Becoming a Software Developer

I chose the slower but steadier path

As mentioned in the previous article, my first experience with programming was via the CS50 Harvard University free online course. Admittedly, it was hard to get started and the level of motivation was low. I knew that, for me personally, it would be tricky to continue down the self-study path. So I started looking at courses that could get me job-ready. I also wanted to study in person, as I find it much more effective.

My area of research was limited to Australia, which I would imagine, does not translate too well onto other countries. I found a lot of private schools, offering 6-12 months courses and promises of employment. Unfortunately, their reviews were not so great, so I questioned their credibility. I also have not come across any people who have done of these courses in my current workplace. Obviously, my sample size is very small and this is a subjective opinion. As a counter-argument, a good friend of mine attended a boot camp and was very happy with it. The knowledge that he built up was solid and he was able to find a developer job.

Other options investigated were state government funded institutions. There was a 1 year course on offer. I think this would have been a good option for me to pursue if university was out of question. Since that time, I have met several people who have attended these institutions and have enjoyed great careers.

I was not really sure what to expect from the university degree. I just hoped that spending 3 years studying something will give me a good start in the new field. I suppose it was also a familiar environment, since I have been to a university before. To conclude on this chapter - there is probably not one absolutely correct way. I think it is important to find out what works best for the particular individual, not be afraid to change the strategy as you go and most importantly - pick the most challenging path one can handle, given their circumstances. We will draw on the last point a bit more.

Money, time, energy

The question of how to pay for all this education I was about to receive was a tricky one. I was not eligible to get the government loan in Australia, so any study would have been out of pocket. At least I was eligible to pay domestic prices! International fees are significantly higher - a friend of mine paid about the same amount for a single semester that I paid for my whole degree.

Coincidentally, before I decided to go back to study, I was saving up for a car and managed to save up a decent some, almost covering my tuition. Unfortunately that meant that I would not be buying a car any time soon. In hindsight, I am so glad I did not get one and invested the money into myself. At least I had that side of things sorted and I was planning to continue working part-time to support myself.

The other nice thing that I had going for myself was that I moved in with my parents and was intending to get a piggyback while studying.

I didn't have a family of my own or children, so making commitments like going to school for 3 years was fairly easy to me. (By the way, while studying, I met a guy who has 3 children and he went back to university and recently finished it too! Anything is possible with some planning and a positive attitude).

Funnily enough, I moved in with my girlfriend after one semester which made things a bit more tricky financially. I made enough to cover the rent, bills and food but not much more! I will talk about how I made extra money as I went through my degree. I think this is important to consider for anyone who is on their way to becoming independent (like I was) or is already independent and is committing to study.

Something that I personally did not expect to happen 1 semester after starting to study was the global pandemic - silly me! Remember how I mentioned in the beginning that I chose university, so that I could study in person... Oh well, at least I got to experience that in my first degree.

If I was working in the service industry at the time or any field that was affected by the pandemic - I probably would be forced to drop out and save my money to cover the living costs. Once again, I feel very lucky to have a part-time job in an industry that unfortunately only thrived during the pandemic - I worked in a pharmacy. One takeaway for me is that medicine is one of the few industries that never will seize to exist. Can we make a claim like that about software development? I am not so sure.

Last thing to cover is the personal energy to commit to big things like study. It was a bit of a struggle to go back to study and once again study subjects like maths and statistics. It did take a semester to get my brain into shape and into the working mode. It really is like a muscle, even working full time now and learning new things all the time, I cannot say that the intensity of work is the same as university - it was very tough to get started. But things got better as time went on, it became much easier to grasp new concepts and learn new material.

I am blessed to have family and friends that I could rely on in tough times. My parents spotted me a couple thousand dollars when I was in a tough spot. There were a few times I wanted to quit uni, more than a few, and I had friends to share my struggles with and get support. I cannot say that I did this all on my own. What I can say is that there is a need to make a plan and be ready to adapt to the changing circumstances. Set your mind to it and you will achieve it.

I will stop here for now and take a break.