As the second semester at NBCC gets underway, the mood has shifted. Gone is the youthful enthusiasm of freshly minted high school grads to a worn-down trudge to get through. The Winter months are weighing heavily on those around me as seasonal depressions takes its toll.
The numbers as revealing as well. A half a dozen or so didn’t make it back after the Christmas break. Grades from the first semester might have excluded some who didn’t gain needed prerequisites. Or maybe their true feelings about becoming a programmer came to light.
I can’t say I blame them. In all honesty, it’s smart to get out early if you’re not committed to the long game. Why put in the work, which is gruelling, if you’re not committed to programming for the rest of your life.
I once spoke with a pro golfer, who went through the grind of D1 university golf to pursue his career. He told me that some guys have a natural gift for the game but can’t put in the work required to get to the highest level. Some even have such a natural ability that they get worse the more they practice. He said don’t why put yourself through that if you’re not one hundred percent committed. I think this applies to a lot of pursuits.
My motivation has been stronger than it’s ever been. I’m on an upward spiral that just keeps expanding. The more I learn, the more I can see how to apply the material to real world scenarios.
This motivation is fueling my confidence as well. I know this is what I want to do and I’m enjoying the process.
All this has fueled me to refine my learning strategies from my first semester. I’m taking what works and adapting new strategies to fill in any gaps. I’m diving into the textbooks now more than ever to get supplementary intake on technical details regarding the code itself. I’m also setting aside specific time slots just for coding itself.
Peter Linton
Software Developer
