Leaping for Real: From preparation to day one in computer science

…after [sharing why I’m making this shift], here’s what it looks like to actually start: it’s quite strange to return to school with all these vibes, and it definitely takes some getting used to. But still – I’m happy beyond words to be able to take this step now. After getting lots of general information about my studies in the coming years, I actually got quite nervous – it’ll be a lot of work to get through, and I can’t help but wonder: Am I prepared enough?

In the end: usually I am. One of the advantages of studying later in life should at least be that you bring more life experience into the equation than the average person starting their studies, shouldn’t it? 🤪

How I prepared

Here’s what I did over the last few months to prepare, often late at night and with quite limited time resources at hand:

Learning:

  • Started learning Python a year ago (thank you @Angela Yu for the wonderful Python course: 100 Days of Code – The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp (by Angela Yu) ).
  • Learned the basics of HTML and CSS in fall 2024 (thank you freeCodeCamp for just being such a great platform).
  • Started learning the basics of Java (since I need it in the 1st semester for the object-oriented programming class).
  • Learned some Bash basics on the way, as well as Git basics and version control, and got acquainted with GitHub.
  • Read a book on CS basics – this one in German: Fit fürs Studium – Informatik.

Tools:

  • Getting used to VS Code, Eclipse, and PyCharm.
  • Choosing Obsidian as my primary note-taking tool (and learning Markdown along the way) → Obsidian really developed into my “second brain” over the last few months, and through its big community and many plugins I can really recommend it.
  • Got a new laptop – after many weeks of consideration I’ve got my first ever MacBook now.
  • Built my small web presence to be ready to extend my portfolio as soon as possible, diving into Astro along the way.

Podcasts:

  • I filled many hours (gym, doing dishes, commuting) with podcasts on coding and tech, trying to grab as much tacit knowledge as possible.
  • freeCodeCamp Podcast: Thank you @Quincy Larson for being such a chill human being and motivating me week after week to pursue what I love – I bow before everything you accomplished with freeCodeCamp!
  • Talk Python To Me: Great podcast about Python.
  • The Changelog : Great for news in tech in general and also nice technical interviews.

…and all the while I tried not to overdo it (I’m quite prone to that), so I’m actually proud to say there are still points left unchecked – like the unwritten articles, math prep, a JavaScript course, a book on algorithms, and basic SQL. But hey: now I’ve got more time to learn this stuff, so these items simply moved from my “prepare for university” list to my “plan for studies and side projects” list.

Looking Ahead

First of all, I actually need to arrive and check out what is expected of me. Right now my plans are:

  1. Keep up with my studies.
  2. Regularly write about key learnings or subjects around my studies / “learn in public.”
  3. Do one side project per semester.

The second and third points are kind of optional and subject to the first one, since I usually take on much more than is good for me. Did I mention already that I’m prone to overdoing? 🫣

Regarding the side project(s), I already have lots of ideas. I’ll let you know as soon as I decide on one.

So: day one done. Nervous? Yes. Excited? Absolutely!