🚀 From Curiosity to Confidence: My APCSP Journey
By Joanna Hu
🌱 Starting Point: Trimester 1 – Foundations
- Began with no coding experience
- Built my first personal website using HTML/CSS and GitHub Pages
- Learned structure, design, and publishing
- Discovered how computer science connects to engineering creativity
💻 Trimester 2 – Coding & Collaboration
- Focused on core programming skills
- Learned and studied JavaScript Essentials
- Created frontend/backend features with real user input and logic
- Used Git, GitHub, and version control for team projects
- Worked in a HyFlex collaborative environment:
- Practiced Agile development
- Helped with debugging, and deployment
- Gained confidence solving problems in team-based settings, similar to real-world engineering teams
📊 Trimester 3 – Exploring Data Science
- Challenged myself with Data Analysis using Python
- used databases, creation and backup of
- Created an engineering-focused posting feature
- Learned how data flows between frontend and backend
- Built a deeper understanding of smart systems and embedded logic through my cookbook project, key in mechanical engineering
🛠️ Skills Earned (Microcredentials & NFTs)
Certificates (Foundational Skills):
- GitHub Pages
- JavaScript Essentials
- Data Analysis with Python and javascript
- Deployment Concepts
NFTs (Unique Achievements):
- Personalized Website NFT
- Engineering Database Project NFT (custom full-stack application)
🔗 Why It Matters for Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical engineers need digital fluency:
- Embedded systems, simulation tools, smart tech
- APCSP taught me to:
- Think in systems
- Communicate in code
- Collaborate in agile teams
- Built mindset of persistence, experimentation, and curiosity
📌 Final Thoughts
- APCSP helped me grow technically and personally
- Learned to embrace complexity, ask questions, and lead my learning
- The Open Coding Society model reflects my journey:
- Microcredentials for foundations
- NFTs for unique, creative contributions
- This course helped me become a more confident, capable future engineer