Misconceptions in Software Engineering😅

Before I even conceptualized the thought of genuinely pursuing a Software Engineering career, I reckon I wasn't intelligent enough to become one. It seemed that you needed to become extremely well-versed in complex Mathematics and you needed to be programming as early as in the womb. The truth is, I was completely and utterly wrong. In this post, I'll talk about those misconceptions in depth and why these misconceptions are mainstream in the first place🙃

1. You need to be brilliant to be a Software Engineer🤓

This is a strong NO. In the core of a Software Engineer's job, it undoubtably revolves around the same objective no matter what field you are interested in. Solving problems. Most, if not all engineers solve those problems in code or at least need to be well-versed in code to efficiently communicate with other programmers. Learning code requires practice and consistency, not being smart. While being a natural problem-solver can be beneficial in programming, that doesn't mean that your characteristic will give you the golden ticket to the Polar Express🚂(old movie reference👴).

2. You need to be well-versed in complex Mathematics🤯

Math is involved with programming but that does not mean you need to be a Mathematician of any sort. If you are comfortable with using the elementary operations in math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), that suffices to about 99% of what you will be using whenever you'll face a problem that requires some Math. Certain fields require slightly more Math knowledge like becoming a Data Scientist or a Machine Learning Engineer but if you are a person who enjoys Math and problem-solving, you can possibly thrive in those fields with consistent practice. Overall, the foundation of Math is important to many fields but you should do more research on what you are interested in.

3. You need to start young to become a Software Engineer👶

This is absolutely incorrect in all fields of Software Engineering. There are gargantuan amounts of people becoming Engineers everyday and a good percentage did not start when they were 7 years old. It comes as an interest or as a curiosity to try it out. For example, if a child enjoys building legos and creating houses, towers, etc; that child would probably grow up to enjoy being an architect or to at least try it out. Many people try things out like music, sports, and more but do not see themselves being involved long-term. That is completely fine but you are gaining the experience of all these things and finding your passion will eventually come.

All in all, these misconceptions are exactly what they are. Misconceptions. You do not know everything about everything. That is simply unrealistic. When you makes assumptions, it is often that these assumptions are converted to false reality since you do not really dive into certain fields and understand in a slightly deeper level. You tell another person your reality and that person will tell another. This happened to me and many others like me before I pursued my career. To wrap everything up, if you are interested in a topic, disregard all previous beliefs that you've heard and do some research on it. If you genuinely find interest and see yourself being involved in that field, then go for it. The worst thing that can happen is you now have gained the experience of that field and you can spread the unbiased truth about it to others while knowing that you've tried it yourself and it wasn't for you. I wish everyone the absolute best❤️

“Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

“Maybe the hardest part of life is just having the courage to try.”
― Rachel Hollis, Party Girl

“Great things happen to those who don't stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

“Don't waste your energy trying to change opinions ... Do your thing, and don't care if they like it.”
― Tina Fey, Bossypants

“It will get easier each time, I think. I hope. I just have to keep trying.”
― jenny han, To All the Boys I've Loved Before