CodeHS Student Journey: From Brazil to UC Berkeley
Luan started out his coding journey with CodeHS, and is now pursuing a CS degree in California with goals of a career in Artificial Intelligence
My name is Luan Cruz, I’m from Brazil and I’m currently a freshman at UC Berkeley majoring in computer science.
I first started coding in 10th grade, when I took Computer Coding and Robotics. I had always loved using and learning about computers, so I knew I wanted to work in tech. After taking my first programming class, I knew I wanted to study computer science. I also took AP Computer Science A (Mocha) through CodeHS. My favorite part was having descriptive videos describing programming concepts followed by interactive examples, allowing me to use and modify the code presented in the video.
At this point in college, I have taken The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, Data Structures and Algorithms, and Designing Information Devices and Systems I. In those classes, I have learned to code with Java, Python, Scheme, and SQL, also gaining experience on building circuits and imaging devices. So far my favorite programming language is Python. One interesting project I completed for class was using Python to construct an interpreter for Scheme, which taught me about parsing and grammar in different programming languages.
I plan on developing a career in computer science to one day work with and develop artificial intelligence. I plan to do so by conducting research with computer-human interactions and diverse applications of AI in society.
Some advice for coders in high school: persistence is always important, so you must always keep pushing yourself to improve and succeed in computer science. Try to practice coding regularly to hone your coding skills. A little daily or weekly effort goes a long way if consistent, so keep practicing and you can achieve anything in the field, hopefully enjoying your work along the way.
Also, try to get creative and use what you learn to develop personal projects, implementing your computer science knowledge not only in class assignments but also in personal projects in which you can do whatever you want for your own pleasure.
