The Spark: Anwar, My Highschool Maths Teacher
Right after finishing my Grade 12 examination, I fell into a rabbit hole. I searched for everything: computer science vs software engineering, software engineer salaries, how to become a software engineer, university curriculums… the works. I didn't even have a laptop at the time.
The curiosity came from my Grade 11 & 12 maths teacher, Mr. Anwar. He told us about coding and its life‑changing salaries. That idea stuck with me. Though my childhood goal was Medicine!
Day One – And Then Fear
At the end of 2021, I started searching. Reddit posts, YouTube videos – I got bombarded. Then I found a bootcamp creator on TikTok bragging about frontend development and $120k salaries. He taught HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
I rushed to a friend's house (he had a laptop), downloaded VS Code, installed extensions, and coded with him for about 20–30 minutes. That was my first and last session – I was too afraid to keep going to his house every day.
University, Friends, and a Single C++ Course
2022 arrived, and with it, university entrance. I met Abdulfetah (Sr. Full-Stack & Product Engineer), one of my best friends (still with me today). First semester was pure freshman program – just studying.
We scored a 4.0 and left Medical School for Software Engineering together. Second semester brought one technical course: Programming 101 in C++. Still no laptop. I used the instructor's slides, reference books, and learned what coding is – compilers, variables, functions, conditionals. No OOP yet.
Third & Fourth Semester – Still No Laptop
Third semester, still no laptop. I studied from handouts, read external resources, and sometimes practiced in the university computer lab.
At the end of the 4th semester, I finally got a laptop. A month or two later, we went home for the second vacation.
Tutorial Hell and 100+ Books
I downloaded everything: Java, PHP, Python, JavaScript, C++, HTML, CSS tutorials. Also 100+ books. I started watching videos, reading books on the side… and burned out completely. No direction, no destination. I couldn't build anything on my own. No confidence. Always burn out.
The Odin Project – A Lifeline
After two months of misery, I found a video where someone said:
"The Odin Project forced me to learn things on my own, to read documentation. You learn how to learn."
That hit me. I searched it immediately. Next day I started. I quit video tutorials and focused only on TOP.
Installing Ubuntu – A Leap of Faith
TOP only supports Linux and Mac. I had only ever used Windows. But I installed Ubuntu the next day.
I knew nothing about the shell or commands. Fortunately, TOP walks you through everything – basic commands, Git setup. Slowly, I got comfortable. Writing HTML/CSS in VS Code, running live servers, deploying to GitHub Pages… life was good.
JavaScript, Tears, and a DIY React‑like Component
Learning wasn't easy, but it was sweet. I installed Node.js on Ubuntu (first time ever). The JavaScript exercises weren't too hard – writing logic from my own mind felt great.
Then came the Todo List project. I spent two weeks on it, fully focused. I built my own React‑like component class without knowing React existed. I used Webpack because that's what TOP taught. I'm happy I teared up on that project.
React, Node, and Real Confidence
After that, TOP introduced React with Vite. I immediately understood why React exists – the Todo project had taught me the hard way. I learned useState, useEffect, useMemo, useCallback, Context, and deploying to Netlify/Vercel.
The Node.js chapter felt easier. I knew how to read docs, how to fail and try again. MongoDB, Mongoose, full‑stack projects, deploying to Render.
They even forced me to build a messaging app with Socket.io – no tutorial, only the docs.
I Finished The Odin Project
And I'm still thankful to them. That journey taught me how to learn, how to persist, and that not having a laptop or a fancy setup is not an excuse.
Major Projects From My Journey
These are the key projects I built while working through The Odin Project:
And there are many more in my projects gallery!
Related Blog Posts
- The Todo List Project: Building My Own React-like Library (coming soon)
- Why I am migrating from Ubuntu to Fedora (coming soon)
If you're in a similar place – just start. And maybe give The Odin Project a try.