1 Year of Coding in 5 Minutes (Computer Science First Year)

Summary

This transcript follows the journey of a business major who transitions into computer science after discovering the potential of a software engineering career. Despite initial struggles with basic programming concepts, math, and technical interviews, the narrator perseveres. From taking introductory courses in Java to learning web development, algorithms, and data structures, they work through setbacks, including failed internships and cramming for interviews. By the end of the year, they feel confident in their programming skills, notably mastering concepts like reversing a linked list, and are ready for their first internship in the tech industry.

Takeaways

• 😀 The narrator bought a course on Python for financial analysis in December 2019, aiming to complete it during winter break.
• 😀 Despite the initial plan, the narrator only completed 5 hours of the course and spent the rest of the time watching Netflix and anime.
• 😀 The narrator discovered the potential for a high salary as a new grad software engineer, sparking an interest in pursuing computer science.
• 😀 The narrator switched from business to computer science, despite doubts from family due to struggles with math.
• 😀 The first semester of computer science involved learning basic concepts like if statements, loops, and classes in Java.
• 😀 The narrator struggled with basic math concepts like long division and geometry due to lack of practice.
• 😀 In summer 2020, the narrator deepened their knowledge of programming through courses on system hardware, web development, and discrete math.
• 😀 Despite challenges, the narrator learned about key concepts like inheritance, polymorphism, exception handling, and linked lists in object-oriented programming.
• 😀 The narrator built their first website during the summer but still struggled with reversing a linked list.
• 😀 During fall 2020, the narrator applied for jobs with a few projects on their resume and started learning data structures and algorithms for interviews.
• 😀 The narrator interviewed with Morgan Stanley, passed the interview, but their co-op offer was canceled due to a prior commitment to another company, Genotec.

Q & A

What motivated the speaker to start learning Python for financial analysis?

The speaker wanted to gain a competitive edge during winter break by learning Python for financial analysis while others were watching Netflix and anime. They planned to finish the course to be smarter than their peers.

Why did the speaker only complete 5 hours of the Python course by the end of winter break?

The speaker got distracted by watching Netflix and anime and also spent time watching tech videos. As a result, they only completed 5 hours of the course despite the original goal of finishing it during the break.

How did learning about software engineering salaries impact the speaker?

The speaker was motivated by the potential to earn up to $200k as a new graduate software engineer at a big tech company, which fueled their desire to pursue a career in programming.

What major change did the speaker make after discovering programming?

After discovering programming, the speaker switched their major from business to computer science, despite initially struggling with math.

What was the speaker's experience with their introductory programming class in Winter 2020?

The speaker took a basic Java programming class where they learned fundamental concepts like if statements, loops, and classes. They found it easy but were also focusing on catching up on math courses during that semester.

What programming topics did the speaker explore during the summer of 2020?

In the summer of 2020, the speaker explored system hardware, web development, discrete math, and object-oriented programming, learning about how computers work and how to build websites.

What was the speaker's experience with discrete math?

The speaker had a difficult time with discrete math, finding it uninteresting and even expressing a desire to forget about the course entirely.

What was the first website the speaker built, and how did their friends react?

The first website the speaker built was simple, using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. When the speaker showed it to their friends, they were unimpressed, which left the speaker feeling discouraged.

What programming concepts did the speaker learn in their second object-oriented programming course?

In the second object-oriented programming course, the speaker learned about inheritance, polymorphism, exception handling, and linked lists, all of which were useful for their development as a programmer.

How did the speaker prepare for job applications and interviews in Fall 2020?

In Fall 2020, the speaker started applying for jobs while taking a data structures and algorithms course. They tried to cram as much as possible before their interviews but recognized they had many knowledge gaps.

What happened during the speaker's interview with Morgan Stanley, and what did they learn from it?

The speaker interviewed with Morgan Stanley, where they were given a lead code question involving the quicksort algorithm, which they had memorized the day before. Despite doing well, their school’s co-op program canceled the internship, and they ended up accepting another offer from Genotec.

What key programming concepts did the speaker master by the end of the year?

By the end of the year, the speaker had a good grasp of web development fundamentals, data structures, algorithms, and finally learned how to reverse a linked list, a skill they had struggled with earlier.