How I Went From No Coding Experience to a Microsoft Offer in 1 Year

My offer from Microsoft — telling me that I got a position higher than I had applied for!

I did not understand my first piece of code until two weeks into my first-semester Introduction to Programming class. I finally understood what int or string meant and how 3 is different from “3”. All throughout high school, I had a dream of majoring in computer science — despite taking AP Computer Science and not understanding what a method or a class was. Being able to thoroughly understand my first program was addicting. I wanted more.

My favorite toy growing up — Tinkertoy (Credit: )

Growing up, I loved logic puzzles and Tinkertoy. Coding was essentially the combination of both — building something from scratch and figuring out where it goes. I applied to universities as a CS major, unsure whether or not I would even be good at it. I knew I had a passion for Computer Science, but none of the experience. That was something I was determined to change.

I don’t want anyone else to feel the same kind of panic, so here are my three tips for landing a Microsoft internship.

Make Friends

The summer before college, I attended an Alum/New Student mixer. We had the opportunity to meet people from our area that knew what university was…