From Classrooms to Code: My Ongoing Learning Journey

If you’re expecting advice from an expert or some kind of “guru,” you might be a bit disappointed—but if you’re here to see what stumbling, exploring, and building looks like as an IB Diploma Programme Year 2 student, you’re in the right place. I learn best while actually doing things—especially when I break something along the way.

Why I’m Writing This

I’ve always wanted to build things. Sometimes, documenting what I learn—even if it’s messy or halfway figured out—seems more valuable than showing only the finished projects. I’m pretty sure any learner-builder has a bunch of projects that didn’t work (yet), and sharing the process makes the experience real for others like me.

What School Taught Me (and what it didn’t)

My classes at school are full of interesting concepts, and I genuinely love some subjects (especially technology and business), but I noticed early on that textbooks rarely answer the “what if I try…” questions. School taught me the language of learning but left space for curiosity to fill in the gaps—and that’s where building comes in.

Discovering Code: Making It Real

My first encounter with coding wasn’t some lightning-bolt moment—it was gradual. I started out by playing with simple scripts, then building small web applications, and (eventually) working on actual projects for property management software. Most of the time, my code didn’t work. YouTube became my friend, and so did Stack Overflow. That “aha!” bug fix feeling is unmatched—and every bug is a mini teacher.

Failing and Iterating: The Unseen Curriculum

You won’t find failure grades on my report card, but every time something failed (whether a school project or a midnight coding trial), I actually learned more. Some of my biggest wins started as half-baked ideas that didn’t work at all. I realized early that coming up short is where understanding begins—it’s the real shortcut to meaningful learning.

Connecting Classrooms, Code, and Curiosity

Sometimes, my schoolwork sparks ideas for personal projects. For example, learning about business processes became a mini software workflow project. Researching tech principles became attempts to automate parts of my family’s property management business. Everything is connected—sometimes in ways that only make sense after you’ve built (and rebuilt) the thing.

Where I Am Now, and What I’m Still Figuring Out

Honestly, there’s so much I don’t know—my “learning list” only gets longer. On the horizon: AI, smarter automations, creative coding, business software experiments… I’m not in a rush to arrive anywhere yet. I’m excited (and sometimes nervous) about what comes next.

Invitation

If you’re building and learning (and messing up projects) too, I’d love to hear from you! There are no finish lines here, just milestones. Let’s share our stories, swap ideas, and keep growing. Because every day in the classroom, every bug in code—each is just part of the ongoing journey.