Edidiong Asikpo: From Medical School Aspirant to MongoDB Software Engineer

Journey into Software Engineering

• 💡 Edidiong Asikpo initially aimed for medical school in Nigeria, a path favored by her parents, but a year-long wait led her to explore computer science.
• 🚀 Despite initial struggles with understanding concepts, an Android development internship at Stat Innovation Hub ignited her passion for software engineering.
• 🎓 She pivoted from her medical aspirations to pursue a Computer Science degree, driven by a desire for a future-oriented career and a personal dislike for medicine.

Navigating the Tech Landscape

• 🌍 Asikpo highlights the growth of Nigeria's tech scene, emphasizing how developer communities and global tech companies establishing a presence in Lagos fostered opportunities.
• 🤝 She stresses the importance of not tying one's potential to their location, drawing inspiration from the tenacity often found in Nigerian culture.
• 💻 Contributing to open source, specifically to the Open Data Kit project, was a pivotal moment, providing real-world experience and validating her coding skills.

The Power of Open Source and Community

• 🛠️ Asikpo shares practical advice for aspiring open-source contributors, recommending GitHub exploration, focusing on "good first bugs," and engaging with maintainers.
• 🌟 Her open-source contributions to MediaWiki's Python APIs were instrumental in landing her a software engineering role at Interswitch, a major African fintech company.
• 📚 She advocates for leveraging free resources like freeCodeCamp and emphasizes the value of technical writing and sharing knowledge to build a visible online presence.

Embracing Continuous Learning and AI Tools

• 🧠 Asikpo advises focusing on fundamentals and consistency when learning to code, cautioning against rushing to advanced topics or solely relying on AI tools.
• 🤖 While acknowledging AI's productivity benefits, she stresses the importance of critical thinking and understanding code, rather than just copy-pasting AI-generated solutions.
• 💡 She encourages a balanced approach to AI, using it as a tool to augment knowledge rather than replace fundamental learning and problem-solving skills.