I decided to learn software engineering because I want to work as a software engineer. After reading essentialism by Greg McKeown, I thought about what professions are and will continue to be in demand, what my interests and passions are, and where I want to contribute.
I think about software engineers as the builders of this era, building networks, databases, and applications. The positions such as software engineer or data architect suggest this idea of building. There is much to be built.
Building software for the purpose of helping humans better understand the world is my goal as a future software developer. In a class for mechanics of materials, the instructor made a web application that allowed users to interface with the physics of cantilevers and forces and other difficult topics. This application made learning so much easier and enjoyable because students could play around and visualize what was actually happening without actually breaking anything!
In another example, a professor built an application that showed the crystal structure of known materials and how the atoms are lined up in 3 dimensions. Being able to visualize and move the atoms demonstrates something that would usually take a microscope.
This idea that learning and the sharing of ideas could be made easier, more fun, and more widespread is how I can contribute the most to my mission as a software engineer.