My Final Semester

Hello and thanks for stopping by! My name is Andrew Blair and I’m currently a student completing a B.S. in Computer Science at Oregon State University.

This post marks the first week of my final semester at OSU and another milestone in a very transformational chapter of my life.

Over the past 3 years, a lot has happened. I decided to make a career change, leaving behind the environmental science field and entering the world of software development. Soon after my first experiences with programming, and subsequent decision to change careers in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. I was admitted to Oregon State’s Postbaccalaureate program for Computer Science and quit my job. My wife and I got married and adopted a dog. More recently, I spent 10 weeks in Dallas, TX for a software engineering internship over this summer. After returning to my home in Baltimore, MD, I interviewed at multiple companies for several weeks. Then, on the same day that my final semester at OSU began this week, I accepted an offer for full-time work!

I’m beyond excited to be starting my new career in software development while finishing my degree. Graduation in December can’t come soon enough! This is a profoundly life changing opportunity for my family and myself.

You’re invited to follow along with my blog this semester as I wrap things up from this big, crazy, beautiful experience these last few years. Much of the content here may relate directly to a Capstone Project that I’ll be completing. The project topic/content is still TBD and I’m actively seeking teammates to collaborate with on it. Check back in periodically to see how it comes into focus over the next couple of weeks.

As reward for reading through to the end of the post, please enjoy a picture of my dog Suzie as she snoozes away on one of her favorite pillows. Thanks!