Ahunstic College.

I was studying psychology in the social science program but I wasn't happy.

Choice 1 : Switched to computer programming.

Choice 2 : Get a dead-end job.

Switched to computer programming.

Switching to computer programming wasn’t in my plan at all. It happened after I started feeling lost in my psychology program. I was doing my work, but I wasn’t learning anything real. It felt like I was wasting my time. Something didn’t sit right. I didn’t want to spend years on something that didn’t fit me. I needed something different. At first, I was scared. I kept thinking, “What if I fail again?” But I also knew that tech was real. People actually pull off great careers from it. It’s not just theory you get on-the-job-training with tools and systems you use for real projects. One of my friends told me that in their first semester, they already got to test small programs and fix bugs in class. That sounded more useful than writing essays about people’s emotions. When I joined, everything felt hard at the beginning. I didn’t know any coding language. I was just a trainee, trying to figure out the ins-and-outs of how things work. The first few weeks made me tired. I’d mess up simple lines of code, and debugging felt maddening sometimes. But one of my teachers told me, “You’re not falling behind. You’re just starting your own way.” That gave me hope. I realized that this program is more about trying, problem-solving, and staying curious. I learned how to use real tools like Visual Studio Code and GitHub. I got to create small apps and upload them for feedback. Each week, I had projects that pushed me to build something from scratch. I even started to understand time management better. We had deadlines, and we had to work in teams sometimes. It made me feel like I was finally getting somewhere. I still struggle with some stuff. There’s a lot to learn. Sometimes my focus feels cursory because I get tired or stressed. But at least now, I know I’m doing something that can lead to a job, maybe even one with a premium wage one day. It’s still school, yeah, but it’s the first time I feel like school could actually lead to something real.

Choice 1 : Go to internship

Choice 2 : Quit the program

Get a dead-end job.

I got a dead-end job. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t doing anything for my future. I was answering phones, updating spreadsheets, and helping customers with tiny things. No challenge. No learning. No growth. Just wasting time until payday. At first, I told myself, “It’s just temporary.” But weeks turned into months, and I started to feel stuck. There was no on-the-job training, no one teaching me new things. I didn’t even know what I was improving. It felt like I was just doing the same thing every day with no feedback. The manager barely noticed me. I was working, but not moving. One day, I saw a post on social media about someone completing their internship in a tech company. They looked proud and motivated. That hit me. I was like: “Why am I not doing something like that?” I realized I wanted more. I needed something hands -on that could help me learn new tools, build something, and grow. I knew I had to go back to school. I searched programs and saw one in computer programming. It looked different. The curriculum was focused on building apps, fixing bugs, and even included teamwork. The program included internships and chances to work on real projects. It didn’t promise easy money, but it showed the path to a better career. I quit the job. It wasn’t easy, but that was the moment I decided to take back control of my future. The drawback of working just for a paycheck is that you don’t build anything. You feel empty at the end of the day. So yeah, sometimes a dead-end job teaches you what you really want. It shows you what life looks like when you’re not following your goals. Now I want to build things, solve problems, and maybe even pull off a big win one.

Choice 1 : Start again