I’m 23 and I just started CS50x because I wanna learn programming from the ground up and prove to myself that I can do whatever I put my mind to.
It really fascinates me how software is built and how young people are doing insane things. To be honest, there was a time I used to feel jealous seeing that, like I wish I was like them. But the truth is no one is born that way. Even gifted programmers got there through consistency, so I decided to learn.
I’ve tried using AI tools and even built a small SaaS on Replit with just a few prompts. It was crazy how fast things can be built, but I realized I didn’t understand anything, how things work, what a database is, it was all blank. I couldn’t debug it, couldn’t improve it, couldn’t turn it into something actually usable. That’s when it hit me that I don’t just want results, I want real understanding.
I have a lot of ideas but I can’t execute them without technical skills or relying on someone else, and I don’t want that anymore. I don’t want to be just an “idea guy.” I want to get good enough to build an MVP, something solid enough that even highly technical people would take me seriously. So I decided to start learning CS and software engineering properly.
I know it’s going to be a long journey before I can build something solid or something people would even pay for, but I’m okay with that because I believe building something meaningful is just a result of doing the right things over time. My biggest problem is consistency. I get distracted easily, but I’m trying to fix that and stay focused.
I’d really appreciate it if anyone is open to mentoring me or guiding me with a structured path, and I’d also like to connect with people who want to study together, stay accountable, and help each other grow.
Best,
ARR