Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
I could hear the wolves howl loudly outside.
The large and beautiful moon glistened outside the window. Bright stars could be seen twinkling in the clear night sky. Outside the one room where I am, the near pitch-black darkness cloaks the entire house. There is an occasional snore from another room. There is a computer shining a dim light from its screen with fingers lightly tapping its keyboard. At three o'clock in the morning, unlike the normal people who are asleep, I, being a ridiculous nerd, was cranking out computer code, while looking through my small square glasses positioned on my nose. This scenario is not an unusual one for me because when I see a problem, I must keep working until I find the solution as if my life depended on it. If there was an unsolved Rubik's Cube sitting on my desk, I would be inclined to solve it. All puzzles that require a high degree of analytical thinking excite me. My mentality remains the same whether I am deciding upon the answer to a tough math question or exploring ways to checkmate my opponent in chess.
This attitude was only formed in one summer after sixth grade. I saw a flyer about a weeklong summer Java programming camp, and I was intrigued. What the heck was Java? Wasn't it some kind of coffee? I did a quick google search about it and found some videos explaining computer programming, and I was amazed about how easily someone could manipulate a machine. After reading more about it, sixth-grade-me then decided that I would spend some time to discover more about computing, childishly believing that I would become the best hacker in the world!
Rather than simply watching the online tutorials, I downloaded the Java files used in the tutorials and decided to mess around with the code. Like a scientist researching a new and unknown phenomenon, I deconstructed the original code to study what it would do. What happens when I remove some lines of code? What happens if I change the order of the code? What happens if I type in some more lines of my own code? What could be done differently? What could be made better? I spent hours trying to understand the mechanisms behind the code. By dissecting each segment of the program, I eventually discovered how the entire algorithm worked, and how I could make similar algorithms myself.
Even though I obviously did not become the best hacker in the world, my curiosity took ahold on me, and before I even went into the Java summer camp, I made sure that I understood the most basic aspects of coding. The rest of my summer after coding camp ended was filled with me spending hours on the computer, learning more about object-oriented programming. I created small projects and short-term goals for myself. Could I improve other people's simple programs? Can I make something new out of my own code? Can I learn one new thing about coding each day? Had that summer had gone any differently, I would have not found my passion for figuring out problems.
Over the course of a few years, I decided that I wanted to make myself better at other areas of my life by spending more time deciphering it. I wanted to increase my skill in mathematics, so I spent extra time studying it. I wanted to become a better writer, so I spent time writing stories. I wanted to become stronger, so I spent time learning how to properly work out. I realized that everything around me had some kind of logic or reason associated with its existence. As a result, I extended my love for critical thinking into other subjects as well. I hope to spend the rest of my life using my gift to learn as much as possible.
deciphering the world around
I could hear the wolves howl loudly outside.
The large and beautiful moon glistened outside the window. Bright stars could be seen twinkling in the clear night sky. Outside the one room where I am, the near pitch-black darkness cloaks the entire house. There is an occasional snore from another room. There is a computer shining a dim light from its screen with fingers lightly tapping its keyboard. At three o'clock in the morning, unlike the normal people who are asleep, I, being a ridiculous nerd, was cranking out computer code, while looking through my small square glasses positioned on my nose. This scenario is not an unusual one for me because when I see a problem, I must keep working until I find the solution as if my life depended on it. If there was an unsolved Rubik's Cube sitting on my desk, I would be inclined to solve it. All puzzles that require a high degree of analytical thinking excite me. My mentality remains the same whether I am deciding upon the answer to a tough math question or exploring ways to checkmate my opponent in chess.
This attitude was only formed in one summer after sixth grade. I saw a flyer about a weeklong summer Java programming camp, and I was intrigued. What the heck was Java? Wasn't it some kind of coffee? I did a quick google search about it and found some videos explaining computer programming, and I was amazed about how easily someone could manipulate a machine. After reading more about it, sixth-grade-me then decided that I would spend some time to discover more about computing, childishly believing that I would become the best hacker in the world!
Rather than simply watching the online tutorials, I downloaded the Java files used in the tutorials and decided to mess around with the code. Like a scientist researching a new and unknown phenomenon, I deconstructed the original code to study what it would do. What happens when I remove some lines of code? What happens if I change the order of the code? What happens if I type in some more lines of my own code? What could be done differently? What could be made better? I spent hours trying to understand the mechanisms behind the code. By dissecting each segment of the program, I eventually discovered how the entire algorithm worked, and how I could make similar algorithms myself.
Even though I obviously did not become the best hacker in the world, my curiosity took ahold on me, and before I even went into the Java summer camp, I made sure that I understood the most basic aspects of coding. The rest of my summer after coding camp ended was filled with me spending hours on the computer, learning more about object-oriented programming. I created small projects and short-term goals for myself. Could I improve other people's simple programs? Can I make something new out of my own code? Can I learn one new thing about coding each day? Had that summer had gone any differently, I would have not found my passion for figuring out problems.
Over the course of a few years, I decided that I wanted to make myself better at other areas of my life by spending more time deciphering it. I wanted to increase my skill in mathematics, so I spent extra time studying it. I wanted to become a better writer, so I spent time writing stories. I wanted to become stronger, so I spent time learning how to properly work out. I realized that everything around me had some kind of logic or reason associated with its existence. As a result, I extended my love for critical thinking into other subjects as well. I hope to spend the rest of my life using my gift to learn as much as possible.
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