Robert’s blog

As the year draws to a close, one ritual I enjoy is a thorough declutter — deep-cleaning the house and letting go of things I no longer use.

Deep cleaning isn’t just sweeping floors or dusting shelves; it’s about identifying items that no longer serve a purpose and deciding whether to repair them (if they are broken), sell them if they still hold value, donate them to someone who will use them, or discard them if they’re beyond repair.

This year I donated countless pieces of clothing — T‑shirts, jeans, jackets, and shoes — to people who will put them to good use. In my view, there’s no point in profiting from people in need of clothes. I also disposed of worn-out items: mismatched socks, socks with holes, and T‑shirts that had become rags. If you wouldn’t wear something yourself, it’s probably not worth donating.

I also made a little money selling an old Logitech C920 webcam I no longer used, and I have another listing for a Raspberry Pi Model 3B that I hope will be sold by next year. Rather than spending that money on day-to-day expenses, I’ll use it to buy shares — a small investment in my future self and a quiet act of gratitude.

The end result is a lighter start to the year: you keep only what you truly use and need, reducing the number of possessions you own and the mental overhead of maintaining them.

Continuing with this week’s goal, this is the current status of my studies:

• CM1025 Fundamentals of Computer Science: Week 6 *
• CM1035 Algorithms and Data Structures I: Week 7
• CM1040 Web Development: Week 8

And accompanying that, this was my TO-DO list for today:

• Study through 2 pomodoro sessions
• Prepare dinner
• Prune the plants
• Tidy the house up

Note *: I have already begun to watch the lectures and solve the exercises, so I am on my way to completing week 7 (but I’m am not right there quite yet).

Pursuing this week’s goal of getting to week 8, I’ve managed to accomplish the following so far:

• CM1025 Fundamentals of Computer Science: Week 5 -> Week 6
• CM1035 Algorithms and Data Structures I: Week 7
• CM1040 Web Development: Week 7 -> Week 8

Despite my acknowledgment of the fact that it is my responsibility to stay on track of my progress, I’ve been lagging behind “Fundamentals of Computer Science” because the content delivery is awfully done. There is no spontaneity in the class, no grace, no passion… It’s just people reading slides and nothing beyond that.

This week I’ll need to double up on the study efforts I’m making so as to stay ahead by one week on all my courses.

We are currently on week 7 so the goal is week 8. Staying ahead by one or two weeks is really helpful once we reach week 10 because the midterms tend to be rather time consuming. Since I also work a full-time job, time management tends to be key to success.

As of today, this is the situation:

• CM1025 Fundamentals of Computer Science: Week 5
• CM1035 Algorithms and Data Structures I: Week 7
• CM1040 Web Development: Week 7

I’m lagging behind my studies. These first few weeks have been packed with activities and responsibilities as so I need to catch up with two of the three courses I’m taking this semester. Today I’ll be focusing on Fundamentals of Computer Science, and if I have some time to spare (which I highly doubt) I’ll do some exercises from my english grammar book.

• Rosen, K.H. Discrete mathematics and its applications. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011) 7th edition, Chapter 1.7, pp.80–90.
• Solve week 3 exercises
• Watch week 4 lectures
• Read Rosen, K.H. Discrete mathematics and its applications, pp.311–330.
• Solve week 4 exercises