My first encounter with programming was in college, where I took a course called "Computer Support in Electrical Engineering." In this course, I learned the basics of programming in Matlab. In the following semester, I took an introductory programming course in C. During this course, I started to become more interested in programming. I thought it would be great to understand programming. People who knew how to program seemed like absolute "geniuses" to me at the time. So, I bought a programming book and enrolled in a follow-up course that covered more advanced concepts in programming.

Very soon, I realized that learning to program was very demanding, frustrating, and required a lot of time. My field of study in college was more focused on energy and electrical engineering, and I mainly learned programming in my free time. School and occasional part-time jobs took up a lot of my time and energy. Over time, I devoted less and less time to programming, until eventually, I stopped programming altogether.

After finishing college, I still hadn't figured out what I wanted to dedicate my life to. I also felt somewhat burnt out after years in our educational system. One day, while searching for a job, I came across a position focused on building automation. The job requirements included knowledge of the programming languages C or Python. So, I decided to give programming another try. Since I had encountered C in college but hadn't understood the principles of programming through it, I decided to start fresh with Python, a programming language about which I knew absolutely nothing.

When I started searching for information about Python on the internet, I found an excellent Czech website called www.naucse.python.cz. This website offers a beginner's course on programming in Python, which is incredibly well-written. Thanks to this course, I finally began to understand the basics of programming, and I became enthusiastic about studying programming. Programming started to make sense to me at last, and I made the decision to become a programmer.

I have mentioned before that learning to program takes a lot of time. I don't think that a person can learn to program in three months or in six months. During this time, a person may learn the basics that they can use to solve simpler technical (programming) problems.

I have already mentioned that I started with a beginner's course on the website www.naucse.python.cz, which helped me understand the basics of programming. Afterwards, I began solving small programming problems on www.checkio.org and www.codewars.com. Through these programming challenges, I solidified my foundations and also deepened my knowledge because I always encountered something new and had to read about the specific problem online. I also learned early on that it's always good to search for answers in English, which improved my English vocabulary. Additionally, I discovered many interesting YouTube channels that help you learn programming, such as freeCodeCamp.org. On the Czech and Slovak YouTube scene, I would like to highlight an excellent channel called "Informatika s Mišom" by a Slovak programmer who explains things clearly and enthusiastically. Furthermore, I also utilized educational platforms for programmers like www.codewithmosh.com, www.udemy.com and www.coursera.org.

Here is a list of some online courses that I have tried, and I believe they helped me progress further as a programmer:

• Kurz pythonu v Slovenčine (Informatika s Mišom)
• Complete Python Mastery (Code with Mosh)
• Objektovo orientované programovanie (Informatika s Mišom)
• Kurz SQL (Informatika s Mišom)
• Kurz Gitu (Informatika s Mišom)
• The Complete JavaScript Course 2023: From Zero to Expert! by Jonas Schmedtmann (Udemy)
• Python Data Structures & Algorithms by Scott Barrett (Udemy)
• The Ultimate HTML5 & CSS3 Series (Code with Mosh)
• Complete SQL Mastery (Code with Mosh)
• Beginning C++ Programming - From Beginner to Beyond by Dr. Frank Mitropoulos (Udemy)
• Meta Back-End Developer Professional Certificate (Coursera)
• The Ultimate Django Series: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 (Code with Mosh)
• Node.js, Express, MongoDB & More: The Complete Bootcamp 2024 by Jonas Schmedtmann (Udemy)
• Vue - The Complete Guide by Maximilian Schwarzmüller (Udemy)

Learning to program through online courses requires a proactive approach. By that, I mean that I always code along with the instructor of the online course. I also keep the documentation of the specific technology open and read various articles on the subject. The most important aspect is to create my own project that would utilize the knowledge covered in the course. With this approach, I can gain a lot from an online course.

I have been programming and farming more than two and a half years now. This period has flown by very quickly. Although it has been challenging due to the change of direction of my life. Every change is accompanied by various fears, worries, and a lot of work. I must say that I have enjoyed it as a great adventure that has helped me mature a bit more.

During this period, besides programming, I have learned many other skills. I have learned how to educate myself. I can even say that it has become my hobby. I had a certain resistance to learning, which I developed over years of attending school, where you have to learn something you're not interested in, just to pass a test or an exam. I realized that there is a great difference between going to school and education. Education brings joy and makes people better.

Furthermore, I have developed a positive attitude to work. I have discovered that it is natural for a person to work, and it brings them joy, regardless of whether the work brings financial rewards or not. It brings me great joy to see my program is working. Of course, it is a prerequisite that one doesn't have to deal with existential problems and go to work only for money

Throughout college, I was unsure about what I wanted to do in my future, and I somehow felt that I would need to take a break to find my way of life. That's why I always saved money from part-time jobs, so I could afford this break. While I was learning to program, I lived quite modestly. With the combination of farm life, where one can grow, produce, and create things for themselves and don’t have to pay rent like in the capital city, I didn't experience financial hardship. In fact, if I were to evaluate it, I think I would end up in the green numbers.

I want to further develop in the field of programming and IT technologies. Currently, it is very exciting to observe where new technologies are heading, thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence. I want to stay up to date with the latest trends in programming and software development. I also want to combine IT work with a life in nature and maintaining a small farm. Physical work is a great counterbalance to being a programmer. Sometimes, when I get stuck in programming, I go outside to get some fresh air, do some small tasks, and then the problem becomes easier to solve.