Thread by @sankrant

I learnt to program on a DEC-20 using COBOL😆 in 10th. No PCs then. I wanted to do Computer Science, didn't care about IITs. Only started IIT prep in 11th, from used notes borrowed from a cousin. Luckily got CS at IIT, never thought I would. 😌

Still say—follow your passion.

https://twitter.com/imacuriosguy/status/1447047960957652994

Yeah. I think I also only learnt about IITs in 11th grade (which was actually DAV college) because some of my fellow students were prepping for it. Took a while to get clued in, probably started prep close to the end of 11th.

https://twitter.com/khuljaasimsim/status/1447219207515492357?s=20

Funny story. After I got IIT admission, but before actually joining, I taught programming in the summer at DAV college. I was 17. A lot of doctors etc were my students, I was the youngest in the class. 😀

But I convinced the DAV principal that I could teach it ha. Got paid too.

After I got a top-50 rank (completely unexpected), my parents took me to a retired engineering prof for advice on which branch to take. He said "Electronics is the core. Computer Science is a new-fangled thing. Future is unclear."

I stuck to my guns. CS or nothing. Good call😏.

Then went to Texas on fellowship. My parents didn't have to spend a dime. Joined Microsoft. "Retired" at 33 to follow my other passions. Writing, spiritual search and giving to India.

Extremely blessed & lucky. But still say, follow your dreams; do what you love. Life is short.

Yes, I learnt in '82-'83. About then, Kraftwerk had released their song "I Program my Home Computer."

Of course, we didn't really have those in India then. One of my rich friends had a Commodore 64. I played with it a bit, was hooked.

https://twitter.com/BalkrishnaPara1/status/1447269556431458305?s=20

Hmm, come to think of it, the name just popped up for me, but it may have been something different when I looked at pictures of the Commodore 64. This one was smaller, had a single line screen.

https://twitter.com/Fuglypapu/status/1447273675707887627?s=20

I find degrees are overrated. The most learning I had at IIT was from peer interaction.

When hiring I hardly look at degrees. What you know matters much more.

https://twitter.com/dharma__vijaya/status/1447285910643437571

No, it was more like a calculator. Wider.

No CRT or Floppy. I think LCD like single line display.

https://twitter.com/ccshicha/status/1447295828276613121