In 2021 I went to study IT in Busleyden Mechelen and started my first coding exercises. Of course I did some Minecraft modding and some PC stuff before, but this was my first time actually coding. I learned Java, HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and C++ all in just the first year.
That same year I also competed in the Vlaamse Programmeerwedstrijd (VPW), the Flemish Programming Competition, which really tests your algorithm, math and problem-solving abilities. I came into this with extremely limited knowledge, but my team and I did pretty well.