Meet a Tutor: Josh Byster

Meet a Tutor: Josh Byster

Josh Byster

Student and Programming Enthusiast

Tell us a little about yourself…

Hi! I’m Josh, one of the tutors at CodeHS! I’m a high school junior at a school near Chicago! I’ve been a tutor at CodeHS since May of 2015 and I’m really excited to grade projects this school year! Besides programming, I love playing tennis — I play doubles on my school team. I love dogs — I have an (almost) 7 year old Golden Retriever, and I volunteer at a nearby animal shelter! I’m also a photographer focusing mostly on athletic photography, and really like to be there right on the sidelines next to the action during big sporting events.

When did you first start learning computer science?

I started programming when I was 8 or 9 — I wanted to make a website and watched some online tutorials. Ever since that point, I’ve been hooked on programming, and still learn more every day!

Do you have any favorite programs or projects that you’ve built?

Yeah! I’ve actually co-developed an iPhone app with a friend that’s on the app store right now. We have a peer-to-peer tutoring center at our school, and we developed an app to allow student tutors to get a notification on their phone when someone requests tutoring! This makes it so much faster for everyone involved in the process. That means we can get more students the help they need to succeed!

How would you like to use computer science and programming in the future?

I would love to develop applications for psychological studies, because I’m fascinated with psychology and sociology. I also really like statistics, and so most likely in 5 years you’ll find me in some comp sci/psych/stat-related field.

Fun facts about you?

My father’s side of the family has a special talent when it comes to math. My dad, Mike Byster, has one of the fastest mathematical minds in the world. You can see my grandpa, dad, and I performing quick mental calculations here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJaOC1O7u3Q

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Cake batter for sure! Second would probably be chocolate brownie.

Words of advice for the next generation of coders?

Computer science can be difficult and frustrating, but it’s so rewarding when you begin to “think” like a computer. There are so many of us tutors at CodeHS that spend time every day answering your questions because we’ve all been in the same place as you. We know how hard some of these concepts are to grasp, and we want to support you every step of the way. Please don’t be afraid to ask questions; I firmly believe there is no such thing as a dumb question. The best and most advanced software developers in the world started out as a complete beginner; and it just takes practice and support (from us tutors) to reach that next level.