The Gadget that Inspired me Into Programming

I grew up in a family that could hardly afford the beautiful things that young teens looked forward to, but we were very much happy, playing with what we had and always having fun around the neighbourhood.

Most of the time I and my sisters will visit my cousin so we can play with their gadgets. 

Feb 2009, When we visited them, I got a gift from them, It was a PS1. Though they have been using it and wanted to give it out because they had got a new one.

I was very much excited, just a pad to go with it, but the pad was not too good. I used some of my savings which I had gathered at college to buy some cool pad; I bought two because I wanted someone to play with me. I asked for soccer CD from the game store and 007 James bond.

When I got home, there was no light, I was frustrated. I started hoping for them to restore power so I could play.

They did, and I invited some of my neighbours to play with me, It felt great seeing the pad control some players on the screen.

Even though I use to play with my cousins then, now It felt as if I am having a new experience. I began asking myself questions. 

When the light was out, I will ponder on how those players will move around the screen each time accordingly to the instructions on the Pad. 

I was having the discussion with my sisters and my inquisitiveness began increasing. 

When I went out the street one day, I saw a man using the computer system, I stood looking at him as he was typing with it, I stretched my neck to peek on what he was doing. It was something I have never imagined but wanted to see. 

Even though as a kid I use to create some toy gadgets like moving cars with remote but this time, it was some kind of gadgets doing something amazing and I wanted to know more.

After college, It was time to enrol to the university.

So I learnt that the polytechnic does a lot more in practicals than the University, I decided to enrol into a Polytechnic- The Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti and guess the course- Computer Science of course.

Let me tell you about my first day in school.

Before attending my first day in school, I had earlier gone to school to check out the time table, on seeing the course introduction to computer programming I was excited. I had read a little about programming from my small nokia phone which displayed on black and white. I quickly asked what language will they train us on, and I learnt it was Qbasic.

I immediately got to the software market around the school in search of Qbasic software. They said it was scarce at that time and I hardly could get it around. I was frustrated and decided to just go to a cyber cafe to rest but you have to buy time to do so there. 

I made a new friend there, I sat close to him while he was on the computer, I immediately started talking with him about different things when he asked me about school. 

I told him I have been in search of Qbasic software. He said I was lucky to have met him because he studied computer science from Kwara Polytechnic and was at Ado-Ekiti researching his project. 

He decided he will make a copy of the software and give to me. However because it was scarce I paid him for everything even though I also bought the CD which he used to copy the software unto.

The cost did not matter to me, I was very excited to have a copy of the software. I went to my uncles shop who I was staying with at Ado-Ekiti, I took my laptop, the heavy IBM laptop my uncle abroad had sent me and I inserted the software.

He did not give me instructions manual on how to use the software, and I don't even know how it is I figured out, but I did eventually. I was now faced with the blue screen where I had to start writing the world I imagined.

The first program I wrote was who wants to be a millionaire- after I had quickly learnt the various commands statements and control structures the Let and Do and so on, I wrote my first program and was going to share it will my colleagues when we resume for our first course on Introduction to Computer Science.

*To be continued