Throughout my study at the university level as a computer science student, I encountered various course outlines that came more easily except for programming courses. The hardest thing I had to learn was writing programs. If I had seen or heard that programming was part of computer science, and it would be difficult for me, maybe I would have changed my discipline. At first glance, it seemed like a straightforward task, but the complexity of programming languages, logic, and problem-solving left me crawling at the feeling of how it could affect my CGPA.
In programming classes, the lecturers didn't help my concerns as they were talking to the board theoretically馃 I struggled to grasp fundamental concepts like syntax, algorithms, and data structures. While my peers appeared to move faster ahead of me through assignments confidently and easily, I found myself lost. Imagine the extra tutorial classes I had so that I could master it, but they were not fruitful. This experience was horrible because I became totally lost.
Looking back, I realize that what made programming so hard for me was not the content itself but the way I was taught. However, I lost the opportunity to grasp very well because of my initial experience, I felt intimidated, the negative spirit said I could not understand even though, I tried harder, and I gave in instead of focusing on my shortcomings and embracing the learning process. Instead of striving to master the basics, I let my fear hold me back. I didn鈥檛 recognize that struggling with a difficult concept is part of the journey to mastery. I could have struggled harder馃憣
I went for my internship, and the attitude of my boss, who was also a programmer, put me off. He never talks to anyone whenever he is on the system, and this man can be with the system from morning till night without food or any distraction. It became so difficult for a lady like me to fall into that category because what I heard was that one would not have time for family, and this belief added to my struggle of mastering programming. I gave up!
However, as technology became advanced and I could see the vast opportunities programming can offer for creativity and innovation, my fear of failure led me to retreat rather than persist. Eventually, when I began to understand that growth comes from perseverance, I made the decision to tackle my fears and took advantage of available resources but it was already too late. I tried coding and it worked. The satisfaction of building something from scratch, solving critical problems, and the thrill of seeing my code come to life should have been my joy for life.
The experience instilled in me a strong desire to continually learn and improve. It has led me to pursue opportunities in technology that I previously thought were unachievable. I now understand that the challenges I faced were not roadblocks but stepping stones to growth. I wish I had recognized the opportunities within programming sooner, maybe I would have become one of the best programmers in town today馃
This post is in response to the #hivelearners community contest on the topic: DIFFICULT TO GRASP
