Overview

During the summer of 2021, I applied for the Google Code Next Program with the goal of learning new programming languages. I was super excited when I got accepted and even more excited to be assigned to the creative code club!
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As part of the club, I made a short film using the p5.js editor with JavaScript. The film featured a zombie chasing a brain.

Learn JavaScript

Learning JavaScript wasn't too hard because I already knew Java from my AP Computer Science A class. In the image below, you can see an animation we created to learn how to make a ball bounce back and forth. It was challenging at first because I didn't realize I needed to use the 'x' and 'y' variables for the ball's movement. But once I understood this concept, coding other actions started to feel easier.

Debug Code

After learning how to make shapes move, I began my project "Zombie and Brain." I used sprites to animate my characters, but I kept getting errors from my "for loop" and "if" functions. I spent at least 2 hours looking at those errors, and I still couldn't figure out what I did wrong (keep in mind this was outside of club hours). I decided to take a break from my computer and try again a few hours later. Thanks to this, I fixed most of my errors and debugged the rest once I asked my coach. Solving these errors significantly improved my problem-solving skills.

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Presentation

After resolving my errors, I slowly created a short animation featuring my zombie and brain characters. I then prepared a presentation to share what I had learned and the skills I developed through my creative club experience. I also had meetings with other presenters and the organization's head to discuss the arrangements for the Fall Demo Day event.

Presentation Time!

I was super nervous presenting my project, mainly because more than 80 attendees (consisting of Google employees and code next students) were at the Google meet. After introductions, I went into a breakout room with 40 people. Once it was time to present, I pulled up my slides and talked about my work. Surprisingly, the nerves disappeared as I got excited to showcase my animation. After the presentation, I received positive feedback, and I was happy to have impressed my peers.

Takeaways

Creating this project was challenging, but it taught me a lot about myself! I discovered the importance of taking breaks whenever I encounter errors in my code. I also realized that I feel comfortable speaking in front of others, especially when I discuss something I'm passionate about.