As a PWP, you read about awesome stuff on HackerNews, about big steps of big companies and big leaps of small startups at TechCrunch, about hot stuff at Mashable, about every buzzing startup, about every motivational article and especially if it says "Don't read too many articles, Go code!"
As a PWP, you click that spoj.pl bookmark or codechef bookmark or topcoder bookmark with a lot of enthusiasm each evening. And fall into an existential crisis within half an hour from that event because you're reminded you don't know enough Maths to continue coding stuff.
As a PWP, you feel like you've just discovered a key to the Oracle each time you read Paul Graham essays, or some awesome answer on StackOverflow, or a resume of some guy like Graham, Atwood, Cutts, van Rossum, etc.
As a PWP, you feel like college sucks and you'd be making millions if you quit it. You know the whole path and know enough buzzwords to direct yourself towards the best of careers. But you can't because you're a PWP.
As a PWP, you're always on the lookout for internships but never know what to make your CV look like. You have a huge list of resources on everything. So huge you fear looking at it. You have vague ideas about everything but probably can't even back a FizzBuzz with spine. Nothing seriously wrong with the skills. Just skepticism/apprehension.
As a PWP, you feel like you'll learn something new the very next day and that will inspire a creative idea in your head. You'll work on that a couple of nights. Weeks perhaps. And launch it in front of the seniors taking the field presently. As a PWP, all you end up doing is writing "This does nothing" programs for your lab reports.
As a PWP, you feel like between your present and dream life there's just a short time interval. You simply don't know when it'll start.
- Sincerely with empathy,
Pathetic Wannabe Programmer.
