a.1.1 thinking abstractly

Imagine trying to draw a map of your route to school that included every single tree, pothole, and parked car along the way. It would be a mess and totally useless, right? That’s where abstraction comes in. It’s the superpower of "ignoring the fluff" to focus purely on the essential details. In Computer Science, we use this to create simplified models - like how a tube map shows you the stations but ignores the winding tunnels underground. By hiding the complicated stuff "under the hood" (like how a save button works without you needing to know about hard drive sectors), we can build massive, complex systems without your brain exploding.