📘 Why I Chose to Become a Developer — My Journey
Hey there 👋 I'm Riyan, and this is my first blog post! I want to share the story of how I started my journey to become a developer — from zero experience with computers to building fullstack applications.
📑 Table of Contents
- 🚀 How It All Started
- 🧑💻 The First Line of Code
- 🌐 Falling in Love with the Web
- 📚 Learning Beyond School
- 💬 Final Thoughts
🚀 How It All Started
It all began when I didn’t make it through high school in the Natural Sciences track. That was a tough moment, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I decided to move to a vocational high school and chose Software Engineering — even though, honestly, I had no idea what software engineers actually do.
At first, it was really hard. I had never even used a computer before. I struggled with basic things — even using backspace was confusing! 😅 It was a little embarrassing, but I didn’t give up. Slowly, I learned how to use a computer, and eventually, I got the hang of it.
🧑💻 The First Line of Code
Then came coding. I still remember the first program I ever wrote: the classic “Hello World” using Python. It felt so simple — and so powerful. That one little program was the start of everything.
After that, the lessons got harder. I had to build my own programs from scratch. It wasn’t easy, but I pushed through. My knowledge of Python was basic, but it gave me the foundation I needed.
🌐 Falling in Love with the Web
In my second year of school, we started learning about web development — HTML and CSS. And that’s when I fell in love with coding. Creating websites felt like magic ✨.
After about three months, I got the opportunity to intern as a web developer at a startup. Sounds cool, right? But here’s the twist: I had only learned HTML, CSS, and a bit of JavaScript. Suddenly, I was asked to build a fullstack web application using PHP and CodeIgniter 4 — technologies I hadn’t even touched yet.
The internship lasted three months, and I spent the first half just learning PHP and CodeIgniter from scratch. It was stressful 😰. I kept thinking: what if I can’t finish the app on time? But guess what — I did. ✅ I built the application successfully. That experience taught me that I could learn anything if I stayed consistent and curious.
📚 Learning Beyond School
After the internship, I realized that learning shouldn’t stop at school. I started exploring online resources and teaching myself new technologies — React ⚛️, Next.js, NestJS, and more. There’s so much available on the internet for free (well, most of it), and it's an amazing way to grow your skills.
💡 If you want to become a developer, don’t rely only on your classes. Learn independently. Build your own projects. Try, fail, and try again. That’s how you grow.
💬 Final Thoughts
Becoming a developer isn’t easy — but it’s not impossible either. If you want to succeed in this field, keep learning, keep practicing, and never stop building. 🛠️ Tech changes fast, so keep upgrading your skills and stay curious.
Thank you for reading! 🙏
I’m Riyan, and this is just the beginning of my journey. 🚀✨