It Pays to Think Ahead

Have you ever had one of those weeks where it starts out badly and then everything seems to snowball into a giant mess by the end of the week? Well, it was one of those weeks for me. And, therefore, I do not have a carefully crafted blog to post this week.

This semester I am taking some fairly hard classes. I am taking Programming Language Design, Systems Programming, and Human Computer Interaction. I was taking Physics until this past Wednesday, but I’ve decided to hold off on that for another term. This is the first time in almost a year that I have had to do any actually programming for my computer science program. I am so rusty and am having trouble remembering how anything works. It’s a little nuts. But without the worry of physics hanging over me, I can really spend time relearning all the nuances of programming languages.

To top it off, I am dedicating a very large portion of my time to figuring out ways to increase the number of women enrolled in our program. My ACM-W Chapter is finally taking off the ground. There are moments where I am very overwhelmed by the idea of running the chapter, but for the most part I’m just filled with excitement. Events for spring are being planned and I can’t wait to see how they turn out.

However, I know all of this work is going to be worth it in the long run. I will be able to graduate and get a job that pays well, has good benefits, and is something I will enjoy. If anyone asks me what they should be studying in school, I will tell them: technology. Computer science is the best possible way to ensure yourself a better future, even if you don’t consider yourself a nerd or geek. It’s a way to make a decent living AND you will be marketable in many industries, not just the software industry. Technology is the future, so I hope more people, especially women, will realize this soon and start taking care of their own futures by learning all they can about it.