While

During the past week, we had to integrate "while" into our labs. We worked in pairs to complete the lab and switched every so often. I thought that this method was significantly more helpful than the individual lab, mostly because I wasn't lost the entire time. It's helpful to know just where to start, and unfortunately, I usually don't know where to start when I work alone. As pairs, we can help each other when we have gaps in understanding. In addition, it's better for me when I can observe someone else's code as opposed to my own, because I am always a little bit self-conscious about whether or not I'm correct. When you're helping another student on the other side of the classroom, we may have to wait a while before you come around to our side of the classroom, and unfortunately, we're not always so patient. It goes without saying, but it's nice to be able to get immediate help from other people who may actually understand the subject material a little better. The "GCD" lab wouldn't compile for a while, and I think that something may have gone wrong during the calculations portion of our lab. This presents a problem with working in pairs, because I won't always "think for myself" because 1) I might think the other person is right and 2) I might not be as cautious as I normally am because someone else is doing the work. That being said, there's a positive and negative side to this method, but I think it was positive for the majority of the lab "experiment." Overall, I think that this working method is a success.