Usama

**Maintaining Grades**

"Secrets of Straight-A Students" Readers Digest, Web. Accessed 22 Nov 2015

The article discusses how only some students are able to maintain top notch grades and why, a small percentage of an already small minority of students aren't nerds and social introverts like society would lead you to believe. The article details methods and ways for students to harvest their maximum potentials and achieve the highest grades possible, using data from educational experts and the students themselves.

The article explains that smartness doesn't always equate to good grades. Knowing how to use your abilities is infinitely more important than your smartness, mentions the article. This is surprising to me because I was of the thought that however hard working one might be, a certain level of smartness and brightness would always eclipse the hard worker.

Lynn F. Jacobs, Jeremy S. Hyman, "15 Secrets of Getting Good Grades in College", US News Education, August 19 2009, Web. Accessed December 4 2015

The authors list 15 points in this article. These points are what they believe to be secrets for achieving good grades. Some of the significant secrets mentioned in this article are getting to class, believing in yourself, planning out every single thing you do and choosing to study what you want to study. The article is helpful to me as it not only provides tips to get good grades but does so in a systematic easy to understand fashion.

**Networking**

Minda Zetlin, "How To Network Like You Really Mean It", Inc. Publications, March 24 2008, Web, Accessed 4 December 2015

In the article the writer mentions Andrew Sobel and his views about networking. 'Quantity always trumps quality'. The writer then goes on to list Sobels tips, with a short explanation, to approach networking. Sobel recommends thinking about who matters the most to you, finding easy ways to engage with people and help them, being generous in helping and looking through the eyes of the other people.

This article is intriguing to me as it gives tips for networking but also helps me too realise the importance of networking in a professional environment.

Tom Farley, “NYSE President: I owe every job I've ever had to networking”, Fortune, July 7 2015, Web, Accessed December 6 2015. http://fortune.com/2015/07/07/tom-farley-networking-tips/

In the article, Tom Farley, the president of NYSE accredits networking for every single job he has had in his career. Farley provides some examples of how networking has helped him land jobs and then provides his key principles for networking.

This article shows how important networking is. So much so, that the president of the NYSE calls it the crucial element in all his employments.

**State Of Current Field (Computer Science)**

“Is Computer Science a Growing Industry?”, Computer Science Degree Hub. Web, Accessed December 6, 2015. http://www.computersciencedegreehub.com/faq/computer-science-growing-industry/

The blog mentions the expected growth of the Computer Science industry quoting statistics from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. The blog then states the growth rates and average annual salaries for different careers/specializations within the industry. According to the statistics, the Information Statistics Analysis profession is projected to show the highest growth.

Nick Statt, “Tech industry's future rooted in blend of design, computer science”, CNET, March 15 2015, Web, Accessed December 8, 2015. http://www.cnet.com/news/tech-industrys-future-rooted-in-blend-of-design-computer-science/

In this article, the writer talks about a speech John Maeda, a computer scientist and graphic designer, gave at a tech conference. Maeda talked about the fact that design and cosmetics of products was an afterthought in the past. However, Maeda said, now companies are starting to realize the importance of design and product appeal, which means designers are becoming a part of the tech industry and this trend is expected to continue in to the near future.

**Choosing A Program**

Rebecca Klein, “What Students And Teachers Really Think About Computer Science In Schools”, Huffington Post, November 17 2015, Web. Accessed 7 December 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/computer-science-education\_564927d2e4b08cda34896a1e

The article discusses a survey, conducted by Google, which looks at perceptions of computer science for different groups, mainly teachers. The article, and the survey, states that even though teachers and students believe Computer Science is important for a student’s future, school boards disagree. The article also touches on the fact that in pop culture, the conception of a computer scientist is of a white male wearing glasses.

Erin Millar, "How Do I Choose The Right Program For Me?", Macleans, May 22 2007, Web. Accessed December 8 2015. http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/how-do-i-choose-the-right-program-for-me/

The article discusses the importance of choosing a program and what things to take into consideration when doing so. It starts of by mentioning that nowadays employers don’t really care what area a degree is from. For them any undergraduate degree shows analytical skills and the ability to think critically.

The article then goes on to mention some things that students should think about when choosing a program to study. Things like will the program give me the opportunity for experiential learning or challenge my capabilities? The article ends by mentioning that a student should always try and pick something they love doing.