# My Journey to Becoming a Developer My journey as a software developer started with a simple school project. I was always fascinated by technology, but it wasn't until I put some extra effort into creating a stylish HTML page for a school project that I uncovered my talent for coding and design. Everyone in my class was impressed and this small win only fueled my desire to continue learning and exploring the world of technology. ## Introduction Hi, I'm **Sahil Shubham**, a 22-year-old full-stack developer with a focus on MERN and UI/UX design. I'm in my final year of computer science engineering. In this blog, I'll recount my experiences as a developer from the beginning to today, including the challenges I've overcome and the lessons I've learned. ## The Beginning My first ever interaction with tech was way early in the summer of 2010. I was visiting my friend's house to check out his brand-new PC. As we fired up the classic game "**Road Rash**" (this was the first video game I ever played), I was amazed. I remember the excitement I felt as I controlled the motorbike and watched the visuals react to my inputs. That moment was the starting pistol for my love of gaming. I wanted to play all sorts of games. I was hooked. ![Image of the game Road Rash](https://inline4.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/types-of-bikes-2.jpg align="center") *(Ah! This brings back memories)* Later in 2014, when I was in 8th grade, I had to make a school project using HTML & CSS. I wanted to stand out and make the coolest project ever, so I went the extra mile and hit the internet for some ways to make the website flashy. I ended up creating the fanciest landing page, making use of the `` tag to make the content move left and right. The website was a hit, and everyone was amazed by my creation. I felt so proud and happy that I wanted to go home asap and create something even better. Fast forward to my early programming days around 7 years ago from now. I had played a lot of indie games and wanted to create one on my own. So, I set out to build a horror game for PC, even though I hadn't started my formal education in computer programming yet. But I was determined to build this game! And somehow I did! I created the silliest and the most goofiest horror game, [**NightSteals**](https://gamejolt.com/games/NightSteals/238841). I uploaded it to an online store and it quickly gained some traction with more than 500 downloads and around 40 total reviews. ![Main menu from the game NightSteals](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1675130137397/4a880b69-1ad0-472b-8810-4d3a1cf737eb.png align="center") *(Try out the* [*game*](https://gamejolt.com/games/NightSteals/238841) *maybe? kekekw)* Although the game was wacky, the feedback I received, be it good or bad, made me very happy as people online were playing and reacting to something I had created. The process of building this game taught me a lot about programming and further solidified my interest in tech. I wanted to make more games and better games. ![Someone's comment on my game](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1675184651555/f0f3d959-50bb-411d-8044-922fc2f8f10b.png align="center") *(Good laugh?! this was supposed to be scary T\_T)* This experience was the turning point that sparked my interest in programming. I was hooked on the idea of building something that makes people happy. From that day on, I knew that I wanted to work more with tech and get better at it. Looking back, it's funny to think that it all started with a simple game of Road Rash and a school project. ## The Middle The ride that came next was a bit rough, but man, it was a game-changer for me and I wouldn't have it any other way. Since I hadn't had my formal education in the fields I was interested in, I taught myself the basics of game development and joined a university. While in my first year, I met some amazing people and collaborated to make some seriously cool projects. We even won a couple of hackathons, which was pretty dope. And that's also when I met **Ankur**, a senior colleague who would eventually become my mentor. ![Picture from my first hackathon win ](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1675138717633/9493be7a-1cc0-45fc-b645-b01332470ad8.jpeg align="center") *(My first hackathon win >\_<)* One day, while I was working on a game project with Ankur which was aimed to help connect autistic kids and their parents through play, utilizing virtual reality. Ankur, being the tech wizard he is, set up a multiplayer server that let them play together on the same level. I was in awe and couldn't help but ask him how he did it. He suggested I dive into backend development and even recommended an online course for me to take. This course turned out to be a defining moment for me, teaching me everything from vanilla JavaScript to React, Node.js and MongoDB (here's a [link](https://www.udemy.com/course/the-complete-web-developer-zero-to-mastery/) to the course). I was even able to discover the wonders of open source and learned to work with Git. Thanks to Ankur, I was able to make a smooth transition into software engineering and I couldn't be more grateful for the journey. ## The End (?) My experiences in tech have been a mixture of opportunities and challenges. After improving my tech skills through personal projects, I started applying for internships and eventually landed **my first internship** at a tech startup in Nov 2020. This was a big accomplishment for me, I was excited, satisfied and felt responsible after receiving my first paycheck. After a year, however, I realized the pay was low and the work environment was unhealthy for me. So, I sought a more fulfilling job with better pay. My search paid off, in October 2021 I got a remote internship offer that not only came with a better salary but also with a bonus - a paid trip to Delhi for two weeks! and it was also my first time flying! I not only got to explore a new city but also got to work at an onsite office and interact with my colleagues. This exposure was a great chance for me to see how tech can bring people together. ![The time when I visited Delhi](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1675138367870/e71d900f-8a14-4d3f-aade-495338f451e0.jpeg align="center") *(The time I was in Delhi)* During a 4-month break to work on my skill set and learn new things, I learned more about backend development and AWS deployment. This led me to a summer internship at **Walmart Global Tech**, where I worked on designing, and developing the front-end and the backend applications along with SSO integration. Although I was offered a full-time role, the compensation wasn't quite what I was looking for. Later on, in Oct 2022, I got to work with a Swedish startup as a **UI/UX engineer** which turned out to be super beneficial, to say the least. I learned so much about user experience, workflows, and even human interactions. I also started to understand why things are designed the way they are. This opportunity was the equivalent of getting a PhD in UX! And now, I'm happy where I'm at and can't wait to see where my tech journey takes me next! ## Conclusion In the end, I am super grateful for all the opportunities and experiences that have come my way. I certainly have grown and I still have a long way to go. A big shoutout to all my friends, near and far. I'm grateful for our regular chats even though we haven't seen each other in years and some I haven't even met in person yet :) I want to keep trying out new things and continue to grow as a person and as a developer. I am excited for the future and all the amazing things that await. Thank you for reading this and if you made it this far, congratulations! You deserve a virtual pat on the back, or a cookie... or both! \* *pats on the back* \* \* *gives cookie* \* --- ### **Let's Connect** **✨** [**Twitter**](https://twitter.com/froznxd) **✨** [**Github**](https://github.com/soilshubham)