Looking back on receiving the Circuit Playground Express microcontroller, when I first saw the circuit board, I was excited but also scared of the challenge. It was something I didn’t see or worked with often, but I was determined to understand. At the time, I didn’t particularly sense my belongingness in the associated tech space. I recognized the classroom as more of a learning space between my peers and me. I understood that it was also my peers’ first time handling a circuit board, and so everyone was on the same learning boat.
During my lab activity, I encountered a challenging error in my Arduino software: my port couldn't be found. Despite feeling confused at first, I went on troubleshooting independently and exploring various solutions before seeking assistance from my professor and the Fimbel staff. Fortunately, I didn't feel disheartened by this or any other errors encountered with the Arduino software. I recognized that this activity was designed to help me learn strategically and critically, and errors are inevitable when it comes to programming. Instead of viewing errors as impossible to get through, I embraced the errors as important to my learning process. In my head, I told myself that it’s better to run into this error now than later because I will know better for similar error situations.
When considering the question: “Is this for me?”, the factor of mindset largely comes into play. If I asked myself this question two years ago, I would’ve said that anything computer science related would not be for me. However, I began to realize that going through the struggles of errors and not having your circuit respond the way you want it to is a rewarding experience. I recently shifted my mindset that if I put hard work into something, it will be for me. The lab experience was a bit challenging at the start, but once I advanced through the activity, I was able to become comfortable. I also believe that the collaboration with my peers was a factor in considering the question, because we asked each other clarifying questions. My ability to assist my peers and respond to their questions about the lab activity made me realize my shift of comfortableness.