Coding is Hard, but Don’t Stop Being Curious about Code
I don’t like coding; I’ve never enjoyed it. Yet I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in technology and have spent the last decade working in technology. Here’s what I’ve learned.
“I am not good at math.” I cannot recount how many times I have heard that. And I have only heard this from kids. I have never seen an adult care about math ever. So what is it about mathematics that steer kids away? I have tried asking this question every time I hear this statement. Sometimes it’s the lack of confidence, sometimes it’s the lack of attention to details and sometimes it’s just not being taught the right way. But what every single one of them have admitted to is that they have this fear of failing.
Let’s talk about this for a second. While it’s true that a math problem will have a definitive answer, the ways of getting to that answer are multiple. And while exploring those ways, one can make a mistake. In my opinion, because the ultimate answer is valued more than how you got to the answer in the first place, there is no room for making mistakes. And when you cannot make a mistake at all, you start building this anxiety about failing in your head.
Now all the philosophical aspects about accepting failure aside, what we, as a society, have developed is undervaluing the power that comes from overcoming and correcting a mistake. The other side benefit of making mistake and rectifying it is that it also alters your thinking. It makes you think what went wrong, why it went wrong and what can you do to not repeat it. When the stakes are low, rewarding failure can encourage curiosity and that’s what the entire scientific method. It encourages you to ask questions, make observations, experimenting various different ways to test a hypothesis and then finally being able to draw a conclusion.
Practicing this over and over again creates a framework for your mind and cultivates structured thinking. STEM is hardly about getting the answer itself but more about how you arrived at that answer.
You can develop skills to use tools to help in solving a problem but your real asset is how you think. Nurture that curiosity and it will take you to solve interesting, real life problems.
Coding
Now if I am a curious person, and enjoy solving problems by testing different ways, why do I hate coding? It’s simple — I am not that good at it.
There are aspects of coding that I enjoy but I can’t do it as good as, as fast as, and as efficiently as others can. And after I spent 4 years getting a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, I should have quit. I should have found another career. Definitely not spend a small fortune getting a master’s degree. I am simply trying to tell you that if I feared failure over appreciating my curiosity to solve interesting problems, I wouldn’t have lasted this long. I sure as heck wouldn’t have a career, or even a job that I vaguely enjoy, or an opportunity to work alongside some amazing, smart, inspirational people.
Coding isn’t the only thing that the tech sector has to offer. I have met people from military, academic, creative, linguistic backgrounds who have offered their unique perspectives to provide smart solutions to real-life problems. All of them had one thing in common — they believed their skills were adding value to people’s lives. They didn’t let the fear of not being able to code, fear of being bad at math or anything else deter them from providing valuable input.
Don’t Stop Being Curious
And why is it important to take STEM as a viable, extremely doable career option? It’s simple. Because digital transformation is the future. If you believe you want to make a difference in the world, and enjoy solving problems that have a real world impact, don’t let fear of math or coding stop you. Adults rarely use math and coding isn’t all that it’s hyped up to be.
If you still hate those aspects of STEM, join the teams that will help you never have to deal with them ever again. Don’t code if you don’t want to. But don’t stop being curious. Don’t stop from making an impact. Every situation is a problem if you think hard enough.
Join the problem-solvers. Give STEM a chance.
Special thanks to Tremis Skeete, Executive Editor at Product Coalition for his valuable input which contributed to the editing of this article.
