AaronHsiung’s Blog

Greetings,

Taking this course has been a big journey for me, with lots of challenges, learning, and big wins. Looking back, the biggest win for me was learning to make a website on my own. This was a big moment because I saw that making websites can be done in many ways. There are so many skills and methods to add just one thing to a website! This showed me it’s better to understand the big picture of how programming works instead of trying to remember every single coding detail.

In our group project, we made a Dating App for Animal Adoption, and I worked on the part that runs in the background, which we call the backend. I spent a lot of time figuring out how users can log in or sign up, and how they can get back their password or username if they forget it. I used something called itsdangerous, which helps keep information safe when it’s sent over the internet, especially for login and sign-up. This was not just about using a new tool but about making sure users can trust our app with their information.

This course also taught me a lot about myself. I learned to keep going even when things get tough and that it’s okay to not know everything at once. The big lesson was to focus on understanding the main ideas instead of trying to memorize every little coding rule. This change in how I see problems – not as things that stop me but as chances to learn more – is the biggest thing I’m taking away from this course.

In the end, this course has been very important for me. It gave me the skills to do well in web development and also taught me how to face hard problems, learn from them, and keep getting better. Making a website from scratch and working on our group project has made me much more confident in what I can do with technology and ready for what comes next.

Greetings,

I am pleased to introduce our current endeavor: the development of a Dating App for Animal Adoption. This project aims to facilitate the connection between shelter animals and potential owners through a web-based full-stack application. From a user perspective, the application is designed to accommodate two distinct types of users: administrators and public users. Administrators will have the capability to create and manage profiles for the animals, including details such as type, breed, disposition, images, availability, news items, and descriptions. Public users, on the other hand, will be able to browse through these profiles to find a suitable pet, with the option to search by specific criteria or to ‘favorite’ animals that align with their preferences.

In our project, I have the privilege of implementing the backend development. Our choice of technology, Neon, plays a pivotal role in the architecture and efficiency of our application. As highlighted in a detailed overview by Semaphore (https://semaphoreci.com/blog/neon-database), Neon is not just any database technology; it is a cornerstone for building scalable, reliable applications.

Neon is utilized specifically for its remarkable ability to handle complex data transactions and storage with high efficiency and minimal latency. It supports our application in managing the vast amount of data related to animal profiles, user interactions, and the intricate logic that underpins the matchmaking process between potential pet owners and shelter animals. This ensures a seamless, user-friendly experience for both administrative users who manage animal profiles and end-users looking for their perfect pet match.

One of the most significant advantages of using Neon is its version-controlled database system. This feature is particularly beneficial for a project like ours, where multiple developers are working on the database simultaneously. It allows us to implement changes and roll back updates without risking data integrity, ensuring continuous improvement and deployment cycles.

However, despite Neon’s strengths, there is potential for improvement to make it even more beneficial for developers, especially those in the early stages of their career. Enhancing the documentation and providing more extensive resources for beginners could significantly lower the learning curve. Additionally, integrating more intuitive tools for database management and visualization would streamline the development process, enabling quicker adjustments and more efficient collaboration among team members.

In essence, Neon serves as the backbone of our Dating App for Animal Adoption, offering robust support for data management and scalability. By focusing on improvements that make the technology more accessible and user-friendly, we can further enhance our application’s development process and overall performance.

Greetings! Today, I’d like to share the story of how I began my journey in coding, leading me to the post-baccalaureate program in Computer Science at OSU.

My first major in university was Risk Management and Insurance. After graduating, I worked as an underwriter for four years. My job primarily involved evaluating and analyzing the risks associated with insuring people, which included reviewing insurance policies, financial reports, hospital records, and more. Even though being an underwriter was pretty stressful, I actually liked the challenge. But back then, coding? That was a whole different world to me – I didn’t know the first thing about it, and I didn’t really get a chance to learn either. It wasn’t until I heard news about AI potentially replacing roles in underwriting that I realized my professional skills might not be sufficient for the future.

Honestly, the idea of being replaced by technology freaked me out, even though it wasn’t going to happen right away. That’s what pushed me to jump into the unknown world of coding. I started with Python, working on cool little projects like Hangman, playing with DNA strings, and solving mazes. It felt like I was gaming, but I was also getting the hang of Python. With each project I completed, I found a sense of achievement I hadn’t felt before. That’s when it hit me, ‘Hey, maybe I should really shake things up and get deeper into coding.’ It kind of sparked a fire in me to learn more and see where this path could lead.

The decision to switch careers wasn’t easy, especially in Asian society where going back to school for a second bachelor’s degree after already graduating is often seen as nonsensical. However, despite the discomfort of stepping out of my comfort zone, coding ignited a belief in me: the belief that I could use my professional skills to create something meaningful, maybe even contribute to the world. This conviction kept me motivated and resilient, especially when faced with challenges in assignments or at work. Coding led me to OSU and provided me with the opportunity to work as a software engineer intern in the tech industry. The closer I get to graduating from OSU, the more convinced I am that I made the right choice. Now, new technologies like ChatGPT no longer scare me with the threat of replacement. I’ve come to understand that as long as I keep learning and trying new things, I will continue to grow.