I began/continue to code because...
I enjoyed being able to build things from scratch and letting my creative side loose.
I did ICT for GCSEs and A-level but decided to pursue an Economics degree at university. 3 years later I graduated, and sort of floated around through placements, voluntary work and working with the youth through mentoring. I rediscovered my love for building things through creating animations on Macromedia Flash, then moved on to web development. Best decision I ever made.
I recently overcame...
Using Git and Github effectively! After going through multiple resources to better my understanding and using both, I finally found a resource that changed everything. For anyone who is learning or wants to know the best place to learn Git and Github, head over to Udacity's course on Git and Github. You won't regret it!
I want to brag about...
The tech articles I've written on dev.to and Medium. I feel that through writing, I have learned so much. It's one thing to understand web-dev/frontend related topics but it's something else to have to explain to others without being all over the place! Something else I want to brag about is my pens on Codepen. I have a much larger collection of work than I did before and I feel that I'm (finally) making progress.
My advice for allies to support women and non-binary folks who code is....
Fight with us, not against us.
Top comments (10)
Yassss! Interested how you felt about git before and after your course !?
Hey Kim!
Before, it felt like walking through a minefield (or what I'd imagine it would feel like lol). Things just weren't clicking and it felt like any minute something could to wrong. After the course, things made more sense and I was able to retain the information a lot better. I think it's because unlike other resources I used in the past, Udacity had better real case examples, problem sets and frequent quizzes so it was more informative and tested your knowledge thoroughly and frequently throughout the course. Plus I kept a good record throughout in a notebook with plenty of visual aids and color. It pretty much felt like a university class, without the classroom!😄
Congratulations on mastering Git - I can sort of use it but don't quite feel I understand it - maybe I should try that Udacity course.
Interesting to read that you did Economics at university. I'm doing an Open Degree at the OU and my plan is to combine Computing and Economics. I feel the two subjects have a lot of relevance to one another, but not many people seem to be involved in both, which I think is a shame.
Thanks Dominic! Definitely check it out, its been a great help in learning how to use Git and Github.
Oh, cool. What's the reasoning behind wanting to combine the two, if you don't mind me asking? I do agree though, they share a lot of similarities and both require an analytical and logical way of thinking and skills like being able to problem-solve, think outside the box with a sprinkle of creativity. I think a possible reason as to why many people may not be involved with both is that the intersection between the two relies a lot on things like statistics, data-analysis, working with data etc which can put people off. What are your thoughts on why this may be?
I enjoy both subjects and I could see how they had a relevance to one another, as you say, particularly around the data-analysis and statistical side of economics, which I really like (I enjoy doing maths and statistics). Studying both subjects should give me the grounding to explore interesting applications of computing in economics.
I think you might be right that the data side of things might put people off - I think a lot of people in economics are more interested in theories than in applying economics in the real world - and computing is less help with the theoretical side. I also wonder whether silo mentality in institutions stops people from seeing the relevance of disciplines to one another - even though advances in information technology could be very interesting from a theoretical point of view in terms of what is possible in society.
Me too! I always loved Maths as a kid so naturally gravitated towards economics for a-level, then uni.
I know what you mean - that's what made me lose interest in economics. It became more theoretical than practical which made it more difficult to relate to. I agree, there's a disconnect between the two disciplines. Hopefully, this disconnect dissipates soon in the future because they both have a lot to benefit from each other, particularly in this day and age.
Thanks for the suggestion on the Git course. I use it but it still doesn't quite feel second nature/comfortable to me at times. Hopefully the course will help fast track that comfort level.
I was the same! This course did a great job at breaking things down and allowing you to not only practice but test you (frequently!) on what you know throughout the course. I strongly recommend taking good notes throughout; as much as we'd like to remember everything, we're only human!
I love the write up.
Thank you! :)