On 09/08/2019 02:06 PM, dpb wrote:

I (as probably 75%+ if not higher) had a very vague idea of what I
thought would be a kewl thing to do, but that didn't work out...where I
ended up had very little bearing on where I started; what I learned
later I really enjoyed (and was good at) I didn't even know existed as
an undergrad student or for several years later...


My first introduction to programming in college involved FORTRAN IV and
punch cards. I thought it sucked. Even then is was more 'here's a tool
you guys will probably use like a glorified slide rule' rather than a
separate discipline. A couple of my friends who did like it dropped out
and got jobs. Formal education wasn't moving fast enough for them.


It took about ten years before I started doing assembler programming for
the microcontrollers that were infiltrating industry. I enjoyed it and
still do. I certainly didn't plan that as a career.