From forming a group to creating a project plan has shown me how much is yet to be done. There was quite a bit of excitement when we were discussing the plan for our mobile app, but the nerves are creeping back. After spending about an hour getting the basic software installed and set up, I said to myself “Here we go.”. I knew this class and this project would be difficult. I just wasn’t sure how difficult. It is exciting to start learning mobile app development, but boy is it nerve wracking. I’m not quite sure were to start or what needs to be done.
Last week I was starting to feel less nervous, but that naive, eager beaver had a reality check this week. We have been working on our project plan and getting a start on the project. It is usually just the beginning of any project that’s the worst part. There isn’t a perfectly clear path forward and everyone is trying to figure out what needs to get done. I’m sure in the next week or two we will get settled into a flow and start churning out some code. But until then, I will be struggling to keep my cool. Although the project and this capstone are starting to get the better of me again, it has been really cool using a mobile emulator on my laptop the experiment with mobile app development.
I have seen live coding videos of mobile app developers and wondered what exactly they were doing, so it is really cool to see that side of the coding universe. I am really regretting not taking mobile development as an elective now… Maybe I will be able to take a mobile class another time to learn from the pros. But it is still exciting to know I will build something for a phone rather than another website. Another change I would make in a perfect universe would be to take this class on its own. Working full time and taking two classes can make it hard to find enough time in the day to create your best work. While one class per term would be ideal, the allure of graduating before summer sounds a little better. Regrets aside, I am only a couple weeks into capstone and already realizing how much we will learn this term as well as really being able to put our skills to the test.
Another week down and many more to go.
Until next time,
Max Grier
