B.S., in Computer Science at WGU Journal

11/30/2025 — Today is the night before I start classes at WGU. I am committing to journalling weekly to detail what I learn as I progress through this program. Stay tuned to see my progress.

12/07/2025 — Week One of WGU Down!

I am starting with Intro to Computer Science. I did okay on the pretest, but I did not pass, so I needed to study. I met with the Academic Coaching Center and got some great tips for studying with ADHD. I also met with my course instructor and got direction on what to focus on.

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the material and the new format, and I felt like I wasn’t spending enough time studying. Life kept filling up my schedule — the gym, meetings with university professionals, counseling, family matters, relationship obligations. I was being pretty hard on myself.

Friends and mentors kept reminding me that I should practice being gracious with myself. This is the beginning of a new chapter, and I am learning how to learn again. It is normal to not be perfect in the beginning. By Wednesday, I was being kinder to myself. I was putting less pressure on myself to get it all done and be perfect. Giving myself permission to simply try my best keeps me moving forward far more than self-criticism ever could.

I am trying to focus on where I can make changes and where I have to be relaxed, because the truth is, sometimes you just can’t do everything at once.

Anna from the Academic Coaching Center was super helpful in advising me on how to study more effectively. She suggested the Pomodoro Technique and advised that I set obtainable goals for each timed work period so I can get a motivational boost when I complete a task within 25 minutes. She also suggested that I set up my next Pomodoro goal before I take my break, so I lower the barrier when it’s time to come back and work again.

I’ve been using this technique and her suggestions, and I have already found it helpful. I’m getting more done, and I’ve been feeling better about my studying. I’ve been using 5 minutes to set my next goal and organize my materials, then working for 20 minutes before taking a 5-minute break.

In terms of new material, this week I learned about the difference between Abstract Data Types and Data Structures. ADTs are broad concepts that define behaviors, and DSs are more specific and define how the data is organized to support those behaviors. I made an analogy and shared it with my professor: “A list is to an array as a parameter is to an argument.” Or perhaps even clearer: “An abstract data type is to a data structure as a parameter is to an argument.”

This analogy helped me because both relationships show the difference between the general idea and the specific implementation: the ADT is the concept, the DS is the actual structure coded; the parameter is the placeholder, the argument is the actual value passed into a function. My professor agreed that this was a good way to think about it, which made me feel confident that I’m understanding the concepts.

The most exciting thing I learned this week came while I was reviewing Object-Oriented Design. When being introduced to objects, I have often been shown an example of creating a dog object. You create a Dog class, and then you create an instance of the class. Now you have one dog, and it can bark and eat. Simple.

But what I think is a better example is creating a Worker class. The Worker class can have methods that perform tasks — like averaging data, asking questions, or making changes. And you can create a bunch of workers to delegate parts of a larger problem and even have them run simultaneously. That seems like a much more beneficial way to explain object-oriented design, because it shows how creating objects can be useful in solving real problems.

It’s exciting to think about the potential of creating a team of workers and delegating work to them. I’m looking forward to learning more and building momentum in Week Two!