Self-Taught Developer Reflects on Unconventional Lessons Before Formal Schooling

A developer who was largely self-taught before enrolling in formal education has shared reflections on their unconventional learning journey. While they acknowledge gaps in foundational knowledge, they credit self-teaching with instilling skills like creative problem-solving and hands-on hardware experience. The developer noted that traditional education rarely exposes students to high-stakes failures, such as accidentally damaging expensive equipment. They described these hard lessons, including bricking a laptop worth over a thousand dollars, as valuable in ways classroom learning often is not. Now balancing school and independent study, the developer expressed a desire to continue growing alongside the broader developer community.