Welcome Spring!

Hello everyone,

Another month has gone by so time for another update! March has been busy – both with work and a some travelling. I think I can safely say that I have finally settled in my new role, even though the focus has somewhat shifted.

I began the month doing UI development – something I have always wanted to get my hands on. It has been a challenge since I was using Angular.JS – something I have never used before to do the work. I am pleasantly surprised with the framework – it simplifies lots of complex things that would normally take lots of time to code and it enforces good coding practices – the old high cohesion and low coupling principles – which if you chose to follow will ensure you have as little code repetition as possible. Angular.JS introduces directives – your own custom tags that help simplify your HTML by hiding all the nasty angular stuff. I would definitely recommend having a look at this framework if you find some free time on your hands, I’ve used it mainly for creating the initial design for a web – based application which will be used in testing.

I have been extremely lucky in my job as I have had a lot of freedom in creating the designs – something which is very rarely done when working for clients. I hope I will be able to use what I have learned in doing some work on my third year project next year back at Uni.

Speaking of third year projects the time has come for us Industrial Placement students and second year students to pick a project or propose our own. So far I have decided that I will make my own proposal and I am in the process of chasing up potential supervisors and doing the research. My third year project is not something I have just started to think about – I have been brainstorming ideas for a few months now because I really wanted to choose something which I would find interesting and exciting.

There are other things that need to be taken into consideration though – like is the project doable in the time that we have. Is the project too simple or too complex? I am currently trying to find a project that will answer all of these questions. I would like to research something completely new but also apply what I have learned during my placement year.

Aside from worries over my third year project I have enjoyed work. The focus has shifted from front end development to back-end  application. It has been both challenging and fascinating. Luckily for me the main language used is java but unfortunately for me with spring integration. And Spring is something I have never really used. It has taken me some time to get up to speed but I feel much more confident in my knowledge in Spring and how powerful the concept of dependency injection could be. But don’t get me wrong Spring introduces a whole new set of errors which are an extraordinary combination of uselessness and vagueness that could drive you insane. I am glad I have the chance to use NoSQL databases – MongoDB which is somewhat different from the usual relational model I have been used to.

Outside of work I am really happy that I have had the time to visit Berlin again. Such a wonderful city – astonishing architecture, amazing nightlife and delicious food. If you found yourself there make sure you try the famous Currywurst while enjoying the view of Branderburger Tor. However, one of the things I was most excited about was the replica of MacLaren’s Pub from How I Met Your Mother. The place is amazing not only because it looks exactly like the pub we are used to seeing in the TV series but also because it is filled with artifacts from the show like the yellow umbrella, the blue french horn and Ted and Marshall’s swords. You can also enjoy the famous Robin Scherbatsky cocktail it is delicious! If I ever go to Berlin again I would definitely visit this pub again!

 

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(The blue French horn OMG!!!!!!!!)

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(“On Monday I’m going to have to tell my kindergarten class, who I tell not to run with scissors, how my fiancé ran me through with a broadsword” – Lily Aldrin 😀 )

I have also managed to go to Newcastle for a weekend and I was surprised at how beautiful the town is. Newcastle is not very big but it is full with life and you will find gorgeous buildings everywhere. For all the bridge lovers out there you can enjoy a collections of amazing bridges. I can write a handful of articles just about Newcastle but now I am going to leave you with this awesome picture.

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(Newcastle’s famous High Level Bridge)

I wish you all great holidays – make sure you have some time to relax – you have earned it! 🙂

And eat lots of food!!!!

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(Some tasty Berlin style brunch 🙂 )

See you next month!

Veneta