Hate to break it to you, pool, but you're going to have to learn other people's work if you want to become a programmer for real. The various sorting algorithms, searching algorithms, data structures, and design patterns you're going to have to employ on an everyday basis? Generally conceived of and refined by other people, and you will be expected to know them and be able to use them out of the gate rather than go through the process of inventing them again. Not only is time money, but knowing how they work and what their Big(O) values are will let you choose the most efficient (in terms of program execution) one to implement.
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To get to the actual question, I started reading when I was two and a half, and went into the first grade when I was five. I remained a year ahead through high school, and was a perpetual honor roll student without much effort. Things changed when I went to UNH. I started off as an undeclared liberal arts student with the idea of following my oldest brother into law, but that changed when I realized I hate doing research, writing papers, and public speaking. So, I became a computer science student. I did okay until the assembly language course. I failed that fucker twice, and not for a lack of trying. I spent a ton of hours in the computer lab to no avail. I also failed physics a couple times. Turns out I simply don't 'get' physics. I had a hard time visualizing the problems, and a lot of it just seemed counterintuitive to me.
So, I transferred back to liberal arts with communication as my new major. I rattled off a string of 4.0 semesters to bring my cumulative GPA back up to 3.something. I also took and aced a couple of web development courses so I could graduate with dual minors, one in computer information and technology, the other in music (I had to take something to keep me sane during the CS/physics/calculus+ days).
Ultimately, I learned that I COULD be a decent programmer, just that it takes me longer than what the pace at a university will allow for me to grasp some of the concepts, that I suck outright with physics, that my success in math is largely dependent on the teacher/professor I have, and that I have a natural aptitude for liberal arts subjects.
Most importantly, failing brought me down a couple pegs, which was ultimately to my benefit. Success came easy to me before then, and over time I became a smug, entitled prick. I needed to get kicked in the ass a few times to reevaluate who I was and to make changes.
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To get to the actual question, I started reading when I was two and a half, and went into the first grade when I was five. I remained a year ahead through high school, and was a perpetual honor roll student without much effort. Things changed when I went to UNH. I started off as an undeclared liberal arts student with the idea of following my oldest brother into law, but that changed when I realized I hate doing research, writing papers, and public speaking. So, I became a computer science student. I did okay until the assembly language course. I failed that fucker twice, and not for a lack of trying. I spent a ton of hours in the computer lab to no avail. I also failed physics a couple times. Turns out I simply don't 'get' physics. I had a hard time visualizing the problems, and a lot of it just seemed counterintuitive to me.
So, I transferred back to liberal arts with communication as my new major. I rattled off a string of 4.0 semesters to bring my cumulative GPA back up to 3.something. I also took and aced a couple of web development courses so I could graduate with dual minors, one in computer information and technology, the other in music (I had to take something to keep me sane during the CS/physics/calculus+ days).
Ultimately, I learned that I COULD be a decent programmer, just that it takes me longer than what the pace at a university will allow for me to grasp some of the concepts, that I suck outright with physics, that my success in math is largely dependent on the teacher/professor I have, and that I have a natural aptitude for liberal arts subjects.
Most importantly, failing brought me down a couple pegs, which was ultimately to my benefit. Success came easy to me before then, and over time I became a smug, entitled prick. I needed to get kicked in the ass a few times to reevaluate who I was and to make changes.
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"
