Information communication technology.
I can distinctly remember all the frowns or looks of confusion when I said I was doing IT at the time, and even now when I’m not in developer spaces. To be on the receiving end of the looks of confusion and questions is both funny and sometimes frustrating.
Sometimes I felt like I needed to prove to them why I chose IT. People didn’t ask me or my other friend “Why psychology??”, but now with this switch it’s like it was the first question I had to answer.
In the beginning, I found it upsetting, especially when I came from young guys my age, I mean all the ladies got weird looks as each of us entered computational mathematics. It was bad enough that we had to almost feel like we needed to prove ourselves in the classroom to our mates and now I have to explain it to everyone else.
Feeling the need to prove that I can understand programming and that I know how a CPU functions started to stir up within me. I’m not trying to throw a pity party for myself but this is the reality I felt as I navigated my first trimester in information technology.
In these moments my anchor or source of strength was why I chose to learn and do what I do.
WHY IT
Learning something new
I wanted to learn something new, something exciting, something that opened me up to a new thought process and logical framework. A new way to look at the world.
I had done ICDL in high school but that’s as much about computers as I knew. I wanted to learn the logic and the inner workings of how computers function. How the tech advancements have leaped in such a short amount of time.
The unique and new nature of tech. I was like a moth to a flame drawn to the complexity and vast possibilities it holds.
I was completely hooked and ready to go.
Difficulty, challenging nature
Now of course I did not enter blind. I did my research; this was not an easy route to take. There were lots of difficulties I was to encounter and I weighed my options and this was for sure a good fit for me.
I was looking for something challenging, I was looking for something that would push me.
True to form It has been fulfilling that promise, sometimes more than I expected, but we move regardless.
In high school, I only did one science biology, and it was as basic as high school biology is, I studied hard but some elements of it came easily to me. I wasn’t bold enough to pick chemistry or physics, it was always safer to just do what I’m comfortable doing.
One could argue that a person should just stay in the place where they are more likely or sure to succeed, but I wanted more.
I sure did get what I was asking for.
A C in C programming is evidence.
I’d never done it before, an element of new change
Before the urge to explore other aspects of education and what my future could look like, I had never considered anything stem-related. Partly because I didn’t see the need to explore my options. So this was completely new to me. I had never considered the possibility. But here we are now.
Push my limits
I can say for sure that my limits are constantly being pushed here.
No doubt about that.
I like something that challenges me to be better, to put in the work, and to be a go-getter. And it has 100 percent provided that environment.
Now let’s be honest, it can sometimes become overwhelming and I have to take a step back and breathe. But it is such a fulfilling journey for me either way.
Conclusion
IT has provided a space for me to know myself in different ways that I didn’t even think was possible. From my first static website for a software engineering class to my current projects, I have seen myself grow and become this resilient problem solving and optimistic person who can look at problems in a way that doesn’t make me feel like I’m lost.
If I can’t debug it today, that’s fine; let’s try again tomorrow
Needless to say, it was worth the change,
Though I might not feel this optimistic every day, I’m always up for trying again tomorrow.