An Entire Computer Science Degree in 11 Minutes

Summary

The speaker candidly shares their challenging journey through a computer science degree at NYU, starting with initial struggles in Python, to overcoming hardships in data structures and discrete math. They highlight the importance of perseverance, mastering basics, and efficient studying. The narrative also underscores the value of travel and diverse experiences, leading to a rewarding career as a software engineer.

Takeaways

• 😅 The speaker started coding at 18 and found it challenging from the beginning.
• 📚 The first coding class was an introductory Python course at NYU, which was difficult despite Python's similarity to English.
• 🌼 A memorable early assignment involved creating a flower using a drawing framework, highlighting the struggle between the speaker's efforts and a peer's quick success.
• 📈 The speaker learned that persistence is key, as initial coding struggles improved over time with hard work.
• 🔄 The importance of continuous learning was emphasized, as gaps in studying led to loss of knowledge and increased difficulty in later classes.
• 📉 Data structures and discrete math were particularly challenging, teaching the speaker about efficient studying and mastering the basics.
• 🌍 A semester abroad in London provided a break from coding but also valuable life experiences and a broader perspective.
• 💻 The speaker overcame the perception that computer science was inherently hard, realizing personal beliefs play a significant role in overcoming challenges.
• 🛠️ Practical application through coding competitions and problem-solving classes improved coding skills and translated theoretical knowledge into practice.
• 🎓 Despite the ups and downs, the journey through a computer science degree was personally rewarding and led to a career in software engineering.

Q & A

At what age did the speaker start coding?

The speaker started coding at the age of 18 during their freshman year of college.

What was the first programming language the speaker learned?

The first programming language the speaker learned was Python.

What was the speaker's initial experience with coding like?

The speaker's initial experience with coding was challenging, as they were 'impressively bad' at Python despite it being similar to English, their native language.

Why did the speaker choose to major in Computer Science?

The speaker chose to major in Computer Science because they knew that video games were made with code.

What was the speaker's first lesson learned in their computer science degree?

The speaker's first lesson learned was to just start coding, no matter how bad they were at it initially.

Why was the speaker initially worried about their second computer science class?

The speaker was worried because they would be learning a new language, Java, and they felt they hadn't fully understood Python yet.

What did the speaker struggle with in their data structures class?

The speaker struggled with creating linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and other data structures, as they had forgotten much of what they had learned in their previous coding classes.

What was the speaker's lowest point in college?

The speaker's lowest point in college was during their data structures class when they slept in the library for two back-to-back days trying to complete an assignment.

What two important lessons did the speaker learn from their struggles in discrete math and data structures?

The speaker learned to work smarter, not harder, and to master the basics, as most of their problems stemmed from not understanding lower-level concepts.

What was the speaker's experience studying abroad in London?

While studying abroad in London, the speaker took a class in linear algebra, which did not help with their coding abilities, but they enjoyed traveling and learning about different cultures.

How did the speaker overcome the challenges in their computer science classes?

The speaker overcame challenges by realizing that many things they found hard were due to societal expectations, and they learned to have confidence in themselves to figure out problems with time and effort.

What was the speaker's final semester like in terms of computer science classes?

The speaker's final semester included classes like operating systems, machine learning, internet technology, and algorithmic problem solving, which they found to be their favorite semester.

What was the most important lesson the speaker learned from their algorithmic problem-solving class?

The most important lesson was that practice, especially coding, is essential for learning and that translating thoughts into code is a crucial skill for programming jobs.