Blog #1: Psyched up for Computer Science

Like all post-bacc students, Computer Science is not my first rodeo when it comes to earning a bachelor’s degree. I’m familiar with wrangling up varmints (assignments) and gittying up to study.

Okay, I’m done with the weird cowboy metaphors.

I wanted to make this blog post to document my journey from knowing absolutely nothing about programming, to where I am now (in which I slightly know more about programming).

I earned my first Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Guam. I wanted to have a career in a field where I would make a meaningful impact to a lot of people. At the University of Guam, I interned at various behavioral health organizations, participated in (and led!) research teams, and most importantly, studied the human mind, cognition, and why people do what people do.

However, after I graduated, I felt disillusioned with where my current path was taking me– I wanted to make a meaningful impact on people, but I felt like I was spinning my wheels on a treadmill, moving but not really going anywhere. I know I wanted to be a positive force for change in people’s lives, but I felt like I lacked the skills necessary to drive that change and I didn’t feel like my range was as far-reaching as I wanted it to be.

This is where Computer Science comes in.

Some background info here before I get into the nitty-gritty of why I chose Computer Science, I knew absolutely nothing (really big emphasis on nothing here) about how the magic happens behind the scenes, when people create programs, websites, apps out of thin air. BUT, I’ve always been interested in learning how the magic happens and I’m continually up to a good challenge.

I decided to dive head first into this new field, applied to Oregon State University, and was set to start my first quarter in Fall 2018. In hindsight, diving in head first without really knowing what I was getting into was a terrible idea. That and coupled with me moving to 9,114 km (5,663 miles) from the place I’ve always called home to the city of Seattle was not a smart idea, past Christina!!!

My first quarter at OSU was a wreck, to say the least. I was taking CS 161 and CS 225, while working full-time at a new, demanding job, and living in a tiny studio that barely measured 160 sq feet. I’m not proud to say, but I failed the first class I had ever failed in my entire life.

Needless to say, I took a much-needed, year-long break from my studies to regain perspective of the path I had chosen and to improve my life outside of my studies.

And it worked! I started a new job that I love, moved into a more spacious apartment, but most importantly– I gained a new stance on my new career path in Comp Sci.

I WAS going to earn a second Bachelor’s degree, I WAS going to learn how to program, and I WAS going to make a positive impact on people’s lives using the teachings I learned in Psychology and the skills I would learn in Computer Science.

I decided I want to be a part of the movement that sought to change people’s lives through technology. Facebook, Google, Apple. While each organization I mentioned comes with their own faults, I believe that they have also been integral to helping people connect, to educate themselves, and blurring the lines between what was impossible before, to what is possible now.

And here I am, in the second to the last quarter of my time at OSU. I am still working towards earning that degree (and it’s so close!), and finding a position that also aligns with my core belief. But the one thing I know for certain is that I am passionate, relentless, and I won’t give up.