying up late
into the night and sacrificing the weekend/day-off energy in the name of least
having completed what I needed to do.
Time management activity log sample:
Project Management presentations summary:
Introduction to Project Management
This video introduces the concept
of project management and project managers, defining what a project is, how it connects
to business strategy, how projects are initiated and prioritized within an
organization, and who leads the charge. A project is the “instrument to achieve
a goal”. A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique
product, service, or new business process. It is different than a typical ongoing
business operation like accounting or receiving. Projects have specific desired
output and are bound by time, scope, and cost—known as the "triple
constraint." If one of these factors changes, it impacts others. Projects
are often organized in response to market needs, business needs, technological
advancements, customer requests, legal requirements, social needs, or other
important considerations. Once a goal is defined, multiple projects may stem
from it. Management must prioritize based on urgency, importance, and available
resources. The process is referred to as "project selection," and
involves the management team evaluating projects to ensure they bring value to
the company and stakeholders. A project manager is crucial to completing
projects properly and promptly. The PM is accountable for the success of the
project, ensuring it meets its goals within the agreed time frame and budget.
They manage not only their own tasks but also the work of other stakeholders,
including team members, vendors, and other parties involved. PM’s must have the
ability to cover fundamentals, plan, manage quality, communicate, and conduct
business analyses. PM’s must manage both people and the project workflow
through strategy, leadership, professionalism, and good attitude.
How to create a Work Breakdown Structure
This
video provides a highly-detailed description of how to create a Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS) for projects and project management. WBS is a renowned tool for
a results-based approach. The WBS abstraction layers help identify individual
tasks needed through a level system. Level 0 represents the entire project—the “deliverables”
or end product. Level 1 is called the “key-line” and dictates how the project
will be organized, the key-line depends on the big three mentioned in the prior
video: time, scope, and cost. Level 2 is major deliverables, interim and
perhaps even end product. Level 3 is the primordial stage of deliverables such
as prototypes and testing. Level four is even smaller subcomponents of
deliverables. The levels are typically displayed as a list or tree diagram,
this allows the team to map the project and ensure optimal success.
Project Management in Under 5: What is a Gantt Chart?
In
a classic case of rewritten history, the Gantt Chart is perhaps a misnomer as
its true first development came from Karol Adamyaki. The structure of a Gantt
Chart is marked by a horizontal axis of time and a vertical axis of lists that
need to be completed. Tasks are represented by a bar with the bar length
representing the duration of the task and position on the chart representing
its place in the schedule. Milestones are represented by symbols such diamonds
or triangles. Reading Gantt charts can be tricky as they can become complex
amid larger projects that may have parallel or intersecting tasks and
timeframes. Ultimately, Gantt Charts—or perhaps Adamyaki Charts—are a useful
tool to begin mapping and tackling large or complex projects.
Capstone festival review:
I was extremely impressed with the Security Scan Summary Project, now that's a cybersecurity software engineering capstone project. Not only was identifying malicious code an endeavor, but to add the goal of removing ambiguity for non-technical users speaks to two sides of software engineering that interest me: solving problems and making problems more understandable. Robin Hurtado's project impressed me as I do not know enough about Neural Network Libraries and increasing the accuracy of a brain tumor detecting algorithm is no small feat and makes me feel challenged to think bigger for my capstone project. I also enjoyed the vision of the Town-Hub project, this was an app that relied on a mobile interface. I think the app could go further than a website but I see the value as even in my small town I hear about great art events and gatherings much too late. I laud all three of these projects for their strong or colorful presentations as well.
My week of learning:
Hi Liam, looking over your time management sheet I was inspired to add some stuff to mine, so thank you! Particularly setting time aside to check your CSUMB email. I have a bad habit of forgetting to check it so when I open mine I'm inundated with several emails that I should've seen hours or even a day or two ago. It's also great to set aside time for physical health. Being physical is important especially considering how busy you are with work and school. Good job on your organizational skills.
ReplyDeleteThe schedule is very detailed and well balanced, laying down work, study, gym, and project planning efficiently. One appreciable aspect is the way you have slotted times for assignment review and team meeting. I would suggest adding some short breaks between long study sessions to improve concentration and avoid burnout.
ReplyDeleteI really like the dedicated time every morning for checking announcements and reassessing your daily schedule. It's a reminder that things come up and we need to be able to pivot. Your regular exercise routine is also good to see. It was heartening to hear our instructors mention the importance of exercise and physical activity during the orientation. Even a decade ago it would never have been brought up.
ReplyDeleteSplitting up school work over multiple days and explicitly calling out the different phases of completing the weekly assignments is a good feature. I do the same. It helps with keeping us from being overwhelmed at the last minute and adds more focus and organization to our processes. I think that including your commute time in your schedule is also helpful. It's easy to forget how much time we devote to our commutes so having it there in black and white helps maintain awareness. Lastly, I like that you keep your Sunday open. Having that unallocated block of time that isn't devoted to any one specific task is great. It leaves you some room to decompress. It's a conscious effort but I try to do the same.