Epistles to a Software Developer: Prerequisites

[Originally written on January 20, 2020]

Dear Eri, Good day! I hope you are doing fine. We have been exchanging messages these past days. I have taught you some things with regards to software development, yet they are random and unstructured. My mentee, a girl who just finished senior high, STEM strand, is now an IT student. You wanted to take a degree for an aspiring veterinarian, yet you chose IT. It is still fine, just think in systems and parts. I am by no means a master, yet, however, I know what it takes to tread the path of a software developer. I’ll guide you through your years, especially on self-studying. I’ll be sending you letters when I have a lot of time. The field of software development will be full of symbols, diagrams, and mental models. Yes, you have to be clear with your mental models, that’ll be your bread and butter. A decent skill in maths is necessary. Most of all, you’ll need to be always logical when it comes to the technical aspects. Since most of the manuals, tutorials, and documentation are in English, you might as well improve your English skills with regards to reading and writing; a well-honed reading comprehension skill is a must. Hone your “Googling” skills. Also, your abstract reasoning will be put to the test; I told you what your bread and butter is. With regards to mental models, I always use the IPO model which stands for Input Process Output. Now, now, you don’t have to always draw it on a paper; I use it because it is easy to visualise in my head. Some other complicated diagrams exist, like the Flowchart, or UMLs. For now, just practise the use of the flowchart diligently. This path requires you to efficiently interpret diagrams and symbols, and that can be achieved by practice. I repeat, IPO and Flowchart; the rest can be learned well later. A pen and paper will aid you in learning if you diligently take notes; typing doesn’t have that feel and memory reinforcement. A whiteboard will also do, but use your camera and take photos of what you’ve written there for future reference. Stick to one programming language for the meantime and you’ll be surprised how easily you’ll learn another. I recommend Java or Python. This is what your mentor can teach you for now. I’ll send another letter next week. See you soon! Regards, Haytham Merger P.S In my university, they teach C++ to Nursing students in the very 1st semester.