By Alicia Garza ‘22
When I think of lab, the first thing that pops to mind is the darkroom, or the drawing studio, or the digital lab. When I signed up for a computer science class this semester and saw the Lab section of the course, I knew I was in for a whole other kind of experience, a different kind of creativity.
“Intro to Computer Science with Topics in AI” is my first STEM class since junior year of high school. I’m taking this to fulfill my Area 5 requirement (Pomona’s breadth of study requirements cover 6 different academic areas) as well as to find something new that I could somehow apply to my art. Truthfully, I was pretty nervous to be thinking about numbers and science and reasoning like that after so long, and wasn’t sure how rusty I was going to be or if it would be able to connect with me. Five weeks in, I feel like I will successfully complete this course knowing how to utilize Python in so many ways (like if I ever want to do a tech art piece or something interactive), and a couple extra forehead wrinkles.
The class is hard, but the endlessly helpful mentors (CS majors), professors, and students are what make it worthwhile. A lot of the content is based on understanding how things build on each other, and I am amazed at how wonderfully the mentors ask just the right questions to pull the understanding deep from the caverns of our liberal arts brains (until I remember that they have gone through all of this themselves).
Also, this class really throws you in there. By the second class, I was already talking (and arguing) with my computer.
Five weeks in, looking at all the rest of the lessons the class has to offer on the syllabus is still mind-numbing, in all honesty. But I’m not nervous like I was 3 weeks ago. I truly believe utilizing all the time that those who know this language have to offer will make the work manageable; it’s confidence boosting and community building at the same time. And now I get why people are always saying they’re going to Edmunds.