Recently, I started thinking about this issue. When I graduated from high school, I used to imagine how my university life would be. I envisioned it as follows:
- Participating in various activities
- Joining clubs
- Attending college social events
- Maintaining good academic performance
- Starting to practice programming
- Exploring all of Greater Taipei
- Improving my Japanese language skills
......
Now it seems so naive and hopeless. The biggest challenge when I first came to Taipei was... money. Without money, I had no choice but to struggle. So, despite wanting the best of both worlds, I had to compromise in the face of harsh reality.
Don't misunderstand, I haven't pessimistically given up on my goals. In fact, I have been making progress, although at a slower pace. My freshman year was fulfilling and enjoyable, without much pressure, immersed in the life of a college student. But as the second semester of my freshman year approached, the financial pressure became more urgent. I had no choice but to find a job.
At that time, I was not content with mediocrity, so whenever I had free time, I would go to the library to read novels, non-fiction books, practice programming, and continue stumbling through life.
During that year, I read nearly two hundred books, made over 1000 contributions on GitHub, and in this process, I began to experience a qualitative change.
Now, although I may not be at the top, I have a certain level of proficiency in front-end development.
And so, I stopped to contemplate.
Well, now the problem arises. The old me who loved playing the piano and reading novels seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate. In my spare time, I spend the most time reading articles about web development and writing code-related articles. You might say, "Focus on your art, and your art will become great." Yes, but is the price I'm paying for this greatness too high? I don't know, after all, with my current skills, I'm probably not qualified to be called a professional! But I don't want the future me to become someone who only talks about front-end and programming all day and gradually forgets the person I used to be.
Now, thinking about it, it's becoming scary. The past me sacrificed quality of life to survive in Taipei, giving up on social activities and rarely going out. Now that I finally have a slight chance to rectify this, it seems like I can't do it.
Will I become one of those detestable adults when I turn thirty?
In going with the flow, it seems like I have forgotten my original intention. This doesn't mean that programming is bad, but I hope to remind myself why I chose this path in the first place. Was it out of genuine interest? Or was it simply because of the promising prospects and following the crowd? To the experienced seniors who have been in the workplace for a long time, I wonder how you feel about your journey, as most of my friends are of the same age group. If you're willing, could you share your experiences and thoughts with me? Will there come a day when I inevitably move up to a managerial position, forced to give up the coding field and embark on a new path?