The first time I ever heard the words "programming" or "coding" was in my first year as an undergraduate. I had a roommate who was in his finals at the department of Computer Science, and he was practically always on his computer. Initially, I thought he was just a regular guy who loved gaming or that maybe he was typing large documents. Eventually, after a brief interaction with him, I discovered that what he was always doing was called ‘coding’.

I was intrigued by the idea of humans writing sets of instructions for computers to perform specific actions, but this new fascination wasn't strong enough to hold my attention, and I forgot all about it when the semester started properly. However, I later discovered that I was going to take an "Introduction to Computer Programming" course in my second year, which was when I decided to ask my roommate for some clarity. So, I started learning my first programming language: Java.

In my second year, I moved into a new room with two of my friends, and because of the programming course we were taking at the time, we decided to download an app called SoloLearn to help us practice since most of the coding we did in class was done on paper. After downloading this app, we discovered that we could learn on the app and also play games against one another based on what we had learned. It was usually in the form of a quiz which we found interesting. Later, we moved on to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on this platform. At this point, we had not even remotely begun to imagine building projects, we just wanted to learn new things so we could play new games on the app. It was all fun and games.

This second year as an undergrad ended, and I had pretty good grades in my programming courses but I didn’t think there could be more to it. After all, I had come to school as a Civil Engineering major to learn about structures, not computers. So, most of my learning was just to pass my course, and that was it. I pretty much forgot all about coding after that session ended but an unexpected happening would open that chapter again a few years later.

Hello Web Development!

During my penultimate year as an undergraduate, COVID-19 started, schools were shut down, and there was nothing much going on. One month into the break caused by the pandemic, I was at home thinking about what to do to pass the time. Programming was beginning to make waves then already, so I decided to give it another try after taking a break for over two years. I asked a couple of people who were already doing great at programming about how to get started, and that was how I found web development. I started my journey on this awesome platform called freecodecamp, where I learned the basics of web development properly and worked on projects to get certifications. It was amazing and challenging but in the middle of a standstill, I was making progress and it felt good.

With the help of a friend, I found out about a remote internship (HNG) that was about to start, and we decided to join. I was excited to put my knowledge to use but there was one challenge— the internship was not exactly for beginners. Still, I decided to face it head on and I gave it my best. Thankfully, I was able to progress to the fourth stage before I got disqualified. I was not happy about it but getting that far sparked something in me. I knew that if I continued to forge ahead, I could do more. So, I did not let that stop me and I continued to work on projects and learn more concepts in JavaScript.

A while after, I was still plagued by the feeling that I didn't know enough and I needed much more leverage than what my self-learning path afforded me. So, I registered for a training boot camp for beginners called ZURI. The training lasted for about three months, and I was able to work on projects with a couple of other people.

After the training ended, I decided to give the internship I had previously tried getting into another try because I felt I had improved significantly. There was the pressure to try to apply for a full-time job but I was not confident enough to start submitting applications. I wanted to work on cool projects but on a smaller scale. I started the internship and got disqualified at stage six this time around (at least a little progress).

I kept going and decided to learn a JavaScript framework, so I picked React and started learning it. About four months later, I talked to a friend about getting a paid internship or just somewhere I could be gainfully employed to gain experience and build projects. At the time, he was working on an e-commerce site using React. He put in a word for me and shortly after, I was welcome on board, and I worked on the team for three months.

The Present Day

After several months of applying, I finally landed my first role as a junior front-end engineer at a startup in Lagos, Nigeria. I have also had the opportunity to work on several other projects with clients and friends both in and outside of Nigeria.

So, here I am!

I dare say it has been a long journey entering the tech industry and finding my direction, but I persevered with my passion for solving problems, designing innovative technology-based solutions, collaborating with others to build new things and constantly learning about emerging technologies.

All of these elements have contributed to my decision to pursue a career in tech as a Frontend Web Developer.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Writing it has been a delightful and nostalgic experience for me. Wherever you are on your tech journey, I want to leave you with this: Never give up on pursuing what you love. The path may be challenging, but with the right people and learning opportunities, it can be a fulfilling and memorable journey.

I hope that my story has inspired or motivated you in some way toward reaching your own goals. If you would like to connect, please feel free to find me on Twitter, GitHub, Linkedin, and Hashnode. Thank you once again, and cheers!