Why did I decide to learn software development? I was a math major in college, but being an actuary (the only career option I was told there would be) didn’t sound very exciting. Actuaries are now being used in many industries, but that’s now, not back then.
I thought that I was interested in coding because I liked the freedom that came with it. I find that I am more dedicated and work harder when I have the freedom to set my schedule and work where I feel most focused. I actually end up working more. The freedom to walk away and do something else to clear my head makes me happier and less stressed because I’m more productive and have a better work-life balance.
I hadn’t really put the connection together between coding and math. I know that I love solving problems, making things better. I always have ideas. For years I had taken every free coding instruction I could find. But none of them, and none of the bootcamps I found actually teach you the skills to be job ready. So I just kept looking and practicing.
Then I found Flatiron School, before there was an online option. Then by chance I found it again when the online program was available (thanks to my wife who was watching a Karlie Kloss YouTube video). For some reason I knew at that moment that this was it, this was different. The more I read about Flatiron, the more I absolutely knew that this was my chance to finally, really learn to code.
I did all the pre-coursework, and it wasn’t until I was being interviewed by admissions that the connection was clearer. By talking about it in the interview, I realized that coding gives me the chance to work the way I like to work, doing what I like to do. Had I known that it was so difficult to get accepted to Flatiron (6% acceptance at the time), I would have been so much more nervous. I was simply taking the process one step at a time. And now I’m taking my learning one step, one day of coding at a time.