Through my interaction with the user, I was able to determine what the users wanted or needed from the software as well as what was wrong with FDS functionally. The user interaction aspect of this project was important. It is important to be able to communicate and work with people. The people who use FDS are not programmers. They only know what they want.
Good communication is very important when dealing with a user.
Being able to work with a real user under real pressures and consequences was a valuable experience. This project allowed me to experience real work in a real work environment. Specifically, I was able to draw on knowledge that I had accumulated from my experiences in courses I had taken. I recognized elements from Parallel Programming, Operating System, Data Structures and Software Engineering. More importantly than recognizing that different courses had prepared me for things to come, is the experience in attempting to apply the knowledge.