CODING: THE BIGGEST LESSON I’VE LEARNED SO FAR

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Introduction

I was in 10th grade when I took my first computer class, and ever since then, I have just immersed myself in it. From taking extra courses online to now building an app all by myself, I have definitely faced a LOT of struggles and have benefited from a lot of lessons. Coding is not easy, so here is the biggest thing I’ve learned so far.

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My Background

I am a second year CSE (Computer Science and Engineering) student at the University of Connecticut. I’m also doing a dual degree in Statistics, with minors in Business and Math, but that’s not relevant yet. I only took two CS classes in high school, and I’ll be so honest with you: I only joined this program for the money. Obviously, software engineers make BANK, even with minimal schooling. But, I soon realized that money is not all that I wanted. I wanted to create something innovative and fun from the skills I learn. (And I’m also pretty good at coding, so it makes me happy when I see my programs run :) )

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CS People Suck

I am being so serious with you, I HATE people in CS. But, more specifically, I hate the ones who make CS their entire personality. All they do is code in their rooms all day, feeding into the stereotype of the smelly, non-showering beings that sit in a dark basement coding their lives away.

Trust me, that stereotype is so true. I see it all the time in my CS classes.

But, I’m not saying this to disrespect them. Those people dedicate so much time and effort into their craft, which is great if you want to know all the details of every single line of code. However, in my opinion, that is the worst possible thing that you could do as a CS student.

As a CS student, you have something that most people don’t: technical knowledge and skills.

Especially in the business and corporate world, most people do not know what they're talking about when it comes to technology. That is why you are so valuable as a CS student. But, you will only reap the benefits of that value if you learn about things OUTSIDE of coding and algorithms. You need to know business, social skills, communication, confidence, and creativity to truly leverage the technical skills that you have.

For example, if you make the next greatest machine learning model, but you don’t have the skills to share it with the world, you’re just going to be stuck in that dark basement waiting for someone to shine a light on you. And who will end up shining that light? Some big business person who was lucky enough to find you, use your skills, and build a big company for THEMSELVES. NOT FOR YOU.

You will lose your chance at greatness if you don’t learn how to speak up. That is why I built a unique path for myself.

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My Unique Path With CS

When I was applying to UConn, I had three options related to computers: CS, CE, or CSE (Comp. Sci., Comp. Eng., and Comp. Sci. + Eng.) I chose CSE.

Why?

CS is straight coding. You don’t learn any of the hardware part of it, which makes it the simplest option for someone like me who only really wants to code and doesn’t want to do any of the mechanical part of it. CE is straight hardware. You learn some coding, but it’s mostly related to Electrical Engineering. Finally, CSE. CSE is a perfect blend of both worlds. You learn all of the coding and algorithm parts, but you also have about four extra classes that teach you about hardware and electrical engineering.

So, I picked CSE because I wanted to have the greatest range of technical knowledge possible.

But, it doesn’t stop there. Like I said before, technical knowledge is only valuable if you have the business skills to market yourself. That is why I am also doing a business minor. (I also have a math minor, but that’s just because I already take a lot of math classes for CSE anyways, so I was just like why not?).

Finally, I also have a dual degree in Statistics, which was just a personal interest of mine. Data is the biggest thing in the world right now, and learning about proper analysis has always been intriguing to me, and it’s also been helpful as I’ve been building my app recently.

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Conclusion

After plunging myself into the deep end of CS, this is by far the most important lesson I’ve learned. You can’t be all technical. And you can’t be all business either. You need a good mixture of both in order to get ahead in anything you want to accomplish. These technical skills can range anywhere from video editing, typewriting, to hardcore coding, but in the end, none of these skills matter unless you have the people-skills to truly put yourself out there.

Build a unique path for yourself, whatever your major might be. We can all learn something new from different sectors of the world.

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