A few tips for CS social media

The social media team for my department asked us for "Computer Science Tips" that they could share. I thought it might be fun to sketch some out here. This way, my regular readers can be way ahead of the curve.

• Connect to your passions. There is a potential everywhere to apply computer science, so take something else you love and write some software around it. Soccer scoring application? Quilt pattern catalog? Marvel villains database? You can connect computing to everything!
• Learn a new language. There are countless programming languages for all sorts of different purposes. Try a new one and see how it compares to what you already know. You might discover a new way of framing old problems.
• Read some great books, like The Pragmatic Programmer, The Mythical Man-Month, and Clean Code. These books collect the wisdom of practitioners.
• Keep a notebook on hand. You never know when inspiration will strike!
• Talk to alumni. There are many paths into and around a career in computing, and each alumnus will have a different story to share.
• Practice writing. Whether you're in school or at work, a lot of computing involves writing clear, readable prose. Practice by writing in a mode you love: reviews, rulebooks, poems, plays, short stories, D&D adventures--practice makes perfect!
• Make a game! There are many game programming libraries and game engines available.
• Try a game jam or a hackathon! These are timeboxed events, often over a weekend, where communities challenge themselves to make something new in a short period of time. It's a great way to meet people, be creative, and practice your skills.
• Start a blog! Nothing crystallizes your understanding like teaching it to someone else. Write about things you learned, and things you want to learn, and how you feel about your learning. It doesn't matter if you have one reader or a million: the reflecting writing will make you stronger.

Those are a few things that came to mind while I'm sitting here, waiting for students to show up to my zoom hangout hour. So far, it's been a bust.