Potential For Growth
02 Sep 2021Where Did I Come From?
Unlike most traditional students of computer science, I didn't initially choose such a major from the beginning. I am instead a second Bachelor's student with a different initial path all together. My first Bachelor's was in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. I was always fascinated with science and the pursuit of knowledge. This degree helped me focus my interests and helped me hone my scientific questioning. After working in the industry, I struggled to find the path that I really wanted to pursue. The pandemic gave me the excuse I needed to give myself a reset. In the past, I had taken a few programming classes but never strongly pursued this option. In spite of Covid, I am now at UH Manoa pursuing a Bachelor's in Computer Science, Data Science.
Connecting to the Past
I don’t plan to throw away all the achievements and efforts I made in the past. These are all very important foundations for what I now hope to achieve. In pursuing this degree, I hope to gain relevant technical skills and a greater-than-surface level understanding of how to apply computer science to my love for science. This past year has allowed me to hone my Java and Python skills, as well as bring me back up to speed with my mathematical analysis skills. As I continue this path in Data Science, I believe that my potential options are expanding from growth I am experiencing.
Where does Software Engineering Play a Part?
Truly, software engineering was not something I planned on focusing heavily on. In my brief introduction into computer science I felt most akin to Data Science. However, as I am learning more and more, these lessons can also be fuel for my growth as an individual as well as a professional in the industry. The structure and pedagogy of ICS 314 is fomenting a respect and focused attitude towards my future studies in Computer Science. The valuable skills I am learning in using Javascript are complimenting the skills I have already learned as well as opening up future doors for what I am capable of. As brought up by the professor of this course, software engineering can be an extremely useful skill for a data scientist. In a similar fashion, I will be much more open in the future to experiencing more of the different facets of computer science as a whole in order to grow.