I am not a Software Engineer just because I studied Computer Science; I am one because of the journey that led me here, which includes a mix of wrong turns, realizations, courage, and a quiet but persistent voice that never stopped telling me where I truly belonged.
When I look back, I sometimes wonder how different my life would have been if I hadn’t switched my profession. Considering the captivating pace of today’s tech innovations, I can’t even imagine how bad I would feel if I had stayed where I was.
I wasn’t always a Software Engineer. In fact, I studied Electrical Engineering. To be honest, I didn’t have a passion for it. I chose it mostly out of fear. Back then, people would tell me that computers were constantly evolving and that if I studied computer science, I would have to keep learning something new almost every single day. As a sixteen-year-old, that sounded intimidating. So, I ended up choosing Electrical Engineering instead. But as my studies went on, something kept tugging at me.
During my diploma, we had a couple of computer-related courses as part of the electrical curriculum. Around the last year, I found out that one of my friends had started his Bachelor’s in CS. That news haunted me; not in a bad way, but in a way that made me question my own path. The thought that I wasn’t doing computer programming kept bothering me. Deep down, something was constantly telling me that I should be in computers.
Eventually, I gathered the courage to tell my dad that I wanted to switch to computer programming. Fortunately, he supported my decision, and that conversation changed the entire trajectory of my career.
Looking back even further, the signs were always there. I think my real connection with computers began in 7th or 8th grade, when I was first introduced to HTML. Later, in 10th grade, I was reintroduced to HTML and also learned C programming in school. I was really good at it. During computer lectures at my tuition classes in 10th grade, I would always be the first one to complete the assigned tasks and then immediately crave something more challenging. I still remember that during our final examinations, the topper of the batch copied from my C program. That moment still makes me smile.
I also remember building a Facebook-like website using raw HTML and inline CSS back in 2017, a time when learning programming through online tutorials wasn’t as common as it is today. Most of my learning came from pure curiosity and trial and error.
In hindsight, studying Electrical Engineering wasn’t a waste at all. It taught me logic, discipline, and a way of thinking that still helps me today, not just professionally, but in life. Yet, it was programming that gave me purpose, creativity, and the thrill of building something from nothing.
So, why am I a software engineer?
Because, at every step, even when I didn’t realize it, my heart was already wired for it.
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