How I learned to stop worrying and love programming…
Posted by Kate Glover on January 11, 2013
18 months ago: I wasn’t a programmer. I started my degree course, terrified of programming. I’d been rubbish at A-Level, and hadn’t got any better since. If at enrolment you’d have offered me a D on a free-pass – I’d have bitten your hand off for it.
Now: It’s my favourite thing. I think about little else. If I’m not coding, I’m thinking of coding, or planning coding. At work, rest and play. I wait for my train to Uni, eyeing up the flashy ticket machine. I can “see through it” like a software x-ray. I look at the departure boards. I’ve never seen the system, but I almost certainly know how they work. What talks to what and how.
My lecturer still finds it amusing when I tell him that I was so rubbish at it. I’m not sure he quite believes me. He asked what it was that made the difference. I think it was the structure of his lectures. The only way I can think to describe it follows (my thoughts at each stage in red):
- Here is an example of a concept.
Okay. - Play with it.
I think I’m getting it. - Try breaking it a bit and putting it back again.
What the..!? What does that error even mean?! AAAAAGH! Oh hold on, fixed it… - Add to it.
Cautiously confident now. - Put it to one side and use it as a base to create your own example, based on something you personally already know about and understand.
Wait a minute – it’s virtually the same thing but with parrot rather than dog words… - Make it a bit more interesting.
Haha! Check this out! This instance of a parrot now has eight legs and a small corner shop! - Recap questions.
Got it! - Next week: a concept which usually utilises and builds on the one we did this week.
GOTO 10…
I hope it makes sense. The fact that he’s infinitely patient and always takes the extra time to provide a thorough explanation, even when a short one would have done. helps too.
I’m no longer terrified. I’m excited. I sometimes have so much stuff in my head when I’m thrashing something out that I end up with nose-bleeds. I don’t even care…
Break over… back to my coding…
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