As much as I contemplated writing about this topic because I am not experienced enough, I felt I should share my struggles and little wins anyways😊.
My Life Before Tech
Many people have their life stories on how they transitioned to tech, I am one of them. My name is Tawakalitu Haruna, a Science Laboratory Technology (Chemistry) graduate awaiting my NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) call-up.
I was born in the South-West part of Nigeria and brought up in the South (Port Harcourt). I am the first child of my parents, hence the responsibility of every first child, especially a female brace while growing up.
As an average Nigerian, my parents put in their efforts to give us the best, though life wasn't Rosy and we had our challenging moments, which naturally raised many important questions on how I could become successful at a very young age.
When I finished my secondary school studies, I applied as an apprentice in a fashion school, to acquire knowledge on sewing and designing, with the mindset of using that skill as a source of income when I gain admission.
All that rang in my head, was how I was going to be successful irrespective of the country's situation (high rate of unemployment), doing things that were legitimate and wouldn't compromise my morals. You know how the country is, especially when you aren't from a rich background, so I believed getting a skill is a way to step up your game.
How The Transition Began
I wrote my very first code, in 2022 courtesy of my hubby, he gave me an insight into tech, how it's a good investment in myself and how to go about learning the skills to function in specific areas of my interest.
That night, I couldn't sleep as I kept thinking of what hubby told me, so I started my research, I googled searched and read about the different aspects of tech from UI/UX to web development, to data analysis, product management and lots more. I eventually settled for web development (fronted development).
The following morning I told hubby about my decision and he was fine with it, he emailed material on "writing HTML", which I downloaded and started learning.
My Struggles
Hmmm, I told myself I would finish the material on HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) in 4 weeks, but after 2 weeks I was still in "lesson 3" and I was going to "lesson 40", I got tired and overwhelmed as I was still in school and doing both wasn't easy.
I paused for a while, when we were about to start school exams and resumed after my exam, luckily for me, that was my final exam, so I had time to learn again, it took me 4 months to finish the material and build my very first website (volcano website) using Html only, you can imagine what it'd look like without CSS 😏.
I proceeded to learn CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), which initially I found interesting because I could add different colors, fonts, display units and a lot more, so I concluded that this was easy and I should be proficient with it in 1 month 😂, it's over 6 months now and I am still struggling with CSS.
I initially started learning JavaScript which would help me build a functional website. I have heard scary stories about how difficult it is, but I won't let that stop me, because I know learning to code isn't easy and it takes a focused and determined person to triumph.
I won't fail to mention that I battle with imposter syndrome a lot too😣.
My Wins
The bold step I took that day has drastically been one of the best decisions, I have made in life. I have acquired intellectual dexterity, resilience and curiosity, I don't get intimidated, because I know I can learn, unlearn and relearn.
I feel this joy and confidence each time I see or share the little projects I have done with HTML and CSS, I know I would be adding JavaScript very soon 😉.
I have completed responsive web design and got certified from freecodecamp, I have attended different boot camps, and I have networked with people in tech and also joined communities. I can firmly say this has helped me improve a lot.
I won't fail to mention hubby's strong support, which has gone a long way in helping me achieve this dream, and I am willing to put in the necessary efforts to attain this goal I forgot to mention that hubby is a full stack of software engineer🙂
Conclusion
I am still a work in progress, but looking back at where I started, where I am and where I am going, gives me a feeling that I am on the right path, because the world is moving to an era of technology and I believe that equipping oneself with technical skills, will always put one in good stead.