Summery for winter break and Plans for the new semester

Summeries for the past winter break.

Since last summer break I have made adamant determination to learn English and deal with academic research in advance. So this winter break I continued practicing English, which refers to read all the necessary documents & references in English( try best to ) and type and think using English.

Particularly I was stepping into some embedded programming this winter break with Android. I was mainly reading the book Beginning Android 2. I’m gonna list all the items below that I’ve done for this winter.

1. Reading book Beginning Android 2. Almost finished.
2. Having a brief glance into some profession area of Android Programming like Game Programming and interaction with Google App Engine. Tried a simple project of communication through Android and GAE by html protocol. But GAE was later blocked by the GFW so I cannot continue my work.( now I have the VPN so I might go on sometime ).
3. Before the aforementioned two points, I went to Hong Kong for the Winter School in CUHK and met a lot of elites from Asian in my age, most of whom are from Tsing Hua University. Though I did not perform as excellent as I was initially aiming to, I believe I can make a good progress anyway. And I met my lovely girlfriend in HKU. We had a great time together.
4. Grabbing a lot of reference in computer science. Now I have had a better perspective on what is computer science. It’s not merely the complexity or algorithm stuff. Efficient framework and kernel and operation system are included in computer science as well.

The following is what I plan to do in the new semester.

1. Get straight A in my major compulsory courses with out any regret like the discrete math.
2. Continue to use Java for Android Programming. Work out some innovative applications or S/C simple games. Deep work into NDK and see what exactly cross-compile is.
3. I have to achieve some other field of computer science and those work should be added to my plan for this semester:
   1.Extensive experience in Systems Software or Algorithms.
   I do not have any system software programming experience so I aim to do something on algorithms. Ask somebody for instruction.
   2.Excellent implementation skills (C++, Python).
   I don’t care much about C++ cause it’s my original programming language. I have to learn much about Python. Not only for this application but also for its robustness and dynamical use. This can also add to my GAE study.
   3.Knowledge of UNIX/Linux or Windows environments and APIs.For this semester I can learn a lot of UNIX/Linux APIs and perhaps some kernel stuff of Linux( this is quite a hard task for me ).
   4.Familiarity with TCP/IP and network programming is a plus.This is not only a ‘plus’ according to the translated mandarin Chinese below. Anyway I like network programming. I will learn sth. about html protocol and practice more on Google App Engine.
   So this four requirements is really a burden for me but I’d to handle those challenges.
4. Set up my own Open Source Project or join in some already-exist ones. Projects experience is a adamant yardstick to whether one is valuable enough to work in a certain company.
5. Also do a good job in the lab. Learn TCS and Random. Those materials I got from the winter school might help and I can send emails to those teach assistants in CUHK.
6. Read Algebra and Introduction to Algorithm.
7. Learn better and better English. Skills in communication especially face to face. Take a TOEFL test in this semester.

These are quite challenges that I first meet in my life. But whatever it comes , I will persist to overcome and finish it. Just do it and I will win!~lol~