Tell us a little bit about your background.

I originally got my B.S. in Exercise Science to become a physical therapist. However, like many applicants who are denied acceptance year after year, I was tired of my life sitting in limbo while I applied over and over. I began working at an online mortgage company in 2012, and the job was much more computer-centric than any other I’d had in the past. The massive amount of data I worked with on a daily basis was staggering at first, but I learned some pretty nifty tricks in programs like Encompass360 and Point. Eventually with the guidance of some other fellow gaming enthusiasts, I built my first gaming computer, which was something I never thought I would have the knowledge to do. I now know it’s more like glorified Legos, but everyone assumes it's magic before they do the research.

What motivated you to sign up for LaunchCode's course?

After a few years of putting together computers for gaming, photo/video editing, and general use, I decided it was time to step behind the hardware to see what’s going on inside the magic box. I was going through more single language paths in Udemy and other online teaching services, but the structure of LaunchCode seemed like a better place to start.

It's been great to see so many people readily available to help you with whatever problem or misunderstanding you may have.

How has the reality of class differed from your expectations?

I actually expected much less guidance than what’s been given thus far; it’s been great to see so many people readily available to help you with whatever problem or misunderstanding you may have. Other than that, I didn’t have many expectations of the course, so everything thus far has been pretty fantastic.

What has been the highlight of class so far?

Can I give six? Completing each of the intimidating problem sets has been the highlight for me so far. For someone with no programming experience prior to this course, the presentation of the problem set at first is daunting to say the least. Once you take the time to really understand the requirements, it starts to congeal more. From that point on, it’s pretty hard to step aside until the assignment is done.

What have you learned about yourself by taking LaunchCode's course?

I wasn’t 100% sure of my desire for programming and problem solving, having no previous experience. I hated problem solving in any previous math and logic classes in college. It was surprising to me after the first couple of problem sets that I couldn’t put it down. I would spend hours and hours, even after completing the assignment, to make it work even better, even if I only came up with the smallest of improvements.

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