I'm Building my Career One Brick at a Time
20 Jan 2022
The Building Blocks
When I was little, I liked to design houses. And by that I mean I’d draw houses for fairies and princesses in my composition book. I’d design their rooms by filling them with brightly colored beds and sparkling furniture. I drew large stained glass windows and balconies that were fit for royalty. Two parts in particular about this stage of my life have stuck with me. One, I love to design things. Not just princess castles and fairy beds but websites and programs and games. Two, my software engineering journey so far and to come can be compared to building a house.
The Blueprint
Buildings are one of the most intricate and amazing mediums of design. They’re also one of the hardest to pull off as one crooked plank or a missing screw could cause the entire structure to collapse. That’s why blueprints are essential to any building project. You must know what your end goal is and the steps you’ll need to take to reach it. For the first couple years of high school, I didn’t have a blueprint for what I wanted to do. Throughout my time in high school, I was bombarded with the same question over and over: “What are you planning on going into after high school?” I could never give a straight answer. I was starting to get anxious, what if I didn’t find my answer before I graduated? I tried my hand at graphic design and game design through high school electives and while I enjoyed it, I wasn’t sure if it was right for me. Then, I tried my hand at the new computer science course that was being offered and it suddenly clicked. The process of coding was frustrating at times but the results felt so rewarding. It felt like a whole new realm of possibilities was opened up to me. I finally found something to base my blueprint on.
The Foundation
It’s impossible to make a well-constructed building without a blueprint. But, the most important part of any building is the foundation. Without a good foundation, a house would collapse. In truth, I had always wanted to try my hand at computer science. Ever since I was little I loved video games. Out of all the genres I tried, I ended up liking turn-based RPGs the most. I love taking my time, strategically planning my strategy, and figuring out what the most optimal approach would be. This love I have for video games is what initially interested me in computer science. The reason I didn’t try computer science until my junior year was because I was scared I wouldn’t be good enough. I felt anxious at the idea of failing at something I wanted to do. “What if I’m not good enough?” “What if I’m the dumbest person in the room?” And honestly, sometimes I still worry about these things. But I’m happy that I am where I am and I’m excited about learning more in this field. The foundation for my blueprint in my software engineering journey is my love of video games and the determination to learn and succeed.
The Floors and Rooms
Once you have a firm foundation, you can construct the rest of the house. As I sit here writing this essay as a sophomore in college, I’m excited to build off of my foundation and add on the walls, floors, and rooms throughout my software engineering journey. As I look to the future, I’d like to work on more projects with other people as I think that would provide practical experience for jobs in this field but also be exciting and fun! I’ve written code only by myself so far and I’m looking forward to learning how to work with others on a coding project. I’d also like to have more experience in other parts of design such as web design and game design as they are areas I’ve always been interested in and will broaden my horizons in this field. As I learn and experience more over the years, I hope to build a sturdy and charming house.