Starting my Coding Journey

Published: at 03:42 AM

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Intro

Today (5th of September 2022) is a special day for me. I’m starting my first job as a Trainee Associate Software Engineer at iXD Labs. It’s been quite a journey getting here, so I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on how I got to this point.

How It All Started

I grew up in Hikkaduwa and went to G/Nalagasdeniya Jayanthi Model School from Grade 1 to Grade 5. I passed the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam with 177 marks (4th highest in school) and got selected to Ananda College, Colombo 10 for my secondary education.

From Grade 6 to Grade 11, I lived in the college hostel with 34 roommates. I was pretty competitive when it came to studies—out of 18 term tests, I ranked 1st in my class 10 times. One time, I was even 1st in the entire grade.

But it wasn’t all about studies—I played football, did compering, and held a few leadership positions. When O/L results came, I had 9 As.

Looking back, I think what pushed me forward was my competitive mindset. I worked really hard, always wanted to be the best, and made sure no one outworked me.

The A/L Phase

For A/Ls, I stayed in a boarding house in Maradana with 3 friends and 2 relatives. But this time, I got distracted—playing football, working in school societies, and of course, finding a girlfriend (which, by the way, I succeeded in!). That relationship lasted about 2 years, but my focus on studies took a hit.

Not being 1st in class anymore didn’t sit well with me, so I slowly started working hard again. Sometimes, I even managed to rank 1st in my maths tuition class.

Eventually, I passed A/Ls with 3As, ranked 172nd in the island, and got selected for the Engineering Faculty at the University of Moratuwa.

The University Years

Here’s where I messed up a bit.

I thought since everyone at university was focused on studies, I should focus on everything else—like making friends, sports, and societies.

But that decision backfired.

I wanted to get into Computer Science, but I didn’t make the cut. Instead, I ended up in Civil Engineering, a field I never wanted to study. It was boring to me, so I spent my time doing other things:

Basically, I got to know almost everyone in my batch.

I eventually graduated in 2022 with a Second Upper Class in Civil Engineering, but I knew I was never going to work as a civil engineer.

Switching to Software

Once I left university, I started looking for jobs in the software industry. The problem? I knew almost nothing about coding—except for some Python.

So, I went all in:

Then, something unexpected happened.

On 21st August, Shalutha (now the CEO of iXD Labs) messaged me to wish me happy birthday. We were good friends from university, and when he asked about my plans, I told him I was looking for a trainee position in software.

That’s when he invited me to join iXD Labs as a trainee. Since all the founding members were my batchmates, I didn’t think twice—I immediately accepted.

And just like that, my coding journey begins. 🚀

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