My Beginnings in Software Engineering
01 Sep 2025
Learning about Software Engineering for the first time at UH Manoa has got me thinking about how I view this field, what do I know and what do I want to know. As a Computer Science major I’m aware that SW Engineering is a huge part of computer science, but until recently I wasn’t even capable of defining what SW Engineering is. What do Software Engineers do? What even is Software? It feels ridiculous to even write these questions, but they were real questions I had. Even though computer science is something I want to pursue I still have so much to learn and I acknowledge that. I am coming into this course with a limited background in Software Engineering.
My Interests
This past summer I spent time exploring different fields of Computer Science. It was all so new and I felt like a fish out of water trying to get used to this experience. I realized that I had an unexpected interest in cybersecurity after completing Coursea’s cybersecurity certification. Additionally, attending an all day conference at UH Manoa about cybersecurity helped grow my interest. Although I’m not expecting to learn much about security in this SW Engineering class, I still think it’s intriguing that you can still think about security in the sense of this field as well. All aspects of modern life can have security applied to it and I think thats pretty cool. Other than the cybersecurity perspective of SW Engineering I do think that the design aspect of it would be fun to learn. I like to draw and craft so the idea of making a website and creating really dips into my pre-existing hobbies. Although making a website from scratch sounds gruelling, the idea of looking at the finished product after working at it sounds incredibly rewarding. The concept of what you put into it is what you get out of it really comes into play here.
What I hope to get
After taking my first Software Engineering class what I really hope to get out of it is knowledge of and experience with new coding languages. Coming into this I have experience with Java and javascript, C andd C++ along with novice level familiarity with Python and SQL. It would be great to learn more about other languages and expand my understanding of how each one can be used for different purposes. I hope to become proficient in languages that I have only just started to explore in this class, such as CSS, HTML and Typescript. While it will be great when I can build websites with a bunch of fancy languages and programs, there is a beauty in knowing the basics and using simple languages. This is idea mirrors what I have learned in ICS 212 from Professor Ravi and heard a little from Professor Cam in ICS 314(SWE). In ICS 212, Program Structures, working with C taught me foundational concepts which helped me gain a new rounded perspective towards parts of programming that I never fully understood. Going forward I hope that starting with the base languages like CSS and HTML can also provide a type of learning like that.
In conclusion, I’m excited to continue learning about Software Engineering, especially from the perspectives of design, development, and foundational language skills. I may be starting with limited experience, but I’m motivated to grow and confident that this class will help me move forward on my journey in Computer Science.