When I think about the person I was before going to college, I would never have imagined that I would be a programmer.
Why is that? It is very simple, I didn’t know anything about programming, code, software, hardware, network… Don’t even get me started on frontend, backend, full-stack. That was pure gibberish for me at that time. I had a very basic use of my computer: emails, YouTube videos, Microsoft Word, that’s pretty it.
However, when I was watching TV shows like NCIS or criminal minds, I was fascinated and intrigued by Abby and Penelope Garcia, the data analysts. Their fingers were flying on the keyboards, taping some weird lines of code, and things were popping on the screen! It felt kind of magic to me.
That’s why, when I had to choose a major in college and I saw that computer science was on the list, I decided that I wanted to be one of these girls. I was curious, I had to understand this world and be a part of it. I didn’t give it much thought, I saw that it was a demanding field, that it would pay nice once I have some experience, and I jumped right in! Not only that, but I even made it harder for me by choosing to study with an international option, meaning that half of my classes were in English during the two first years. At that time it was a bold decision for me as I am a native French speaker.
I can’t say it was easy. But it also wasn’t unbearable. It was five long years, and at the same time, when it was finished it felt like the blink of an eye. I had ups and downs, I felt I didn’t belong, and would never fit in. And at the same time, I discovered a world that is so wide, rich, and interesting.
The conclusion of my story is that you can definitely be a programmer even if you don’t know anything about code and all. I think the most important thing is to be curious enough to want to learn new things. I, for one, am more than satisfied with my choice of career.