Making the Leap: Why I’m Finally Studying Computer Science

For the longest time, I’ve felt stuck in my professional life. Not unhappy, just… unstimulated. I’ve had a stable job, a wonderful family, and a pretty good life overall - but not the passion I always imagined I’d find in a career. I’ve realized I want more than just a job. I want to be immersed in a field. I want to strive toward being a professional in something that excites me. I want to do something I truly care about for the rest of my working life.

For me, I found that passion in IT and coding.

A Passion Left Unfollowed - Until Now

Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been fascinated by computers and technology. But I never followed that path. Why? Partly because I never really thought I could. School was never “my thing,” especially the technical subjects like math or physics. I didn’t do my homework, didn’t care much about grades. I coasted by thanks to strengths in subjects like German language and literature and ethics. But deep down, I felt unfit for anything too technical - especially something as math-heavy as computer science.

So instead of chasing that interest, I studied Middle Eastern Studies and Economics in Hamburg. It was a great time. I met incredible people, fell in love with the city, and began my adult life. Life unfolded - I met my now-wife, moved to Switzerland, worked first with refugees and later in NGO management. We got married, had two kids. Life happened fast, and I wouldn’t trade any of it.

Now that the kids are a little older (4 and 6 at the moment), that fascination and passion has resurfaced. In the first few years of raising children, I found there’s almost no space to think about yourself, let alone your future. And that’s okay. The focus is on getting through the day, putting food on the table, and sometimes just surviving. But over time, as the kids become more independent, space opens up again. One day, I caught myself asking: “What am I doing all day long? Am I following what I love? Am I doing something I truly care about?”

That moment of self-reflection rekindled my interest in technology. For the first time in years, I gave myself permission to consider a completely new direction - one driven by curiosity and excitement, not just obligation.

The Perfect Storm

Today, I’m in a uniquely fortunate position. Our youngest child is about to start kindergarten, my wife began an amazing leadership role last year, and my employer supports me with flexible hours and the option to reduce my workload. For the first time in a long while, I have both the time and the energy to invest in something new.

So I’m doing it: I’m going back to school to study computer science. And I’ve never felt more excited.

The Why

It’s not just about learning to code. It’s about the challenge, the creativity, and the satisfaction that comes from solving problems. Coding feels to me like the perfect mix of logic and creativity - it’s challenging, but that’s exactly what makes it so rewarding. I love the moments when things click, when logic becomes beauty, and when problems get untangled. It gives me energy. And that’s the kind of thing I want to model for my kids: do what energizes you.

I want to be able to tell them, honestly, “Follow your passion.” But to do that, I need to live it myself.

The How

Let’s be real - diving into computer science as an adult can be overwhelming. Over the past year, I’ve been trying to find my bearings, and I quickly realized two things: first, it’s an incredibly vast field; second, it evolves so quickly that it’s almost impossible to ever feel like you’ve “caught up.”

So I decided my best approach would be:

  • Start small and stay consistent: I tend to get overwhelmed by everything I don’t know and forget to value what I do know. So I focus on steady, small steps.

  • Keep it practical and personally relevant: I’m good at learning theory, but I tend to go too deep into certain topics without actually doing anything with what I’ve learned. Now, I try to focus on hands-on learning and putting things into practice.

  • Stay calm and open-minded: I want to build strong foundations first, then explore a domain that excites me. I don’t have to know right away what my bachelor thesis is about. 🙃 Right now, I’m especially curious about software engineering and cybersecurity, but I’m keeping my options open.

Over the past few months, I’ve squeezed in learning whenever I could:

  • Courses and online resources:
    • Angela Yu’s Python Bootcamp (Udemy)
    • freeCodeCamp - HTML/CSS & general CS topics
    • W3Schools - reference and tutorials for web development basics
    • Stack Overflow - the go-to place for debugging and quick answers
    • MDN Web Docs (by Mozilla) - In-depth reference for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  • Books:
    • Automate the Boring Stuff with Python - Al Sweigart
    • Fit fürs Studium Informatik - Arne Boockmeyer, Philipp Fischbeck, Stefan Neubert
    • Grokking Algorithms - Aditya Bhargava
  • Podcasts (while doing dishes, walking, commuting, or at the gym):
    • The freeCodeCamp Podcast - hosted by Quincy Larson and guests
    • The Changelog - by Adam Stacoviak & Jerod Santo
    • Real Python Podcast - hosted by Christopher Bailey

Why University of Applied Sciences?

In Switzerland, having a formal qualification matters. A degree or diploma is often necessary to be taken seriously in a new field. But beyond that, I want to study the full CS package - not just a few programming languages. I want the structure, the academic depth, the theory, and the practice. Since universities here didn’t offer part-time programs, I chose the University of Applied Sciences, and I’m actually excited about the more practice-focused approach. Going back to school gives me a clear timetable and the accountability I need to stay on track.

A New Chapter

This isn’t just a career change. It’s a mindset shift. I believe everything I’ve done before - from working with refugees to NGO management to parenting - brings value to this new field. Skills cross over in surprising ways. So no, it’s not starting from scratch. It’s starting from experience, with passion as the engine.

So here I go - a little nervous, but mostly excited. After all, it’s never too late to start chasing what lights you up.