A Fork in the Road
25 Jan 2024
Moving onward?
Growing up, I developed a mannerism of gaining interests and hobbies with many things, often attempting to improve on them by putting in the effort to practice. A simple two-step cycle: Learn, practice, repeat. However, there’s a limit to the number of items on a plate before a person gives in to the sensation of being full. I’ve retained some of these passions, while others have been dropped and forgotten along the path of time. As a child, I had a passion for building with LEGOs. I enjoyed creating things. However, it wasn’t only the variety of bricks, figures, and sets that could be configured that gave me happiness. I liked the sense of accomplishment and pride that came with my creations. Looking back now, they were most likely not that impressive, but the joy on my parents’ faces once I had completed them gave me all the priceless satisfaction I needed. As I grew older and the significance of academia became increasingly apparent, I knew I needed to have an ultimate goal - I strived to become… a civil engineer.
A fresh start and stagnation
In a small district in the Philippines, many diligent and tenacious people work tirelessly in various occupations as crowds fill the bustling streets. They move on with their lives, finishing their days in exhaustion, all while getting wages that barely pay for a week’s worth of providing for themselves and their families. With years worth of savings, my family and I moved to Hawaii. Success was paramount as I witnessed my parents’ struggles to shoulder my brother and I. Promptly, I began my education. I started assimilating into life in a different place with a newly acquired language. I put all my effort into getting good grades from elementary through high school and attained several achievements.
Although I was taking different courses in civil engineering, I took an introductory class to CS during my sophomore year. My decision was simply out of curiosity and a desire to get a glimpse of what game development entails. I was intrigued. As the class rolled on, my passion for programming continued to spark. Subconsciously, I started to pay more attention to my CS assignments than my engineering tasks. Things were going well. Maybe too much so. In March 2020, the second semester of my junior year, progress was stifled and stagnated. The COVID-19 pandemic put the world on hold. Following this, Zoom meetings replaced the familiar learning environment of in-person classes. Technical difficulties, cameraless, micless and the blaring silence of students in virtual classes made it easier to lose focus. I convinced myself that I could do the work later and comfortably within the four walls of my bedroom. In turn, I foolishly began to lose self-discipline. Days quickly turned to years as the start of my undergraduate career would begin.
Future endeavors
A memorable high school experience was enough to solidify my choice to major in ICS at UH Manoa. Although university would be a major step to earning the success I aim for, I had little motivation in the first semester. Assignments and due dates quickly went by, all while I struggled to develop momentum to catch up. I fell behind and into a narrow, bottomless pit with which I attempted to claw my way out. Fortunately, summer break came. In time, I gradually eased myself back to what we learned in the two previous semesters. However, I still catch myself falling back into old habits. When I do, I quickly realign and maintain my focus to avoid more issues. In future undertakings, I hope to continue honing my coding abilities to secure a job in the field of computer science.