Why I Aspire to Become a Coder
by Dayle Clarke
Posted August 12, 2022 | 4 minute read
The key reason I aspire to become a coder is that I love to code. The first time I discovered this passion was at 16 when I borrowed my brother's textbook on Programming in Delphi. I spent the entire holidays teaching myself how to code small programs for fun, including a tic-tac toe, Magic-8 ball and encrypted message sending game. I immediately regretted not choosing technology, based subjects in school.
Coding puts me in the flow state as it can provide the perfect balance of skill and challenge. I become completely absorbed and deeply focused on solving the problem at hand, beyond the point of distraction. I feel like I am “in the zone” and that time has slowed down. Programming also feels a little bit like magic on computers. You can make elements appear, disappear, or move to give them life. I get an exciting sense of awe and wonder when I can get a computer to do what I want it to. I love the immediate feedback it provides.
Coding feels a little bit like magic on computers. You can make elements appear, disappear, or move to give them life.
My favourite aspect of working as a secondary school teacher was designing learning resources using technology. For example, I used If-Then formulas in Excel to provide students with immediate feedback on their work and created educational games in PowerPoint. I love creating things particularly when what I create can make the lives of others more exciting, entertaining, easy or productive.
Another reason I want to become a coder is that I love problem solving and expressing my creativity. I enjoy brainstorming ways of getting software to perform a specific task or looking through code to see why it isn't working. As a teacher I get immense satisfaction out of helping my students fix a problem or bug they have in their work and have a knack for finding where they have made errors. I have meticulous attention to detail and love organising the world around me. I enjoy keeping track of the semicolons, brackets, spacing, indentations and other small formatting details that affect the code's execution.
The other appealing aspect of software development is that it is so varied and constantly evolving. I am a naturally curious person who values learning new things. It is important for me to be growing and constantly building on and improving my skillset.