C: Coding, Carnival, and Companionship
Computer Science. The art of decoding the language of the universe. “By learning its grammar and syntax, computer science empowers us to understand the universe and create entire worlds within machines, pushing the boundaries of what's possible.” With this in mind, one might think that this course is something only geniuses take on. I am the prime example of why it is not.
Hi, I’m Steven. I’m a first-year college student studying computer science at West Visayas State University. During my senior year of high school, I constantly pondered what courses I would take in college. This required careful analysis and deep thought because it would determine my future. I’ve always wanted to be a civil engineer since I was a kid. However, while scrolling through TikTok, I came across a short clip that displayed various jobs ranked by salary. I was intrigued when I saw “Software Developers” at the top of the list. I immediately researched the courses available in this field and decided that this would be my future career path. I debated which school I would choose to take this course at, and as you can see, it was WVSU, my love.
I was overjoyed when I received the news that I had been accepted into the school. I was excited about the kind of life I would experience from then on. Time marched on; days turned into weeks—it was already the first day of school. At first, I didn’t think much about it. I was overflowing with confidence that I could do this. The first week wasn’t so hectic and it was very chill. Then, the second week came. Dozens and dozens of hours of work were given to us in the blink of an eye. “What did I get myself into?” was the very first thing that came to mind.
I was overwhelmed. Most of my classmates excelled in what they were doing, and as I observed them, I noticed they already knew what they were doing. Flabbergasted, I didn’t know what to do. Although I tried my best, the lessons still weren’t sticking in my head. As a beginner, it was extremely difficult to cope with the lessons since the professors kept piling on the not-so-basic tasks. I kept thinking about giving up because I couldn’t do it anymore. Then, my classmates and I got closer and started communicating more. It turns out that they were also overwhelmed, just like me. However, it wasn’t so easy to give up anymore. We had each other. We conducted group study activities and always lent a hand to one another if we faced difficulties. The power of friendship was real, after all.
Our bond grew stronger with time. Tasks and workloads became easier, and before we knew it, we were actually having fun. Most days, if not every day, we ventured out as a group, exploring new places on a whim. Every day after class, it was either the mall or Jaro Plaza for some delicious street food. It was becoming a routine, and as time went by, the holes in our wallets grew bigger. We even went on adventures to places like Guimaras, Maasin, Dumangas, and Fort San Pedro, with more to come in the future.
My perspective on college life completely changed. It was vibrant and exciting! “This is the happiest I’ve ever been,” I thought to myself. College wasn’t so bad after all. While our workloads did weigh us down at times, our enjoyment of our free time more than made up for it. It was definitely worth persevering. As I wrap up my first year as a computer science student, I can confidently say that I had a lot of fun. It turns out, all you need are companions on your journey, and you have to cherish and treasure them. As I finish this blog, I’ll leave you with a simple quote: “Kung kaya ko, kaya mo man.”
