This is a group lab, so make sure you are working in a group of 2-4 students

Arrays can be thought of as ordered lists of things. They can all kinds of data and return that data upon request. In order to request a bit of data, we just need to give an array a number value representing the index of the data we want.

student_names = [
  "Adele",
  "Beyoncé",
  "Cardi B"
]

If we want to access the first value in the array student_names, we can just type student_names[0], if we want the second, we can type student_names[1].

In the file reading_arrays.rb, we've got a class of superstar students, listed in alphabetical order. Presentations are due, and our students need to be called one at a time, using this array, to go in front of the class and perform.

Your challenge is to write solutions for the first three methods in the file reading_arrays.rb using the provided array of student_names.

• first_student_by_index should return the first student in the array
• fourth_student_by_index should return the fourth student in the array
• last_student_by_index should return the last student in the array

Use index values to solve these!

Ruby arrays have some handy, built in methods that help us access data in arrays. Using the earlier example, if we wanted the first value in the student_names, instead of student_names[0], we can use student_names.first! The .first method always returns, you guessed it, the first item in an array. Similarly, if we typed student_names.last, we would always get back the last item in the array.

This may seem unnecessary - we've already got a way to access by index, right? Well, it turns out methods like .last are very useful in certain situations. What if our student_names listed around two hundred students, instead of only a few? What if we didn't know the exact amount of students in the array?

Since, student_names.last will always return the last item, we don't need to know how long the array is, it will just work.

Write solutions for the forth and fifth methods in the file reading_arrays.rb using the provided array of student_names.

• first_student_by_method should return the first student in the array using the .first method
• last_student_by_method should return the last student in the array using the .last method

Let's say, with our class of superstars, we wanted to form some small groups for epic song collaboration. The first group will be Adele, Beyoncé, and Cardi B. How can we return three items in one method? For the sixth method in this lab, write a solution that returns the first three students in the list.

• first_second_and_third_students should return the first, second and third student in the array

• Arrays can either be accessed by index or by using built in methods
• Using methods, you don't need to know how long an array of items is or have an exact index value