Arlon's CSUMB Intro to Operating Systems CST-334 Module 5 Learning Journal #5/#29 for the week Wed 07/20-Tues 07/27, year 2021

Arlon's CSUMB Intro to Operating Systems CST-334 Module 5 Learning Journal #5/#29 for the week Wed 07/20-Tues 07/27, year 2021

Journal spec: What to Write in your Journal Entry Write a 1 - 2 paragraph description of what you learned this fifth week in CST 334 Topic: Concurrency.

Well concurrency is extremely interesting and C programming is extremely interesting and very challenging as usual. I really enjoy doing experiments with computer programs like this week's lab. Although I would say the lab as usual, much less than last week, was light on instructions and direction so it's hard to sometimes say exactly what is expected. Last week was much worse with regard to the lab but we also had a midterm this week which I bombed even though I have been studying extremely dilegently - I felt like the problems were from a different class - I'd really appreciate more practice problems - ok - actually - I'd really appreciate practice problems - I'd really appreciate practice problems to do, to make sure I'm understanding the material before bombing the midterm that completely dodged the midterm review material. I'm not saying the book doesn't have 'homework problems' but they're nothing related to what we're tested on, which is extremely confusing with layers of abstraction that seem like we have to perform mind reading.

One question made zero sense even after seeing the supposed 'solution'. One question literally completely contradicted what the book has written right in it - and we were allowed to look at the book so - guaranteed wrong answer there - all you have to do is look up 'segmentation' to get the wrong answer on the test. And not only that, I got it half 'right' but still got zero points for that question - so it's not graded fairly on top of not having fair questions.

Another question asked if a thread calling read file with an integer file descriptor and another parameter that was the word 'something' which was the first reference to the word 'something' anywhere in the program - and the question was does this work - no. It doesn't even compile. An integer file descriptor? Is that how C file descriptors are? Integers? Even if that is, there was the word 'something' stuck in there as a parameter. That won't compile, so no, it doesn't work. The supposed test answer was 'yes'. How is that helping me?

Every other question is a trick question, alternating between ignoring specificity and having impossible specificity - missing lab instructions? The flip side is the test is not a grade killer, point-wise - but still - I'm really trying to learn here - throw us a bone - giving us a test we can't do well on isn't helping anyone learn anything - I just feel dumb now, and put off. And what's up with #15, not making any sense, at all, even after seeing the supposed solution? But I have a bunch of programming ideas still, even in C, so I won't let it get me down. As I wrote months ago, I think the biggest hole in my practical knowledge is what I've come to find out has a name: tcp/ip/routing/vpn. I didn't know it even had a name until a few weeks ago. I know I don't know that, but I plan to learn it. And a lot more C programming, and of course Java and JavaScript and PHP programming too.

Thanks for reading.