This year I took ICS 414 (Software Engineering). This class was to be taught about real world environment that allow the students to work as a group to build a financial tool application for the company Spire. This course showed us the importance of effective teamwork, problem-solving skills, and creativity.
One of the most challenging parts of the course was learning how to use Next.js and TypeScript. At first, the new language and editor were confusing. But as I kept working with them, they became easier to navigate. The learning process wasn’t easy, but it felt great to see the things I built actually working. One challenge we had was trying to understand and use data from Excel sheets. The data was hard to read, and it was pretty challenging to be explained. This showed me how important it is to have organized data and good instructions, especially in real-life projects.
For this project I decided to go with the front end approach. I took it upon myself to work on financial input page, contact-us page, stress test input page, and view stress tests page. Even though I could not complete all of these pages, each page had its own design and I had to think about how the client would feel about the look and interface of each page
Knowing what the semester entailed, I wanted to use this opportunity to become a better team player. I realized early on that working on a real-world project with others would require strong communication, collaboration, and flexibility. I made it a goal to actively participate in team discussions, share updates regularly, and support my teammates whenever they faced challenges. I aimed to be someone the team could rely on. This experience taught me that being a good team player isn’t just about doing your part—it’s about staying engaged, being open to feedback, and helping the group succeed as a whole.
Our team worked really well together. We kept in touch, shared updates, and helped each other through problems. Still, we did run into trouble when we split the team into just front-end and back-end groups. It made it hard to connect the two parts of the project smoothly. We learned it’s better when everyone has some idea of both sides, so the project flows better and the team stays connected.
Another bump in the road was managing our schedule. Even though we made plans, we sometimes fell behind. That taught us that it’s important to set goals, check progress often, and be ready to adjust when things don’t go as expected.
In the end, ICS 414 was a great learning experience. I didn’t just build technical skills—I also learned how to work with a team, manage time, and adapt to challenges. Everything I learned in this class will help me in future projects and in my career.