Lessons from my first semester in Software Engineering

In his SheCodes course, Matthieu Delac compares being a software engineer to being a pilot: a pilot doesn't need to understand how the engine works to be able to fly the plane, just like a software engineer doesn't need to understand the inner workings of a computer to be able to write good code. This is his argument for why you don't need a Computer Science degree to be a good developer. I'm inclined to believe him; I've met many amazing devs who don't have a CS degree. Does anyone know of any particular advantages to having a degree compared to the same amount of time spent learning by other means?

"You can't cheat time in the saddle." - Brian Jenney Of all the great advice I've heard about software engineering—and learning more broadly—this is the one that pings around in my brain the most often. It can be daunting to realize that the path must be taken a step at a time. But the thing I feel most is humbled: that to climb higher, I need the transformation that the journey provides.

When I was learning technical concepts, I followed a framework religiously—not just for programming, but for every topic I wanted to truly master. Richard Feynman, one of the greatest minds in physics, was also a master at breaking down complex ideas so clearly that anyone could understand them. That skill—distilling complexity into clarity—is invaluable for software engineers. It’s not just about solving problems; it’s about communicating how you solved them so your team can learn, build on your insights, and solve future challenges faster. That’s why I believe every student and professional in a technical field can benefit from this method of learning. I’ve also built a Notion template so you can try this framework yourself and see how powerful it is. 💡 Drop “Feynman” in the comments, and I’ll DM you the link!

We make better decisions when better informed, most of what I see about LLMs on LinkedIn is hype and focused only on the upsides. If you can see beyond the title of this video there's plenty of facts and things to make you think here, and a call to think about ethics in software engineering is always good IMHO. https://lnkd.in/egNH_Q2A

Just a gentle weekend reminder that: You don’t need to have coded since you were 12. You don’t need a photographic memory for syntax or algorithms. You don’t need a “top college” tag to be a great software engineer. You don’t need to be a math olympiad or IIT topper to break into big tech. You don’t need to “think like a genius” or speak in technical jargon all day. What do you need? → Grit when things don’t work → Curiosity when you hit a wall → Consistency when progress is slow → Honesty about what you know and what you don’t → Willingness to look dumb, try, and get better Nobody is born knowing how to debug code or architect systems at scale. Skills get built. Confidence grows. Intelligence compounds. If you show up with the right attitude and put in the work, You’ll become someone people thought was “naturally gifted.” Most of what looks like “talent” is just stubborn effort over time. Don’t count yourself out because you didn’t start with all the labels or trophies. You can become the engineer you want to be. Keep showing up for yourself. The rest will follow.

🚀 Code Ready Batch 1: Kicking Off Our Journey to Empower Digital Talent From July 23-25 and 28-29, 2025, we proudly launched Code Ready Batch 1—our very first initiative designed to prepare future IT/IS students for the challenges of academic life and the tech industry. Across 5 impactful sessions, participants explored: 💡 The Role of IT & Introduction to IT/IS Study Programs 🧠 Computational Thinking for Computer Science Students ⚙️ Fundamentals of Logic, Algorithms & Programming 🌐 Exploring IT Specialization Fields 🎓 Academic life, effective study strategies, & tips for timely graduation ✨ As the inaugural batch, this program marked not only a learning experience but also a milestone in our mission to nurture the next generation of digital talents. 🙏 We extend our gratitude to the speakers (Edwin Tenda, Roma Nouke Frets Mantiri, Albani Johanes, Agnes Gratia Lengkong, Deayanti Friska), participants, and organizing team for making this first step a success. The achievements of Batch 1 have set a strong foundation for the continuation of Code Ready in the future. Follow us on Instagram: @inoventraconsulting.id #InoventraConsulting #CodeReady #Batch1 #TechCommunity #FutureTalent #Education #CompanyBrand

For those future DevSecOps and Engineers that are HIGHSCHOOLERS who spend 90% of their FREE time on some social media platforms that add less than 10% to their academic nourishments, here is the affordable plan STEM Encyclopedia @ https://lnkd.in/dzSEGrUR

Hard Work Behind Computer Engineering From the outside, computer science and engineering may look simple — just sitting in front of a screen. But the reality is very different. 👉 Behind every project are sleepless nights, endless debugging, and countless hours of study and practice. From our journey, we’ve learned: ✔ Writing code is not the hard part — solving problems is. ✔ Debugging and fixing errors takes more patience than creating new features. ✔ True growth comes from persistence, continuous learning, and never giving up. 💡 Key takeaway: Computer engineering isn’t easy. It demands hard work, resilience, and determination. Every solution you see is backed by countless invisible efforts. #ComputerEngineering #HardWork #Persistence #ProblemSolving #ContinuousLearning #SoftwareEngineering #CodingLife #TechJourney #Dedication #BehindTheCode

I am fascinated by the incredible innovation created by the greatest of minds Sir Linus Trovalds. I am completely enthralled by this simple looking software encapsulating the greatest of challange's in software engineering. Here is the basic overview along with some basic commands.