Bootcamp - Pair Programming
in Metis
Pair Programming is… umm… interesting.
The structure of the Metis Data is broken down such that we cover different things simultaneously, concurrently rather than just a deep focus on one thing.
The projects are the emphasis. So, it is really easy to fall into a mode (or mood) where you’re absorbed by or focused on the project of the moment. The lectures and “other things” serve to break that.
One of these “things” is Pair Programming.
Every day starts with about half-an-hour of Pair Programming.
Pair Programming serves many purposes:
- The instructors get a chance to see the students’ code on a regular, daily basis. It’s one thing to tell the students about certain practices of coding Python. It’s another thing to confirm or chastise students to verify they are incorporating these practices.
- Working in pairs forces people to work together. Only person gets the computer. But either may have the idea. Nonetheless, you have to communicate and the other can critique accordingly.
- These are timed exercises. So the pressure is on. This then simulates the experience of code interviews where in a job interview you have to code or whiteboard. The types of problems are also similar to the kind you’d experience in code interviews.