Growth Memo Template
COMP 536: Computational Modeling for Scientists
Growth Memo - Project [NUMBER]
Name: [Your Name]
Date: [Submission Date]
Project: [Project Title]
[Optional: Check your notes.md or paper notes before starting this reflection]
This is informal journaling about your learning journey - there’s no “right” answer. Honest, thoughtful reflection earns full credit, whether you struggled extensively or found things straightforward. Share what you learned, what surprised you, or what connected to other concepts. This is for YOUR growth, not a polished report for assessment. (Should take ~30 minutes).
Note: Optional sections are truly optional - include the ones relevant to your experience this project.
Summary
[2-3 sentences: What was the scientific goal? What was the technical challenge?]
Technical Skills Developed
[What can you do now that you couldn’t before? Be specific - “I can now implement RK4 integration” rather than “I learned about integration”]
Key Challenges & Solutions (or Smooth Sailing)
[What was the trickiest part, even if minor? Or if everything clicked, what made it straightforward? What would you warn others about, or what approach worked particularly well?]
The Problem (or The Approach): [Describe the specific issue you faced, OR describe your successful approach]
My Solution (or Why It Worked): [How you solved it, OR what made your approach effective]
What This Taught Me: [The broader lesson - this could be about debugging, planning, or recognizing when you’re on the right track]
Conceptual Insights
[How did building from scratch deepen your understanding? Did implementing the algorithm reveal something about the underlying mathematics, computational methods, or physics that wasn’t obvious from just reading the equations? For example, did coding MCMC make the sampling theory click? Did implementing a GP kernel reveal why certain assumptions matter?]
Surprises & “Aha” Moments
[What assumptions turned out to be wrong? What suddenly clicked? Any unexpected connections to other topics?]
AI Usage Reflection
[If you didn’t use AI tools, briefly note why (e.g., wanted to struggle through it myself, didn’t need it for this problem, prefer working it out on paper first, etc.)]
Most Significant AI Interaction This Project: [When was AI most helpful and why?]
Critical Thinking Check: [Did AI give you any incorrect/misleading information? How did you verify its suggestions?]
Key Learning:
[What did this interaction teach you about the problem, concept, or about using AI effectively?]
Evolution of My AI Use:
[How has your approach to using AI changed since the last project?]
Next Steps:
[One specific way you plan to improve your AI usage next project]
Connection to Physics & Methods
[How does your implementation illuminate the underlying physics AND computational/mathematical methods? Did coding it up help you understand why certain numerical approaches work (or fail)? Any insights about how the mathematical framework connects to the astrophysical applications?]
What Got Me Excited
[Was there a moment when something clicked and felt genuinely cool? What aspect of this project was most interesting or fun? Did any part make you want to explore further? Even if it was frustrating, was there satisfaction in finally cracking it? Or if it felt routine, what would have made it more engaging?]
What I Want to Explore Further
[What questions emerged? What would you try with more time? Any ideas for extending this work? What rabbit holes are calling to you? If you did try any extensions or explorations beyond requirements, what did you discover?]
Next Learning Goals
[Based on this project, what skills or concepts do you want to focus on next?]
Optional: Code or Figure That Taught Me Something
# [Share any code - elegant solution, terrible bug, or anything in between]
# What matters is what you learned from it[Or share a plot/figure - could be a beautiful visualization, a confusing first attempt, or a “bad” plot that taught you about good visualization principles. What made it instructive?]
Optional: Collaboration Insights
[If you worked with others: What did you learn from/teach your partner? Did seeing their approach change how you think about the problem?]
Optional: Helpful Resources
[Any documentation, tutorial, paper, or Stack Overflow thread that really helped? Share so others can benefit!]
Reflection
[Final thoughts: How do you feel about your progress? What patterns are you noticing in your learning? Any advice for your future self?]
What would you tell yourself if you were starting this project again?
[Knowing what you know now, what would you want past-you to understand when first reading the assignment?]