I’m an aspiring web developer and a former chemist. What I bring from chemistry to software development is a systematic approach to problem solving, the grit to not give up easily, and the ability to ask for help.

A Systematic Approach to Problem Solving

While studying chemistry in university, I learned a systematic approach to problem solving:

1. Make sure I understand the problem.
2. Break the problem down into smaller parts.
3. Do a literature search to find out how other people have solved similar problems.
4. Work out solutions for the smaller parts of the problem on paper.
5. Try out my solutions in the lab and test the results to see if they worked.
6. Put all the the parts together and test again.

This approach is very similar to the one I now use for solving coding problems.

The Grit to Not Give Up Easily

Even with the best problem solving skills, things don’t always work on the first attempt, neither in chemistry nor in software development. I learn from what didn’t work, modify my approach, and try again.

Working in chemistry labs, I learned to keep working on a problem even when it was difficult or just plain frustrating. This perseverance now serves me well when I’m working on web development projects.

The Ability to Ask for Help

As a chemist, I also learned to ask for help. If I got stuck on a problem, I would talk to other members of my research group and explain the issue to them. Their input would often help me find a solution.

Now that I’m learning web development, I’m very fortunate to have communities where I can ask for help when I’m stuck on a problem.