How I Fell Into Coding
It was summer 2008 and it was the first time I touched a computer. Obviously I was very young and the only thing I knew about computers was that it was a machine where I could play games and draw using Paint — which my cousin brother taught me. My first impression was just WOW! This is fascinating. I used to sit for long hours in front of the screen, just playing games (probably on a website called zapak.com and an auto rickshaw racing game, as far as I remember) and drawing using Paint.
Years passed and I got to know more and more about computers, the internet, and games. In 2014 I got my first laptop and I was very excited to use it. I started exploring more and more to understand the capability of the computer, and these experiences instilled a curiosity in me to know more about how computers work. As I was from the ICSE board, we were introduced to computer internals, its history, and its capabilities through our course books.
The Beginning of Coding
When I got admitted to class 9th, the first thing that caught my attention was our Computer Course Book (which read "Introduction to JAVA Programming"). I was excited as well as nervous to learn it. In my first class, the teacher threw heavy words like Abstraction, Polymorphism, Inheritance, Encapsulation — and I was like, what is this? The first thought was: I'm gone in this subject. After probably 10 classes, he wrote the first program on the board.
public class HelloWorld {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Hello World");
}
}
This was the first code I ever wrote (in my notebook, though). Then slowly the level of questions increased and I started understanding the basics of Java — how loops worked, how functions worked, how objects worked. I purchased 2 books on Java and started solving problems from them. I kind of liked boggling my mind to solve problems and print patterns.
The Breakdown Period
Everything was going pretty fine, then came JEE preparation time. I was in class 11th and had to prepare for JEE. I left coding and started focusing on Physics, Chemistry, and Maths. I thought of taking Computer Science in class 11th but as I was in a dummy school, my coaching didn't allow me to take it as a subject. Till my 12th and through my drop year, I didn't touch a single line of code.
These were the years of void. I was just going with the flow. I lost the rhythm of solving problems and thinking logically to write code.
The Rediscovery
I met a horrific accident in 2024 which left me bedridden for a month. Upon recovery I was about to join college (hopefully for a CS degree). So I thought of restarting to code. I went to YouTube and started searching about coding, future prospects, what to learn, recent trends in the market, and so on.
After watching hundreds of videos I got confused and didn't know where to start. Finally I decided — why not start with my old love, Java. I started watching videos on Java and the feeling was nostalgic. I was back to my 9th and 10th grade again. Concepts were coming back slowly.
When college started I was introduced to C programming. So I went on to learn C as well (though I never left Java — I'm loyal to my love).
Then I was introduced to DSA and obviously Java was my first pick to implement DSA concepts. Days went by and I got to know more and more about different data structures.
In the meanwhile I studied Python to a decent level and started working on web development using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
During my 2nd semester, once I had gathered a lot of confidence, I created an account on Codeforces. I had a very negative and daunting picture of Codeforces in my mind. I thought it was a platform only for the elites, not for someone ordinary like me. So after creating my account, I just did nothing for 2 months.
After my midsems I went on to Codeforces to solve some easy questions and started with 800 rated problems. After a few hours of struggle I was able to solve a few of them. Fast forward to today — I'm rated 1281 on Codeforces (yes, I'm a bit weak in Dynamic Programming and Graphs).
I find competitive programming interesting and a suitable brain exercise. Though I'm not able to participate in all contests these days, I will make it a habit to participate in at least 2 contests a week (either virtual or real) and solve at least 2 problems daily.
Where I Am Now
I am still learning. That part does not end.
I am working through graphs and dynamic programming right now — two topics that have a reputation for breaking people. They are living up to that reputation. But I am also starting to see how the same patterns repeat across different problems, and that feels like progress (I'm still weak in DP and Graphs, but I can at least identify the Knapsack problem).
I'm currently done with the MERN stack and now trying to get my hands dirty with some projects. I also want to head toward Machine Learning, TypeScript, and Next.js.
Though my primary goal is to be a good engineer, not a bookish one.
Why I Am Writing This
I am writing this because I wish someone had told me that the path is not linear and that things don't always work out the way we plan. I don't really expect any outsider to read this, but if you are someone who is just starting out with coding and feeling the same way I felt — just keep going.
If you are somewhere at the beginning of this journey, reading this while your code refuses to compile — that is normal. Keep going.
I think I'm done with my rambling for now. Though I'm a professional yapper — in case you want to have a conversation, you can always reach out to me at my handles.
This is the first in what I hope becomes a series of honest posts about learning, building, and figuring things out in public. If anything here resonated, I'd genuinely like to hear from you — work.sarojghosh@gmail.com