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Tori Jackson

Imposter syndrome if a feeling of underestimating oneself, or that one’s work isn’t good enough. Perfectionism is a big effect of it, and 70% of adults have it.

I haven’t experienced imposter syndrome in computer science, but I have experienced it before. When I was put into a leadership position back in high school, I thought I wasn’t fit for the position, while everyone around me told me I was good for it.

Imposter syndrome in developers is caused by the competitive environment and could lead to them quitting their jobs or not taking riskier projects. One suggestion in the post I agree with is to talk to seniors and get their advice on similar situations.

One way to combat imposter syndrome is to make a small list of goals for work, and see if those can be accomplished.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome

Tori Jackson

Coding conventions are guidelines set by programmers to make programming easier to write, read, and debug.

What is the benefit of everyone in a team adhering to a convention like this?

If everyone on a team was using the same convention, then other people on the team would be able to understand as well as update other’s code.

Is there any benefit to sticking to a convention even when you’re working alone?

It’s the same with working with a team: it helps you understand what you wrote. Additionally, it helps you stay consistent with each program you write.

Is there any downside to coding conventions?

I think it depends on personal preference. Some who follow a convention exactly could disagree with some elements of it, whether they think it’s harder to read, code, or anything else.

What are the areas addressed in the Google guide that you are most surprised are specified?

Because most of the stuff in the guide was specific, I was surprised how flexible the “grouped comments” section was. Another thing I was surprised about was how there is a specific order of class and method/variable modifiers.

In what areas does your own code not meet these standards?

A small one is commenting when a fall-through happens in a switch statement. Another one that I break once in a while is using wildcards to import packages when the guide specifies not to.

How would you feel about being forced to use this style for the programs you write?

I think this style won’t be that hard to adapt to, and I would be fine with using this style for programs.

Tori Jackson

When did you first start programming?

I was introduced to programming when I was about ten or eleven years old. I was introduced to it by finding programming courses on Khan Academy, and was intrigued by it. Since then, almost every year from middle to high school, I have tried to get into a programming class.

What is your favorite thing about programming?

My favorite thing about programming is when I figure out a solution to a problem or when I get a program to work. When I get a program to work, I run it over and over because I know it works, and it makes me excited to see it work.

What is your least favorite thing about programming?

My least favorite thing is syntax errors. There were some days I was working on a script, and it seems like I had everything correct, but it was never working. I would spend way too much time trying to figure out, only to realize I didn’t capitalize a single letter.