Reality that this semester is coming to an end has finally started to set in. Comparing my thoughts of what software engineering is at the beginning of the semester and now, I find that I have a greater appreciation for ability of such an abstract thing like software to change the world. When I first started doing computer science, and in many ways until this semester, software seemed like such an abstract thing. The program was always specified on paper or in a file or it was an idea I had. That was one of the huge appeals cs had for me. That I could make some abstract thing and have it do something even if it was something as simple as the first "Hello world!". Software was real for me because I could see something on the screen that told me that the program did (or more often didn't) do what I wanted it to. Most of the programs I had written up until this time, while interesting for me, were never something meant to be used by other people, it was always for a grade.
Then we get asked to design a piece of software that will change the world. Even at first I don't think I was fully appreciative of what this actually meant. Now, having learned a new programming language, development framework, written my own proposal, spec and presented my software to a real audience with the intention of having people invest time and potentially money into my vision, I feel like I have gotten a taste of what life will be like working in the software industry, even if it's only the appetizer in a three course meal.
Overcoming the adversities associated with the amount of things I have had to deal with; new framework issues, group interaction, and leadership in order to develop a piece of software for real world use has made me appreciate software's ability to change the world and understand what the phrase "Real programmers ship" means.
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