{"id":22061,"date":"2025-08-15T08:19:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T08:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kood.tech\/?p=22061"},"modified":"2025-08-15T08:35:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T08:35:06","slug":"meet-karin-and-andrei-two-very-different-routes-to-the-same-destination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kood.tech\/en\/selection-sprint-en\/meet-karin-and-andrei-two-very-different-routes-to-the-same-destination\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Karin and Andrei – Two very different routes to the same destination"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our Selection Sprint 18 is packed with sprinters from all walks of life \u2014 and this week, we\u2019re meeting two of them whose paths to coding couldn\u2019t be more different. Karin, a 46-year-old machine operator from Estonia, spent two decades building green circuit boards before deciding to try her hand at programming. Andrei, an 18-year-old high school student from Moldova, discovered his passion for tech through robotics and never looked back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2699\ufe0f Karin – Machine Operator who loves puzzles and strategies <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy name is Karin. I’m 46 years old<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karin\u2019s journey to coding is anything but typical. She studied philology and teaching Estonian to foreigners, then worked 20 years in a factory in Elva as a Machine Operator building green circuit boards<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like the schedule,\u201d she says. \u201cYou work two or three days, then have time off. During that free time, I wanted to try something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job was tough: \u201cYou can’t learn it anywhere else, only in this factory. It takes half a year just to learn your tasks properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But coding? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A friend asked her \u2018Karin, what do you want<\/em> to do?\u2019 I thought about psychology, law… but they all take years to learn.<\/strong> I was told that you need very<\/em> good math to study IT. And my math was… good, but not that good anymore. She told me about this school since her son-in-law finished the school and now works in Bolt and it seemed interesting\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some might say there are similarities between learning a new spoken language and learning a programming language and Karin agrees, \u201cIt\u2019s a different language and you have to know the words in order to speak it. Except here, you don\u2019t speak it, you write it<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She laughs about the math side of things: \u201cWell, let\u2019s just say that it helps if you know 2 + 2 is 4. That\u2019s basic math, OK. But coding is more like strategy <\/strong>\u2014 like chess or one of those puzzle games. It\u2019s the same kind of thinking here – you have to plan your moves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What surprised her most?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people<\/strong>. I thought IT folks would be… sitting behind screens, quiet. But they\u2019re actually very cool<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karin\u2019s tip for new sprinters: \u201cWhen you find a friendly face, go talk to them. Trust me, you\u2019re not alone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And to anyone who\u2019s curious about coding: \u201cIf you like learning languages, try this one.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Second from the right is Andrei<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83d\udcbb Andrei – Young coder from Moldova<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy name is Andrei, an 18-year-old guy from Moldova<\/strong>. I\u2019m still in school, currently in the 12th grade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrei\u2019s tech journey started early: \u201cI tried a robotics course. We built a buggy, and I got hooked. Then I started actual programming and loved it. Still love it to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the most exciting part of the Sprint?
\u201cThe people. People from all over the world who are open to conversations and new experiences<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the most unexpected? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe efficiency<\/em>.<\/strong> You actually learn a programming language \u2014 one of the hardest \u2014 in just three weeks. That\u2019s surprising.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrei debunks the \u201cmath myth\u201d too: \u201cThe only math operations you need are basics: <\/strong>+, -, *, \/, and %. Complex stuff is in a library called Math. You don\u2019t need to be good at math to be a good programmer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His advice for new sprinters: \u201cDon\u2019t lose motivation if you don\u2019t get something right away. It only gets harder before it gets easier<\/strong>. But by the end, everything will be clear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrei also recommends breaks and balance: \u201cTake walks, visit nearby cities, eat good food, sleep well, drink lots of water and the Sprint will become enjoyable<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To those on the fence about trying coding: \u201cI had the same problem – until my friend told me: \u2018What will you lose?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds: \u201cTrying new things is the key to happiness. In Romanian we say: \u00cencercarea vin\u0103 n-are.<\/em> There’s no harm in trying. So try new things, maybe you’ll love it.<\/strong> And the sprint is perfect for this. A very fun and enjoyable experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join our next Selection Sprint taking place in January 2026 <\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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Apply now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n

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