CS371p Spring 2021: Varun Nayak

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Boston, MA and grew up in Sugar Land, Texas.

What high school did you attend?

I attended the Texas Academy of Math and Science in Denton TX.

What was your favorite extracurricular activity in high school?

My favorite extracurricular activity in high school was weightlifting.

Why did you come to UT?

My brother attended UT Austin and was a McCombs Business Honors graduate. I chose UT because of its amazing computer science track and its in-state location.

Why are you majoring in CS?

I enjoy logic and programming and having a CS degree in my arsenal is a great stepping stone to a Software Engineering Career. I love improving my critical thinking and observational skills so computer science suits me perfectly.

What are your expectations of this class?

I expect to improve my programming skills and grapple with the assignments. This is my first class with Professor Downing and I am enjoying it so far. I hope to slowly but surely become better than where I started.

How much C++ do you already know?

I have coded in C++ in the past and have experience with vectors, arrays and strings. I hope to learn more libraries and OOP principles in this course.

How did you like the two lectures?

I enjoyed the first two lectures and learning about Docker and the expectations of the class.

How did you feel about the cold calling?

I like cold calling as it is an additional motivator to keep me engaged in the lecture. I definitely feel like I’m gaining more out of coming to class with cold calling.

What made you happy this week?

My mom made me an Alphonso mango pie. The custard mixed with the salty graham cust is very tantalizing.

What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?

My pick-of-the-week is the song Stacy by Quinn XCII.