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By Jesse Toth Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FG7w/
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In the video "Afternoon Storytime: Curiosity," presented by Jesse Toth at GoGaRuCo 2013, the central theme revolves around the importance of curiosity in the life of a programmer and developer. Toth reflects on her personal journey, illustrating how curiosity has been a driving force in her education and career. Key Points Discussed: - **Early Curiosity**: Toth describes her childhood curiosity and eagerness to learn, noting how it often exceeded the resources available to her in her small town. - **College Experience**: Upon attending a state school in California for computer science, she found herself frustrated by the limitations of the curriculum, prompting her to seek learning opportunities outside her department. - **Interdisciplinary Pursuit**: Toth found a humanities honors course that spanned four semesters and included diverse subjects. Despite resistance from her advisor, she enrolled and flourished, illustrating the importance of following her curiosity. - **Transfer to Berkeley**: Encouraged by her professor to transfer to Berkeley, Toth faced initial struggles but eventually reignited her passion through an advanced computer science class on compilers. - **Professional Journey**: After graduation, she worked as a Rails consultant, learned from various projects, and eventually joined GitHub. Early in her GitHub career, she battled self-doubt, which hindered her performance until she rediscovered her curiosity while solving a coding issue. - **The Cycle of Curiosity**: Toth concluded that her unhappiness came from a lack of curiosity, as fear replaced it. When she embraced curiosity again, it led to personal and professional fulfillment. Conclusions and Takeaways: - Curiosity is crucial for growth, learning, and happiness as a programmer. - When faced with challenges or boredom, seek what ignites curiosity. - Embrace the process of discovery and learning; it leads to greater accomplishments and satisfaction in one's career. Through her story, Toth encourages viewers to stay curious and make the pursuit of knowledge a priority in their lives as developers, emphasizing that curiosity is a powerful catalyst for success.
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