Thomas Hall

Background

About Thomas Hall

Here's a story about when I first started my programming journey: The thought of programming seemed daunting and I was nervous when I started at WGU. My first few classes were easy and gave me confidence, but when I started my first difficult class, I struggled. I spent 3 months on a class trying to understand the material, and made no progress. I wanted to give up, I was extremely frustrated and wasn't understanding. I realized it was going to be so much harder than I had imagined. I received a letter from my program mentor checking in on me. I felt embarrassed I hadn't made any progress. A couple weeks after that email, someone I worked with said something important to me in an unrelated conversation. It was exactly what I needed, unbeknownst to him. He said,"The things worth having are hard at first; If you give up, they never get easier". Sometimes hearing the right thing at the right moment can have a profound effect on your life. I changed my approach and tried something different. I was putting so much effort into watching tutorials and not as much as I should have with programming, as I had come to find out. I realized the things I really want are going to be difficult, and to thrive in the challenge. I decided that I was going to put all of my focus into programming and work even harder, even sacrificing things like TV and social media. 2 weeks after I changed my approach, I passed. I jumped up and down, smiling with excitement, because I had overcame a huge hurdle in my life. Happiness washed over me in that moment. What I learned is to work hard, no matter if it seems hopeless in the moment. The only difference between you and success is your approach and determination.