My Reflective Diary

February 8

Today, I made a lot of progress with brainstorming ideas for my personal

best project. I based all my ideas on my passions and interests such as
cooking, drawing and game design. I believe that I came up with more ideas
than the amount that I had expected. In the end, I came up with a quite
interesting but challenging idea for my project. For my personal best project,
I planned on making about five culturally diverse dishes and then turning the
five recipes into a cookbook, so then it could last for the entire two terms.

A real challenge for me today, was definitely finding my first idea. I wanted
my idea to be unique and challenging but somehow satisfies my passions
and interests. To be honest, I came up with my final idea at the very last
minute, however, I think it can be even more challenging and suiting for the
needs of the project. In conclusion, I believe that I’m on track.

February 16

I have brainstormed more ideas about my personal best project. I have

regarded my passions on cooking, drawing and game design, and I’ve made
progress on developing more projects. For my personal best project, I
planned to do a cookbook but with five recipes, however, I believe it won’t
last for two terms. I think if I made about twenty recipes, then it’d last until
the due date which is June 12th. I’ve also decided on other projects such as
photo-books with photos of scenic sites and of other novelty things or
designing and making a game. I currently think that the problem now, is that I
have to find a project that would last until the due date and one that is
challenging for me but, also not unrealistic. In conclusion, I think I’ve got to
think of more practical ideas.

February 23

I have now changed my personal best project idea from a twenty recipe
cookbook to a game programmed by Python and with animations. I believe
that making a game would be best because it’ll last for about two terms. I’m
planning to make a game on Pac-man or one of the classic arcade games
like Snakes and Ladders, and Connect four. The challenge right now is
probably thinking about what I need to make the game and what type of skill
I’ll need. In conclusion, I have to find games that I’ll be able to make at my
level. Even though I may have some knowledge on Python, I still am unsure
on how to use it. Over the next few weeks or so, I have to start learning
Python.

March 2

I have just finished my personal best proposal, however, I just require some
signatures from parents, so I can give it to Ms O Donnell, so that she could
check my proposal and give it a thumbs up. This is currently the only
problem I have right now. I have developed my SMART goal, my budget -
which is basically nothing because my mentor (dad) had already bought the
items, even before the personal best project was even mentioned.
Ultimately, I need to finish off my proposal so I can actually start my
project.

March 5

The teacher has officially approved of my personal best project which is

excellent because I can now start off my project by learning the basics and
techniques needed for the game. My mentor has given me advice on how
to start learning the basics and how I should use my time properly so I
could finish by the personal best due date. Now that everything has been
approved, I have to also begin constructing my folio. I am planning on
making my folio into a website instead of making it physical because then
it ll sort of match my personal best project of a game. The website might
also require my skills on technology and it ll be beneficial as I do multimedia
web design as an elective (not relevant).

March 9

Currently, everything is going to plan. I have started learning the basics of

Python programming and also watched about thirty minutes of a 5 hour
long programming video on YouTube. I m happy that everything is on track
and that I haven t been disorganised (yet). I want keep it going on like this
so that I would have my personal best project ready by the due date. I m
slightly worried that I won t be able to finish my programming basics
revision by next week, so I plan on revising every time I get spare time. I
will try to choose time efficient video tutorials so I have extra time to learn
harder techniques. I will probably ask my mentor for some of his short,
brief video tutorials that he has already paid for, beforehand. I am now
more mindful of what I have to get done and when I have to get it done by.

March 13

I have finished off the Personal Best update #1 and have also acquired the
signatures required. Signatures - including my parents, mentor and
teacher. The personal best update one was supposed to be sent in about 5
days earlier however, everyone in Leaver, including me, forgot about the
due date. I am still watching video tutorials on basic python programming
techniques and basics. I ve been following them and applying them on to
the Pycharm program, which assists with launching the actual codes
written. Most of the python video tutorials are on YouTube so it is quite
easy to access them anywhere. I ve been following videos in the library as
well as at home. The other videos are available on subscription websites
that my mentor has already paid for. In conclusion, I am on the right track.

March 16

I have completed the main Python Beginners revision video tutorial. I

remember how to print text, draw shapes and create codes. I have made
progress on revising game techniques on Python, and I have actually
learned some more about Python. I ve also made a start on website folio
which I believe is good. The problem is that by the start of next week, I
would have to start making the actual game and I still need to watch about
another 5 videos or so. However, I think that I ll be able to finish watching
the videos by that time, if I continue what I m doing now. I ll try to ask more
questions from my mentor and seek more advice to get started on my
game programming.

