I now see why everyone had difficulties with JavaScript. Completing the exercises on CodeAcademy this week was brutal. I spent five straight hours trying to code for it.

The problems I have with it are that the code is fickle. In journalism and public relations, creativity is key. No one can copy your voice, your thoughts or your reporting. In coding, the answers are the answers. While there is a little creativity in how you create your code, knowing how to do it is straightforward. In other words, you cannot BS code.

What was challenging about the exercises was that you had to remember every little thing in order to do the next exercises. I kept having to do hints to help me remember how to code or what to press or what to do. I’m honestly scared of what comes next, but I just have to keep working hard in order to master this. Once I can do it, I’ll be so proud of myself.

As a feminist, it is so important for me to learn how to code. On Linkedin, I always see tech employers discuss how they get hundreds of applications for a tech job opening, and very few are from women. There are so many male coders, but not many female tech employees. There needs to be more representation of women in many industries, but especially in tech, considering some of the workplace drama that has been happening in startups and tech enterprises.

There were days this week when I was tired from work, extracurriculars and schoolwork. Still, I need to remind myself to keep striving, keep pushing and remember that anything worthwhile requires time, effort and patience. I’ll just have to keep practicing in order to get any better.

One thing I am excited about is working on our developer profile. One of the reasons I enrolled in the Journalism program is because I love interviewing and learning about people and why they decide to do what they do. I’m already researching some leads on Linkedin and cannot wait to get started.