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On Motivation (and Making It Through Modules)

· 3 min read

Since my last post half a year ago, I’ve completed not one, but two modules: Object Oriented Programming and Secure Software Development. I’m still waiting for the results on the latter, but it got me thinking about a few things, so I figured I’d write a couple of posts while the inspiration’s here.

By the way, this module kind of marks the halfway point for me: it’s the third out of six domain-specific modules (the last two will focus on research methods and the dissertation). Yay! 🎉

First, let’s talk about motivation and engagement. I think these are essential for doing pretty much anything, especially when it comes to a long and expensive educational program. Honestly, motivation was one of the reasons I left my first uni (but that one was free). I’m not sure if it came through in earlier posts, but the previous modules didn’t exactly make studying fun. They didn’t offer much new information or any particularly challenging tasks.

Of course, as I wrote in the reflection piece for the OOP module, some parts still made me think — like how I use modeling in my work to visualize concepts or algorithms. Though, like any sane person, I stick to pen and paper or Miro, not the monstrosity that is UML. Or how some code quality metrics actually make sense — McCabe, for example.

Still, these more interesting parts were surrounded by what felt like randomly scattered intros to Python programming. Honestly, I wonder why that isn’t a separate (optional) module for new students. Sure, it makes sense to include basics like branching and loops for complete beginners, but is that really appropriate for a master’s program?

In fact, the first two modules were mostly just that. Some reading materials were great — Computer Science: An Overview by Brookshear and Brylow stood out — but they weren’t actually required for any assignments. I don’t mind not having quizzes on the readings, but I’d appreciate more opportunities to reflect on them.

That said, the Secure Software Development module felt different. Yes, it still included some Python material (some of which oddly overlapped with other modules, yet still didn’t fully prep you for the coding assignment), but overall, I found it way more engaging. A few reasons why:

  • It introduced a completely new domain I had no prior experience in,
  • Some tasks were actually fun: creative and different,
  • The tutor was engaged and gave super-structured feedback.

So, finally, here was a module that didn’t make me question why I was spending time on UML diagrams (Oh, who am I kidding? Of course UML diagrams can never not bore me), or on writing 1500-word design proposals with references, or debugging Python code I’d never touch in real life. Sure, some parts were still repetitive, but overall, it was a much better experience.