Week 3: Post 3

 My internship at Willowtree has been incredibly valuable in helping me gain a better understanding of my field of study, which is Software Engineering. Throughout my internship, I have been able to participate in all of the responsibilities and tasks that my fellow software engineers typically undertake. This has given me a comprehensive view of everything that is involved in being a software engineer, beyond just coding.

One of the most eye-opening moments for me in this internship has been realizing the sheer amount of work that happens outside of coding. I have come to appreciate the importance of defining problems thoroughly, replicating them, solving them effectively, and thoroughly testing the code. In fact, on my first ticket, I spent much more time defining the problem and recreating it than actually coding out a solution, and I found this both frustrating and daunting. However, my mentor showed me the power of planning out code with detailed notes and research. This planning process helps ensure that the code is well-suited for the task at hand and eliminates narrow-scoped or limited solutions.

The breadth of responsibilities and tasks that I have been exposed to during this internship has given me a clearer understanding of the varied paths that software engineering can take. I am particularly excited by the problem-solving and creativity required of software engineers on a daily basis. The software engineering team at Willowtree has shown me that this field is both challenging and rewarding.