Athabasca University

During my time at Athabasca University, I found myself especially enjoying the computer-related courses. They gave me a foundation in core software-development concepts and helped me understand how real systems work.

Working in Java, I built singly, doubly, and circularly linked lists, implemented bubble and shaker sorts, and even created small programs like an IQ calculator. These projects deepened my understanding of algorithms and data structures, as well as how performance changes based on the decisions you make as a developer.

I also gained practical database experience by building a fully functional rental-library database complete with data models, relationships, and queries. Alongside that, I designed user and system interfaces and created Sequence Diagrams and Design Class Diagrams, which helped me learn how to plan software before writing any code.

Overall, Athabasca gave me valuable hands-on experience with the fundamentals of software development and a solid appreciation for the history behind the field. That said, several of the required courses, although interesting, weren’t directly related to software development.