DUSTING THE OLD CALCULATOR

My first programming class is one I still clearly remember. Those were the days when everyone in the class was enthusiastic. It happened at one of the labs and I could only manage a seat at the back. The majority, I included, had their laptops ready, to set off the career of their dreams.

Class starts. The lecturer makes introductory remarks and off we start. Among the things he said is that we would be learning C and using Codeblocks. This was my first time hearing such. To be very honest, had someone told me that one pays to have Codeblocks installed, I certainly would have fallen for the trap. Anyway, the class went on, the first assignment was given and we were left to work on our first ‘job.’ Even before figuring out how to install the necessary requirements, solutions were already trickling in the class group. Let me not dwell much on this, only know that I never failed in that unit.

August 22nd. It is now 4 years since the journey began. Ideally, it should have ended, but God ordered it otherwise. Even the happening of the Covid-19 pandemic is allowed by Him in His Sovereignty. Anyway, many would ask, "How has it been?" Well, everyone is unique and we all have a story to tell.

You would expect that I would excel in the programming units. Surprisingly, mine were the Maths ones; the Statistics and Calculus. Here, I did shine. These classes would spark me into action whilst the programming ones were a bit challenging. It wasn't uncommon for me to revel on the Probability and Statistics assignments while the rest were busy working on some coding projects. Aren't we gifted differently?

Countless times did semesters end while figuring out what was expected. Those familiar with how Computer Science is at times unforgiving can attest to this. You have a project to work on. And to do it, you need to install the necessary tools and learn how to use them. You try this out several times with little success and just as you understand what is expected, the semester ends. Such happened to me with the likes of Android Studio, Anaconda, and even Xampp!

Sooner than later, the journey was halfway through. Mine was now a candle nearly going off. At some point I had the feeling to just finish, then look for something else. God had other plans. It is in the fourth year that the dying ember was spurred into a bigger flame... even brighter. Providentially, I stumbled into machine learning and deep learning. The fact that these fields were heavily mathematics oriented made them a perfect match for me. Eight months later and there is no turning back. My interests are in the retail sector where I aim to help business people make more informed decisions. I have an ongoing project in this line and, Lord willing, it should be through by the end of the year.

Despite my struggles in programming, it isn’t to say that I’m not a guru. Man... I am pretty familiar with the popular languages and their usage in application development. It is only that, at looking at the work of the Martians, I can only but bend my head low. These guys have mastered their craft. They aren't the kind of people that go looking for templates, make changes here and there and then go bragging around.

To wrap this up, just a few tips to those starting their Computer Science journey:

1.     Practice integrity. I choose to start with this because of the great want of people of such stature in society today. You don't need to go far to see the terrible effects of corruption. Therefore, take a decided line to be honest in your dealings. From the start, practice integrity in your assignments, CATs, and exams.

2.     Do not despair. Nothing is usually easy when starting. Things become easier with time, so persevere. Also, be sure to enquire from others, either at the same level or ahead; which leads to my other point.

3.     Have a group that you work with. Much of what you will learn is from your peers. Attend classes diligently then seek to implement it with them. These are the people that will help you in difficulty. Together, burdens become lighter.

4.     Keep close contact with your family and friends. They are there that we may rejoice with, in times of success and as well give us their back in difficult ones. A word in season is usually such a great encouragement.

5.     Remember your Maker. I am not afraid or ashamed to state this. Sadly, many have gone the way of ruin by want of pleasing their friends. Always consider and revere the one that has given life to you and kept you this far.

6.     Finally, let not the difficulties of the journey cause you to go after vain pleasure. Turning to drugs and substance abuse or unhealthy relationships has never solved any person’s problems. In any case, it made them worse.