When I Started Programming

 

I have been programming since….

this year.  Just going through the internet you do not see many people who have created websites who fit this mold.  It is either “I have been playing around with the webs since GeoCities” or “Since my middle school days I have been developing websites.”  This does not describe me.

Growing up I had AOL with a 56kbps connection I would jump on almost every other day.  Sure it was not fast, but it was the only option where I lived.  I remember going to a friend’s house, who lived closer to the city, and being amazed by how fast his internet connection was.  I remember thinking “I could play games online without any lag if I had internet this fast!”

I would say that the slow internet speeds may have had something to do with me not getting into development, but the main reason is definitely because where I live none of the people I knew were into web development (or that sort of thing).  Since this was the case, I never really thought about how webpages went across a wire and onto my screen.  I guess I just figured it was magic.  I really did not care then, and neither did my friends.  In our defense, it would take minutes to load up one website.  So instead of waiting over and over to venture into the website, why not just either do stupid stuff outside or hook up a bunch of Xboxes and play some Halo.  We could easily play Capture the Flag on Blood Gulch for hours and hours through the night.  We had so much fun together.  Those were great times.

From there I went to college, where I finally had internet that I could play games without lag!  It was awesome.  I remember visiting my favorite sites almost every day (gamespot.com, ign.com, and espn.com).  Still the thoughts of how this worked never crossed my mind, but I was just thrilled that I was able to experience fast internet, something not available at home.   Around my junior year, I started paying attention to two different things.  One was the awesome website of giantbomb.com, and the other some of my friends using coding languages.  I thought this was fascinating.  I took a C++ class, and planned on making Computer Science my minor.  (Math was my major).  Unfortunately, when you go to a small college, you have to take what you can get.  All the computer science classes were during the same times as my math classes, so I minored in Management.  I really enjoyed the C++ class, and continued dabbling around in coding, but nothing serious.

After I graduated college, I started working part time at a local community college as a math adjunct for lower math courses and as a math tutor.  I really enjoyed teaching others how to look at math for an application point of view.  By this time, I was not dabbling anymore with C++, HTML, or CSS.  I was fully entrenched in teaching mathematics.  In fact, that is what I do today.  I now teach full time in middle Tennessee as a middle school math teacher.  I enjoy being able to help young ladies and gentlemen understand and find applications for mathematics.

The past summer, I got the itch to start coding again.  I roamed the internet for programs I could do to help me gain an understanding of HTML and CSS.  I came across Code Academy.  It was the answer I was looking for.  I went through the HTML and CSS tracks within a month and a half.  I also went through the Javascript track, but I went too fast and did not understand really what I was doing.  I just wanted to finish before the school year started again.  I teach full time, adjunct at a different local community college, coach, and take graduate classes.  I knew that I would not have enough time during the school year to continue going through the tracks.

However, this year, near the end of my last graduate course, I just kept thinking “I really want to get back to coding and developing.”  So I read a book (HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by  Jon Duckett) and went back through the HTML and CSS courses on Code Academy.  I made my first website a month later.  Sure, it looks like something off of Angelfire, but I was proud.  It was something I could call my own.  Now I have issued a revision of my personal website. It is a little bit newer looking, and a whole lot nicer.  There is still a lot to learn, but I have already done so much in the last month and a half, I know I can keep going.  I have now been through these tracks on Code Academy: HTML and CSS (x2), Javascript (x2), jQuery, and almost finished PHP.  I plan to go to Ruby next.

This year is when I started programming, and I have already accomplished so much.  Plans for another revision to my personal website are under way (3 additional pages) and I have already been in talks with my dad to create a website for his business.  Even though I feel I have done so much is a little time, I can do so much more.    I am super excited to continue to learn and develop more each day.

Thanks for reading guys.