Without COVID, I may have never learned to code

During the pandemic, many people found themselves with free time as they were forced to stay at home. For me, this meant I had the opportunity to explore new hobbies that I may not have had the chance to otherwise. One of those hobbies happened to be coding.

Before the pandemic, I had never even considered learning to code. In fact, I had a Windows XP laptop until middle school, so I was pretty behind, especially compared to the Silicon Valley kids up north. All I knew was basic Python syntax, AP Computer Science A, and a few languages I had picked up from Codecademy, but otherwise very little. In retrospect, I was a perfect archetypal example of the typical CS major. However, as I found myself spending more time on my computer during quarantine, I began to explore different online resources for learning to code.

At first, it was a bit overwhelming. There were countless programming languages and frameworks to choose from, and I didn’t know where to start. But as I continued to experiment and learn, things began to click into place (see also My Developer Journey).

Looking back on it now, I realize that if it weren’t for COVID-19 forcing me to stay at home for an extended period of time, I may have never learned how to code. It’s a strange thought, but it’s also a reminder that even in the midst of challenging times, there can be silver linings.

This is not meant to downplay the severity and struggles of the pandemic. I still think of how lucky I was to have a computer during that time. Learning how to code was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise difficult time. And who knows? Maybe someday it will lead me to new opportunities that I never would have imagined before.