In my previous post in this series, I talked about enrolling to Coursera Plus and actually getting started on this journey to learn Computer Science. It's been close to two years since I wrote that post, and a lot has happened between then and now, so let's get to it!
Firstly, some disappointing news – I never actually made significant progress with my learning on Coursera. Yes, I enrolled in a couple of programmes, and actually started going through the lessons and so on, but I struggled to do it consistently, and so I was always playing catch-up. In the end, I never got to complete any of those courses I had enrolled in, which is a shame. What excuse do I really have? I could say that the pressures and demands of life and work got the best of me, but don't we all have pressure from time to time? Even then, it's not like one is constantly under pressure – there are highs and lows in life, different seasons, just as the Preacher puts it in Ecclesiastes 3
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven ...
So that would be a pretty lame excuse. As I write this and reflect, I think the truth is that I didn't set my priorities right, and wasn't focused enough to ensure that I dedicated the required amount of time and effort into this. The fact that I had just started a new career in tech should have been a good motivation for me to pursue this diligently, but alas, here I am, lamenting on my failures!
I should have done better, but I didn't. I think the lesson for me is to make every effort to ensure that I stick to all the commitments I have made. Sometimes we rush into making a commitment without carefully considering all the options on the table, and evaluating the feasibility of actually sticking to that commitment. However, in my case, I think I did spend some time carefully planning and thinking about studying Computer Science, so that's not the issue here. It's easy to make plans, but committing to those plans is another thing, and that's what I failed to do.
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The lesson? It's easy to make plans, but sticking to them requires intentional prioritization and effort.
Now, as I delved deeper into the tech industry, I started re-evaluating my career goals and thinking about the future and where I wanted to be. You learn new things and unlearn some of the old stuff, the preconceived notions and ideas you had previously, and the misconceptions. When I realised that my self-directed approach wasn't working, I started to think about the next steps. What am I going to do? I was still keen on gaining a solid foundation in CS, not just learning a programming language or framework. So I went back to the drawing board and decided to reconsider enrolling into a University to study, despite my earlier thoughts and conclusions. This brings me to my second item – I decided that enrolling in a formal MSc Computer Science program was the best way forward. I have therefore enrolled into a MSc Computer Science programme at the University of Sunderland, UK.
As I said in my first post in this series, the biggest challenges with enrolling to a University are finances and time. This is why I considered the University of Sunderland programme, because of its balance between affordability and flexibility. On the financial side of things, it is generally much more affordable than its competitors, with flexible payment options. On the time aspect, I get to focus on just one module at a time (rather than say 2 or 3, as is typically the case with similar programmes), for about 7-8 weeks. Obviously, I have to manage my time wisely and ensure that I dedicate sufficient time to the programme so that I don't lag behind.
The programme is ...
designed for ambitious individuals who aren’t from a computer science background and who want to launch a new career in computer science or want to incorporate computer science expertise and knowledge into their current field as a means of accelerating their employability and career progression.
Further, it is ...
also open to professionals who work in computer science roles and want to gain an academic qualification to enhance their credentials and career prospects.
Which means that I am a suitable candidate, right?
Anyway, today is the first day of the programme, and I saw it fit to continue with this series on Computer Science, as I've been too quiet! As I embark on this new chapter, I’m both nervous and excited. Have you ever faced similar challenges in your learning journey? I'd love to hear your experiences or any advice you might have!
