And your Mothers
"I'd like to welcome all you ignorant-ass bitches, critics, complainers, disgruntled rappers, and racists especially" -Ice T 'OPH' Original Player Hater My name is Nick, son of Kurt, son of Bernie however better known as the man with no plan, and the true Burger King; Nicholas. "You bitches better recognize" -Mr. Roboto 'Least Understood Hater' 2002
That is my attempt at a more proper welcoming to my blog than my test case, of course. Any who, As you can see by my posts thus far, I’m trying to make writing a regular habit. I’ve always been more of an old-school, pencil-and-paper kind of guy, but I've finally accepted that in this industry, if your notes and thoughts aren't online, they basically don't exist.
As time ticks on, I’m creeping closer to the end date of a goal I made almost four years ago. My fascination with computers started after I actually failed my AP Computer Science class in high school. But a year later, after acing an intro class at my local community college, I realized it was my absolute passion. I had struggled through nearly my entire academic career, so I never got the traditional opportunity to study Computer Science at a university. But my junior year of college was a turning point. I finally figured out how I learn best, resulting in the most valuable trait I’ve ever earned: the trust and confidence in my academic abilities.
I graduated during the early tide of COVID. Faced with limitless free time, a chaotic job market, and the fear of what my future held, I decided to gamble on myself. I saw the tech industry giving opportunities to people with non-traditional backgrounds whose only real leverage was an exceptional dedication to coding. So, I used my savings to move to the far away lands of Austin, TX. I got the cheapest apartment I could find, and on July 4th, 2020, declared that I would dedicate the next four years of my life to mastering Software Engineering. I told myself I would only consider it a success when I landed a full-time role with "Engineer" in the title.
I learned the hard way that this industry isn't always the welcoming meritocracy I hoped it would be. I used to imagine senior engineers as kind mentors who saw a junior's curiosity as an opportunity to pass the torch. And while those people do exist, I also found a lot of lack for sympathy, ego, and corporate red tape.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and if you win one fight, you're just placed into a bigger cage for the next one.
But here is the truth: I accepted this challenge because I knew it would bring me nothing but good in all aspects of life. I knew the market was highly competitive and that failure was a very high probability. But I also knew that cutting corners or cheating the system would only rob me of the chance to actually learn.
Being just a few weeks away from my four-year deadline, I can tell you that the journey cost me everything I had, and I never obtained that official job title (let alone any job). To some this would have most likely been all for nothing however I can assure you what I have gained is far greater than anything I could have ever obtained or even imagined. Enjoy yo self!
HATE, HATE, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate!