20
Seag
7y

I used to think I was so clever by viewing the source code of websites, and would just scroll through it for fun, but what really got me started in programming was the TI-83 calculator I got in grade 10.

You couldn't view the code of most programs on that calc without a computer connection, but I managed to get my hands on the source code of something simple and learned how to prompt for values and calculate things with them. Before I knew it, I was making little programs in BASIC that did formulas for me (Area/circumference of a circle, etc.). One of my professors caught me showing my calculator to another student in class, and assumed I was being a bad student. When I said I made a program as a shortcut for one of the formulas we were learning, she tried to call my bluff and said to write the whole program on the whiteboard for the class to see. 10 minutes of writing and more than one blank stare from my classmates later, the teacher just waved me off and continued the lesson. I was chuffed :-). I made these simple programs for all my math classes throughout high school.

Unfortunately, my first year of university I took a CS course, and my teacher was probably the worst I've ever had in my life. I decided it wasn't for me, and though I did maintain my general aptitude for tech (and was still the person who fixed everyone's printers and viruses), I took a different path, eventually getting an Arts degree in Anthropology.

Where I live, the market for this is more than stale. In fact, it's completely flat, so I thought I would take a course about programming with Arduinos for fun and see if I should return to school for a different certification. It was AWESOME! I made a wireless weather station with Xbees and sensors and built my own anemometer.

I got a job at a manufacturing company, and had the fortune to build a robot which eventually made it's way to the second season of Battlebots. The level of intelligence and enthusiasm I encountered really inspired me, and now here I am at 31, halfway through a BSc in Computer Science and working for a company that makes 3D printers.

It's been a long journey, but the adventure always starts anew tomorrow.

Comments
  • 1
    Just a little question... Didn't you know the job market for Anthropology was stale when you started working towards that degree? I have a degree in Social Sciences, but I knew the whole time that the market value of the degree was near null, I just did it cause the reading materials were cool and I wanted to get some degree after I drop off Engineering.
  • 2
    @Eariel I knew there were no jobs directly related to it (field work and similar), but I thought perhaps the soft skills learned (research, writing, talking with people) would have gotten me further.
  • 1
    @Seag they do. My employer is so over people that can program all day but can't write English prose or relate to other humans. In my experience, those people are the worst at designing UX.

    Congrats on the battle bot!
  • 1
    @eedrawso thanks for the congrats :-) I'm hoping the skills from Anth will add to my skills from CS, so maybe I'll be a more well-rounded developer.
  • 1
    funny, i'm nearly in your shoes with my ti-84+ CE
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