1º Semester of University
Algorithm and Programming 1
Before we started learning ANY programming language, the teacher explained how a machine “thinks” and how we should “instruct” it to do what we want and get the result we want. For example, making a cake, the ingredients, the algorithm for making it and the most important step, showing the cake!
After that, we started learning the basics of programming, using Python:
What is a variable? What types has it?
Struct of condition and repetition;
Homogeneous Composite Variables;
How to define a function.
Besides that we learned contents of the next course, Algorithm and Programming 2:
Ordinations algorithms;
Queue and Stack;
File Handling.
I'll be honest, I didn't pay much attention to the class, I always prefer to study on my own and learn the theory in practice.
In addition to the course, I started training to take part in a programming contest, so I was forced to learn concepts beyond Algorithm and Programming 2, pushing myself in each challenge to be able to solve problems that were “beyond my capabilities” at the time. Thank you Amaury and all my veterans that organized the training!
Calculus 1
In this course we started with the basics, functions with one variable, intervals and inequalities, among others.
The next topic was limit and continuity, starting with the concept of limit, lateral limit, and the limit at infinity, as well as continuity functions. The last topic was derivatives, learning derivation rules such as the chain rule and implicit derivatives.
My experience with it? Incredible, it was the first course where I felt like: “I'm at university!”. I'll be honest, I didn't put much effort into this course, so the class was a bit confusing, but I managed.
Introduction to Computing
This course is more of an introduction to UFMS and the basic concepts of computing, binary, decimal, hexadecimal and their transformations.
And, a very important topic that was not considered important by most students, LaTeX. During my first work report I chose LaTeX to do it, it was confusing and the result was just a single file with all the text, but it was a good way to learn, trying and making a horrible result 😀.
Vectors and Analytical Geometry
This subject was my second favorite of the first semester, only after Algorithm and Programming 1, the reason? It was difficult! I really, really wanted to get a 10 in this subject, but the teacher's test always had to know some very specific content to get a perfect grade, so I tried my best. I got a very good grade in a subject that was considered difficult, but it wasn't a 10. However, I considered it a 10 for effort!