#GWCTalks: The CompSci Class Experience & How to Succeed
This entire GWC Talks session was amazing, but let’s start at the end because we all need to — immediately — hear what panelist Christine Marate said before we wrapped: “For us to make a difference, we have to be present.” She’s right. By being present as a woman in tech, you are already succeeding.
Big thanks to our panelists — Kelsey Rodriguez (Sr. Applications Engineer at Cadence) and Christine Marete (Software Engineer at Prudential Financial) — for taking the time to answer our questions. A big thank you to Derek Brinkley (Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions at Columbia College Chicago) for moderating! And, of course, thank YOU for joining! Check out our recap of the conversation below, and watch the full session here.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before starting CompSci?
You’ll be relieved to know that the answer isn’t Python or HTML or Javascript! In fact, don’t worry about not having any prior coding experience. It’s okay!
Kelsey told us she wished she knew not to compare herself to other people. Of course, that’s hard when you are in a room full of white men, when you’re one of maybe 5 or 6 women in the entire class. We get it! But remember, said Kelsey, you’re there to learn — so leave the comparisons at the door and focus on yourself and your development.
And by the way, remembering not to compare yourself to other people has a lot to do with your own self confidence — something Derek wished he knew when he was in school. We were all nodding along when he said, “you have to believe that you belong even if it doesn’t always look like you belong.” As a college admissions professional, he reminded us that colleges wouldn’t have selected you if they didn’t think you could succeed.
It’s okay to be “undecided” about your major!
A vast majority of students enter college undecided about their major. And if they have declared, chances are they’re going to change their minds. All of our panelists talked about how much fun it was to try out different classes to really get a sense of what you like.
Kelsey talked about how, although she decided her major pretty early on, she toyed around with different specialties within that major. For Christine, it was more a process of eliminating what she didn’t want to do — and finding her way to CompSci from there. Derek said he is still wondering if he should switch majors and careers at 34!
Bottom line, there’s a lot of pressure put on students to “know what you want to do.” But you should really take this time as an opportunity to explore the many majors and paths that are available to you!
With CS, it’s always back to the basics!
One of our last questions for our panelists was: of all of the lessons you learned and classes you took, what helped you best prepare for your role as a full-time employee? And wow we’re glad we had time to get to this one!
Basic principles of CompSci was THE most popular answer! Both of our panelists said that things are always changing with tech, and so it’s important to get the basics down — to get comfortable understanding the fundamentals in rapid succession. In that first class, you might go through as many as five languages in one semester, said Christine. But, she continued, it’s not about mastery — it’s about learning how to learn.
Kelsey talked about how she didn’t know Python before starting her current job. But, because she knew the basics of another coding language, she was able to learn Python and use it to help make her testing and scripting more efficient.
Isn’t it kind of amazing that Basic Principles of CompSci was the course that best prepared these amazing women for their jobs in tech? It means everything from that first class is buildable, that by taking that first class — you’ve already set yourself up for success.
Feel like quitting CompSci? Take a minute. Do some self-care. Then get back in the game!
Thanks to one of our alumni, Mary, for asking this question: “What, if anything, has ever made you want to stop pursuing or drop out of STEM/CS? What made you decide to stay with it?”
Here’s the thing about coding — it’s about failing. Your code won’t work. You might stay up all night compiling. You might even get a bad grade or two. But it’s all a part of the process. You will bounce back! Both of our panelists recalled late nights in the library, getting grades they didn’t like, feeling like they just wanted to give up. But eventually it clicks. And, like Christine said, it’s so rewarding to see something come out of your head and onto a computer. We agree. Pretty rad.
The important thing is to take care of yourself — to make sure that when you’re in a rut, you can do what it takes to recharge. That could mean surrounding yourself with a support system, closing your laptop and going for a run, or eating a ton of ice cream. We support all of it. And by the way, it’s not just about self-care along the way — it’s also about celebrating your hard work when you’re done. Kelsey talked about how when a “big mind boggling project” was done, she would get together with friends to celebrate with her CompSci crew.
Are you looking for a CompSci crew? Consider starting a College Loop on your campus (or joining one that exists!) Build sisterhood, get connected, and find your support system!
Huge thanks to Kelsey and Christine, and of course to Derek for moderating the conversation!
#GWCTalks is a free virtual event series for our alumni and our community, to come together to address uncertainties around college, internships, and careers in tech during the COVID-19 pandemic. To register for our upcoming session about how to craft your perfect tech resume, click here. To view prior sessions, see links below:
Session #1: College During COVID-19
Session #2: Career Pathing in a Crisis
Session #3: No Internships, Now What?
Session #4: How to Be Brave Not Perfect in a Crisis
