Three years ago, I decided to point my life’s path in a different direction. I had been in college for two years studying Biochemistry, but I wanted something more. Something dynamic. When making big decisions in life, I like to think of my most unrealistic, idealistic scenario first, then start moving forward before I have time to think of how things could go wrong.
My ideal at the time was to find myself in a career where I could, above all, work independently and be creative. I wanted to be able to go from an idea to a finished product that spoke for itself rather than work that waited to be judged by somebody else’s standards. This was my original draw to Computer Science. I thought I can either be taught to repeat a process to make an employer’s life easier or I can learn the tools to explore and create whatever my heart desires.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are many different types of jobs out there and many different reasons to choose one career path over another. Coding is unique though. The idea that a specific tool can be learned that allows someone to work in any industry and complete a rewarding process, start to finish, was immensely appealing. Not only because of the flexibility that it would allow, but also because of the concept of creating.
Albert Camus once said “creating is living doubly.” I agree that there is nothing more rewarding than to take a blank slate and turn it into the contents of a mind. To make something out of nothing. This concept, along with the use of mathematical reasoning and flexibility (and financial security) that programming offers, led me to commit to four more years of study to complete my Computer Science degree.
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If you’re interested in pursuing Computer Science and you (like me just a few years ago) don’t have a firm grasp on what it is or what you can do with it, check out this video by code.org and consider attending the NWrWIC conference next month to get inspired and see what’s going on in industry.
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– Hailey Hanson
NWrWIC 