How did you get started with computer programming?
Before I got into CodeNow I was part of a leadership program where I would always talk about my love for technology. The executive director of the program heard about CodeNow and recommended that I sign up.
CodeNow definitely had the biggest impact on my life. Participating in the program during my junior year of high school set me on the path that I am on now.
What do you think kept you so motivated and goal-oriented?
I keep very high standards for myself. To me, success means working at the best company that I can. I would do anything to put myself in the best position possible to work at one of the best companies out there. During freshman year, that meant getting any sort of internship that I can. From then on, I knew that I needed to study every single day to make sure that I am ready when the opportunities arise. Ultimately, I want to be one of the best programmers out there.
“Finding a way to get a solution is easy. 90% of people can probably do that. But finding the best solution narrows it down to 10% of the people, and you want to be in that 10%.”
What do you do to continually improve your skills?
I have a process that I go through. Before I start programming, I start with a cognitive test online, to get my brain ready. The games get my brain going and when I am programming, I listen to Mozart or classical music because it helps with concentration. I also use an online judge that allows you to see the speed and accuracy of your code. This helps me find the optimal solution. If I can’t find a solution, I will go to forums to see what other people have done that I may have missed.
To understand the problem is to look at the code. I have to understand the problem so it’s a lot of trial and error. I think I have to make sure I really understand how to solve a problem before I move on. And that’s something that I am still working on because sometimes I might get a solution to work and pass test cases, and I would think that I’m done. But there’s always a better way to do something and I should be looking for the best way because that’s what companies care about. Finding a way to get a solution is easy. 90% of people can probably do that. But finding the best solution narrows it down to 10% of the people, and you want to be in that 10%.
What’s your long-term goal?
I want to be successful and be happy with what I’m doing. I grew up in a home where money was always an issue so I want to do well enough financially to where I can also support my family members. I also want to make an impact.
“It’s very easy to say that maybe I’m not as good as other people, but it’s about not giving up.”
What was your strategy going about finding all these resources?
I started looking for internships during my freshman year. I was reaching out to alumni and applying for any opportunities that arose. Many freshmen don’t plan on applying for internships but the earlier you start, the better. There are certain opportunities that I wish I had known about even earlier in my freshman year. I have interviewed with a lot of companies nationwide, but it gets tough when you get rejections. It’s very easy to say that maybe I’m not as good as other people but it’s about not giving up. There is such a large margin of error at every step, but you just have to keep trying as hard as you can. You might get a question that you don’t know how to solve or you might get a terrible interviewer, and it gets harder as you move up the ladder.
Do you have any tips for students who are getting ready to interview for scholarships or internships?
The biggest tip is to practice as much as you can for interviews. There are a lot of websites that teach you how to get internships, but they really do help. I recently interviewed for a few internship opportunities and I wasn’t nervous because of the fact that I had practiced those questions. It’s important to realize the opportunities available to you because there are a lot of them out there!
Malik is a computer science major and Posse scholar at Lawrence University. Having already received an internship offer, Malik looks forward to spending the summer gaining valuable work experience while preparing for his senior year of college.
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