“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” - Pele

This past week, flowchart, algorithm and pseudocode did a number on me 😄. The toughest task I have had on this program so far was the task on algorithm, pseudocode and flowcharts.

We were given some tasks which involved writing algorithms, pseudocode and drawing flowcharts. On going through the requirements of the task, I was lost. I read the concepts and dug deeper on Google but I had no headway in handling the task. I spoke with a few peers and realized I wasn't alone on the issue. Not until we had a peer learning session where the concepts and 'mystery' of the topic were broken down.

Now, I understand what an algorithm is such that I can explain it to my seven-year-olds and they'll understand.

Algorithm

An algorithm is a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer. If for example, making jollof rice was a computation, the algorithm will look something like this:

Question: What is the process of making jollof rice?

Step 1: Get all the recipes: rice, meat stock, tomato paste, fresh tomatoes, fresh pepper, onions, oil, etc.

Step 2: blend the pepper, tomatoes, onions & co. into a mixture, slice some onions, etc.

Step 3: fry the blended mixture and other ingredients into a paste

Step 4: pour the meat stock into the paste and add the required quantity of water to boil.

Step 5: Wash the rice and pour it into the boiling mixture.

Step 6: cover the pot and leave to boil till cooked.

Step 7: Check if rice is cooked to desired texture.

• if not cooked to desired texture, cover tight to steam or add water if needed;
• else
• put out the fire

Step 8: Serve rice.

Pseudocode

A Pseudocode is a detailed description of what a computer program must do written in plain text. It is similar to an algorithm.

Flowchart

A flowchart is a graphical representation of an algorithm. The flowchart of the algorithm for making jollof rice I wrote above can be drawn like this:

ALX is a school without teachers and before now, I wondered how an entire technical program could thrive as much without a teacher-students curriculum.

But these past few days, I came to appreciate ALX's peer-driven curriculums. Daily, I keep appreciating the peer-driven methodology of ALX curriculum because, in studying with your peers, you tease, joke & throw jabs with concepts. All these aid learning, understanding is deeply rooted and concepts understood in this style of learning, is very unlikely to be forgotten.

The power of collaboration cannot be underplayed. I enjoyed the value of having great minds as peers and study partners this week.

It's good to belong to a community, it's better to have people of like minds in your community but it's best to have forward thinkers with the same goal in your corner.

I appreciate my study buddies for the journey so far. The time for name mentioning will come, but now, I just want you guys to know that though we haven't scratched the surface of the program yet, already, I know I have an invaluable clique in you guys.

This journey cannot be done alone, this path is better walked with like minds for there is no better condition to foster collaboration than in situations such as this. We'll win together.