Hi all,
Haven't blogged in a while about my studies, thought it would give my blog title some substance amidst the posts about religion and lifestyle.
I guess I could trace my interest in computers back to when I was a young child (cliché I know, I'm glad I didn't put it on my personal statement for Uni applications). While I wasn't occupied for hours on end with creating things out of Lego or K'nex, I remember having some sort of electronic kit consisting of a console board with a variety of electronic components with spring-based contacts, along with an assortment of coloured copper wire pieces. I guess it was an electronics for beginner's kit, although I'm not sure if it was to the capabilities of an 8 or 9 year-old. I vaguely remember looking through the manual, picking out the diagrams and avoiding the complicated wording, and making sense of the diagrams to the best I could, and connected up wires in order to create a variety of things including an alarm and various sensor systems. Thinking about it now, that was pretty complicated for an 8 year-old. Sometimes I wish I'd kept that same mental attitude to things. Nowadays I find it a lot more difficult to make sense of things when I'm overwhelmed.
Alongside that, my interest in video games probably has played a significant part in my interest with computers, and instilled the idea that computers could literally do anything a human could think of (mostly). Towards the end of secondary school I began to take an interest in computer hardware, with the primary objective of upgrading my computer's graphics card so I could play better games.
I guess in a way, I've always had a certain motive behind my interests in computers. It was extra-curricular, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed knowing things that I knew other people didn't, and that school wouldn't teach them. Now the tables have turned, and I'm surrounded by people who have had similar experiences to me, and what was extra-curricular is now part of the course I'm studying alongside 100 or so other people.
I think that I'm what's called a `visual', perhaps even `kinaesthetic' learner. I've noticed that this makes my course a hell of a lot more difficult than I expected, because it's mostly theoretical rather than practical, depending on how you look at it of course. Computer science is interesting to me, but admittedly I can lose my focus if the content does not relate directly to something physical or visual, which happens quite often.
Still, at least my coursework marks are telling me that I'm doing alright so far.
Until next time.
I too wish I had that same spark as children do, when each new day held the next big adventure, not the next chore. It is the same for me, whenever something overwhelms me, my efficiency decreases (read: ARM!!!).
ReplyDeleteAs your classmate, I can relate to most of your post. In fact, additionally, I was always the .. err .. "Computer Guy" in my (all girls') school but I often find myself intimidated by others in the class. I am doing well in class too, so I must be doing something right but I no longer feel 'one of a kind' (geek with no love life).
At the same time, I am enjoying the course - and the same people who intimidate me serve as a pleasant challenge. Yes, I moan, cry, complain and freak out at times, but, at the end of the day, I am a computer scientist at heart, I could be doing nothing better! xx
Oh, I've always felt like a geek with no love life, believe me! :P
DeleteI enjoy the course too, but I try not to take notice of what others are doing, because it gets to the point where they're so far ahead of me (in some cases, unneccessarily so), that I get demotivated. It partly why I don't really go to lab sessions unless I know I'm going to ask a question to the helpers. I'm an independent learner, always have been!
Btw, I've subscribed to your blog! :)