March 23

I ve started my personal best folio and added some photo evidence of

video tutorials. I ve also added in my personal best updates, both one and
two into my personal best update sub-page. Now, I ve got to work on my
reflective diary and catch up to everything which I ve missed. I forgot to
write up five diary entries so I ve got to catch up. Currently, I have finished
five but I need to about four to five more in addition. I think this is my
problem for this week, because if I don t catch up, then it ll result in build
up of more written reflections. However, I believe that I ll be able to finish
five at least by this week.

March 27

During this week and the next week I ve been planning to entirely focus on
my personal best folio. I decided to dedicate these weeks for my personal
best folio because in the following weeks, I want to start my actual game
and continue focussing on it. Since I won t be going to camp because of my
tuition classes, I am just going to focus on personal best and my studies.
In the future, I won t have as much time, considering that I ll be doing 4
exams in June. Since they re all in June, I m going to have to study in May
which eliminates a lot of time to work on my personal best project and
folio. In conclusion, I ll manage my time and get through my personal best
folio quicker, so I can make a start on my game.

April 1

Everyone has gone off to camp which leaves me back home, working on my

personal best project. I have a head start on my project and folio as I have
already finished 11 diary entries including this one. I have also added in
photos and videos of evidence, so that I could show that I have actually
followed python technique and basics video tutorials. I am happy of my
progress because this is exactly what I have written on my schedule in the
proposal. In the schedule, I have mentioned that on this exact date, I am
supposed to have a lot of diary entries and evidence, which is exactly what
I ve done. And more good news! I have started my actual game and have
actually moved quite quickly with it. I have actually finished about half of it,
which is incredible because it was supposed to last longer. Honestly, it s ok
if it doesn t last for the whole two terms because I know for a fact that I ll
be extremely busy in May and June, studying 24/7.
April 8

I have now officially finished my game. When I mean this, I mean that I ve
officially finished coding the game. Since it s a quite simple game, it did
take quite a short time to create it, however, it s better because of the
limited time I have on my hands. Just to inform you, I won t be telling you
what my game is, until the actual personal best night. I m now hoping that
my game actually works because not only the code, but the actual program
should work as well. After today, I m hoping to continue working on my
folio, however, if my game doesn t work, I ll fix the errors and get the game
working.

April 13

I have worked on my folio so much that I ve already finished decorating and

organising all my sub pages. I have already finished the entire sub page for
the proposal and the evidence area. I have tested my game, and it seems
to be working, however, it s a bit glitchy, so I need to work on fixing it
again. In conclusion, my personal best project has had a lot of progress so
far. In the following week, unfortunately, I won t be able to work on my
personal best project, as I have an exam to study for. To make up for this
week, I ll try to do most work this week and then work extra in the week
after.

April 20

I have officially finished working on the main parts of my personal best folio
as I have incorporated an about me paragraph and an inspirational page
including my brainstorming of ideas and mindmap. My website folio is
slowly starting to look like an actual portfolio which is great. Since I won t
be able to work on my personal best project next week, I am planning to
finish the work I need to do now and then make up for it in the week after.
In conclusion, I have doing great however, I will be pulled back after missing
a week s work.
April 27

It has been exactly a week, and as expected I haven t really done anything
or made progress on my personal best project. I ve been entirely busy this
week, so I wasn t exactly able to finish off anything. However, fortunately,
compared to everything other people have done for their personal best
project, I am quite ahead. Now, for this week, I m just going to focus on
getting my logbooks and timeline ready so until the due date of the folio, I
will have everything accurately recorded and ready. In conclusion, I have to
make up for the missing work and make a start on my logbooks and
timelines.

1 May

It hasn t exactly been a week, but I have finished the making of my timeline
and logbooks. Now, I just have to complete them with information and
calculate accumulative time for the logbooks. I am not really sure about my
logbooks so I ll be attending the personal best workshops that will be held
for us to learn more about logbooks, reflective diaries and the portfolio
itself. In conclusion, I ve just got to keep moving forward as there s really
no time to lose. Just so you know, I also have to tackle studying for my
scholarship exams, piano exams, school tests and tuition tests. I know that
June will be the most hectic as all these tests and exams will be due and
also the personal best folio and project are due.

15 May

It is getting closer to the due date. I have officially finished my personal

best folio and project, however, I need to complete my diary entries and
finish minor things on the project. Unfortunately, a week a go, I
accidentally forgot to save one of my game codes, so now my game is
quite unresponsive, so now since there is not that much time, I am planning
to just make two or one mini game. In conclusion, by at least the end of the
22nd of May, I am gonna try and just get one mini game done, so I actually
have something ready to present on personal best night.
22 May

I have actually finished one mini game, which is good. I need to make a
second one but I don t think there ll be enough time as I also need to study
for a huge number of examinations. Honestly, I think the mini game was
quite hard to make considering that I worked day and night to get it done. I
realised that I need to always have a backup plan just in case something
like this happens again. In conclusion, my project is officially finished,
however, I need to just finish making my folio and then I m done!