Software Engineering: a hope to rekindle my passion
31 Aug 2023
Software Engineering: a hope to rekindle my passion
I’m going to be completely honest. My experience and knowledge of software engineering is very limited. I’m a computer science major at the University of Hawaii at Manoa yet I often question why I am. My interest in computer science is dwindling. I remember the only reason why I chose this major coming out of high school was because I thought I was “good at it.”
Despite my doubts, I’ve stuck with studying computer science because I’m stubborn and look to graduate with a degree in it within the next year. The unfortunate truth is that my doubts and questioning have held me back from putting in the time and effort to learn outside of the classroom that I see many of my peers doing.
Turning Point
Although taking ICS 314 is a requirement for me to graduate, I am looking forward to taking it and learning what I can about software engineering because I look at it as a chance to rekindle my interest in computer science. I am hopeful that this is something that will speak to me. I don’t want to be stuck doing something I don’t love. Leonardo da Vinci once said that “study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing.”
Big Dreams
The other reason I wanted to study computer science is because I wanted to be able to do something in my life with the power to impact people across the world. I remember thinking “doctors can only treat so many patients but working with the internet you can reach people around the globe.” And learning about and experiencing software engineering and building web applications can help me achieve this goal. For this reason, I am hopeful that taking this class will refocus my interest once again on learning about computer science.
“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think” - Albert Einstein
Of course, I hope to learn technical skills in software engineering. But mostly, I hope to learn how to learn better in this class. I want to train my brain to embrace challenges rather than run from them. I want to be disciplined yet passionate when it comes to learning, especially about software engineering. That is the only way I will ever achieve my goal.