Essays

Beyond Web Apps: Core Software Engineering Principles

14 May 2025

Software engineering is much more than learning the ins and outs of a particular web framework or language. While this course’s technology stack focused on building web applications, its deeper purpose was to immerse us in timeless and broadly applicable...

Reflection Software Engineering

My Journey with AI in ICS 314

12 May 2025

Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly become a transformative force in education, offering students and instructors alike new ways to teach, learn, and collaborate. In the realm of Software Engineering—where problem solving, code quality, and effective documentation are paramount—AI tools...

AI Usage Software Engineering

Navigating the Architecture of Design Patterns

24 Apr 2025

When I first encountered design patterns in my studies, I struggled to see their relevance to my interests in game development and RF engineering. They seemed like abstract concepts far removed from the real-time systems and signal processing I worked...

design-patterns software-engineering architecture

Why UI Frameworks Matter

27 Feb 2025

Creating a modern website from scratch using raw HTML and CSS might sound like an empowering challenge since both languages are fundamental to web development and relatively easy to master at a basic level. However, when it comes to building...

HTML CSS Bootstrap 5

The Power of Coding Standards

13 Feb 2025

Coding standards often get dismissed as trivial rules about indentation, brace placement, or variable naming conventions. However, I believe they serve a much more important purpose. If I had to choose only one software engineering practice to improve code quality,...

Coding Standards ESLint VSCode

The Art of Asking Smart Questions

30 Jan 2025

In software engineering, communication is not just about writing code but about fostering collaboration. Eric Raymond’s essay How to Ask Questions the Smart Way provides a blueprint for effective interaction in open-source communities. This essay explores the visible impact of...

Smart Questions StackOverflow

My First Steps with TypeScript and Athletic Software Engineering

23 Jan 2025

When I first learned about TypeScript, I wasn’t sure what to expect. With experience in languages like C, C++, and Python, I felt confident programming fundamentals, but I hadn’t worked with scripting languages like JavaScript before. As I completed exercises...

Software Engineering Javascript Programming