CS371p Fall 2021: Meifeng Lin

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Seabrook, TX, a suburb of Houston. My city is really close to Johnson Space Center, so there are a lot of astronauts and NASA employees who live by me. I am also around 30 minutes away from Galveston, so I’m able to make some trips to the beach with friends or family.

What high school did you attend?

I attended Clear Falls High School in League City, TX. My graduating class was around 600 students, and I played soccer all four years of high school.

What was your favorite extracurricular activity in high school?

My favorite extracurricular activity would have to be playing soccer for my school. I made a lot of great friends on my team, and it always felt nice to be able to represent my school in this way. Soccer practice was also a great way for me to relieve stress after a long day of classes.

Why did you come to UT?

I came to UT because I wanted to live in Austin, and because the computer science school was so highly esteemed. I also knew many people from my high school who were going to attend UT or who were already attending UT, so I was happy to be able to see familiar faces on campus.

Why are you majoring in CS?

Ever since coming to college, I wanted to work with surgical robotics, which influenced my decision to major in CS. I hope to work with the Da Vinci surgical system after graduating from college but am also interested in looking into other tech related fields.

Why are you in this class?

I took SWE last semester with Professor Downing, and I really enjoyed being in his class, so I was excited to take OOP with him this semester. I have also heard great things about this class and believe that it will make me a better programmer.

What are your expectations of this class?

I expect to be pretty busy with assignments, but I hope to learn a lot and grow as a programmer, just as I did in SWE.

How much C/C++ do you already know?

I programmed heavily in C in 429 and 439, but have barely touched C++, so I’m excited to learn this language this semester.

How did you like the first lectures?

I thought the lectures were interesting and packed with information, which kept me on my toes. I’m looking forward to the rest of the semester and when we get to meet in person.

How did you feel about the cold calling?

Professor Downing used the cold calling system in SWE last semester, so I am pretty used to it by now. Since I could be cold called at any moment, I always have to be on my toes which helps me pay attention in class.

What made you happy this week?

I got to go to a lot of org events after school and catch up with my friends which was super fun and exciting. Being in person again after two years has made me so happy, and it’s just nice seeing so many students on campus and being able to do school with my friends again.

What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?

If you are looking for an outlet as a way to destress from an annoying coding bug or hard programming project, I would recommend checking out Austin Bouldering Project. This is an indoor climbing gym in East Austin, and I have found it to be a fun and challenging way to exercise and problem solve. Lots of people in tech like to visit this gym, as the climbing problems are a fun challenge and develops your problem solving skills in a unique way.