Week 4 Learning Journal

Part One: My Educational Goals

Vivid vision: I see myself graduating with a strong portfolio, confident in interviews, and ready for a role where I help build useful tools that help people.

Core goal: Earn my B.S. in Computer Science and land a full-time software engineering job I am proud of within three months of graduation.

1. GPA and habits: Keep a 3.5+ GPA by planning each week on Sunday, studying 2 focused hours per day, and finishing assignments at least 24 hours before they are due.

2. Portfolio: Three polished projects before graduation

   • 1 full-stack web app 

   • 1 data or AI project 

   • 1 capstone with real users in the final term

3. Internship and experience: Apply to a couple roles per month until I secure an internship or part-time tech role. Do at least one mock interview every two weeks.

4. Networking: Connect with 2 CSUMB alumni or industry professionals each month and attend a few meetups or tech talks per semester.

5. Ethics and integrity: Follow the CSUMB Code of Integrity in all work.

6. Health and balance: Protect 7 hours of sleep, take one full rest day weekly, and move for 1 hour a day to keep energy and focus high.

Part Two: My Career Goals 

Vision: I help product teams ship AI features that feel smart, safe, and useful. I’m the person who can turn a vague idea into a reliable prompt/evals pipeline.

Core goal: Land a Prompt Engineer / AI Engineer role within 3 months of graduation

1. Have at least 3 projects in my portfolio

2. Daily practice

3. Job search cadence: 12–15 tailored applications/month keep a tracker of status, interviews, and follow-ups.

4. Interview prep: Two mocks per week.

5. Signals & brand: Post a concise LinkedIn thread every 2 weeks sharing a prompt trick, an eval tip, or a latency/cost lesson. 

6. Networking: Talk to 2 AI practitioners/alumni per month, attend 1 LLM meetup or virtual talk per month, and aim for 2 referrals before graduation

Part Three: 

After reviewing the ETS test overview and sample items, I feel cautiously confident. The question styles match what we’ll see across our core courses, and the breadth looks manageable with steady practice. If I had to guess my score 18 months from now, I’d aim for the 85th percentile. Right now, I excel at algorithms, data structures, also understanding code by following its logic like finding errors in loops or recursive functions. If I dedicate my time to weekly quizzes, jotting down mistakes, alongside bi-monthly practice tests, then I can get to that percentile. Otherwise, just coasting through classes might leave me near 75th.

Part Four: 

This week tied a lot together. From the readings on planning and study habits, I practiced making a realistic weekly schedule and blocking time for deep work, review, and rest. The curriculum survey helped me see how each CS course builds toward real skills, especially how algorithms, databases, and software engineering connect. The Code of Integrity reminded me that honesty is the base of trust in school and at work, so I wrote down clear rules for myself about citing sources.  I’m also learning to slow down and read instructions more carefully—my score on the last essay wasn’t great, and it showed me that missing small details can cost points. The ETS CS exam materials showed me the test shape and pushed me to set a light but steady practice routine so the topics stay fresh. Our AI discussions clarified that being AI-literate is now part of the job, but judgment and clear writing still matter. Overall, I ended the week with a clearer plan: schedule first, learn consistently, watch the directions closely, track weak spots, and build habits that make me reliable on a team.