I took an Intro to Java course this year at my university, and was completely unfamiliar with the language going in. I have coded in Python and Javascript, ReactNative and even Solidity before, but not Java. It was an Intro CS course on top of that for CS majors (I’m getting a minor), so there was a decent amount of coding involved. Everything is uploaded on my Github as well as outlined here!

We had four main homework assignments with very specifically assigned autograders and inputs. Homework 1 was a basic calculator. Homework 2 had us chart the shortest path between a random set of lilypads to get from point A to point B, given that we were provided the lilypads, and point A and B, in a specific format. Homework 3 was essentially practice with coding and manipulating objects. And our last homework, Homework 4, had us calculate the cheapest supply chain option: given a list of transportations, and a given weight and distance for those, take a task and calculate the best and cheapest transportation option available. This one was probably the hardest, and I had to work with my dad to really figure it out, but it was helpful to understand it for our final project.

Our final project was a group project: creating a Platformer Game. My group and I chose to essentially create a point based game: you have two minutes to get a ball as far as you can, dodging platforms that are randomly generated and rockets that appear at random intervals and shoot across the screen. On the way, you can collect points by bumping the top of a platform, and lose points if you bump the bottom of the platform. You lose if you hit the bottom of the screen.

I overall learned a lot this semester, and I’m looking forward to Advanced Java and my codes there next semester!