What were you doing at age 20? - gkolli
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trykondev
I started my computer science degree the year I turned 20!

I'd previously been studying in the biological sciences, and although I really
enjoyed learning the material, I dreaded actually doing the practical labs &
real-world applications. The practical applications of computer science, in
contrast, excited me greatly. So I switched degrees and fell in love with my
new field.

Now, just three months before my 30th birthday, I feel incredibly happy,
lucky, grateful, and relieved to have made the switch. My career in software
has been such a joy. I could so easily have ended up spending the past decade
being miserable in a field that I didn't enjoy. I think switching into
computer science was the best decision I've ever made.

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sethammons
At twenty, I had a wife and a five year old daughter. We had been living on
our own, in our own apartment for about a year (no longer floating between
parent's houses). I was in my second year at university on a near full ride
(tuition totally covered, books and living expenses were mine). I had just
taken my first programming class and worked nights for a friend's start up
making $8/hr (2003) programming in php between 10pm and 2am a few nights a
week. I was also the youngest student hired at my university to work in the
graphic design department, and worked maybe ten hours a week there. Upon
graduation, I would leave tech and not return for ten years. A very hard ten
years.

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gallerdude
I'm 20 (plus or minus a year), and I feel qualified to answer.

Last summer I had an internship with a software company full of nice people,
and I got an offer to work with them after I graduate in the spring. I'm
pretty excited.

In my free time, I hang out with my group of friends, I watch weird movies,
and browse the web looking at stuff that doesn't matter. And between working
out and having a sleep schedule, I'm starting to work on my health.

I wish I was more experienced in relationships, so I'm going to join a lot of
clubs at school to try to meet people. I'm also a little afraid my life is
running out of novelty - when you're a kid/teenager everything changes so
much, but once I start the job this spring, I'll have to force myself to make
novel changes.

All in all, I'm excited for the future, I just hope I'm courageous and hard-
working enough to run after my best life, not my easily-reachable life.

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ian0
Still in college, last year of a CS degree. My favorite year, my thesis was a
space combat game altered to run on a P2P architecture. The highlight was an
engineer from Havoc (who did the physics engine for half life) visiting to
check out the demo. It was running on 30 PCs simultaneously - we had to bring
in 5 friends to run around restarting the ones that crashed while we
distracted the visitors. Fond memories.

Plus working in a video rental store in evenings & weekends to support. And
usual student layabout stuff like games, drugs & travel.

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breakerbox
I was struggling through electrical engineering, not sure if I ever wanted to
become an actual engineer. In hindsight, college was extremely challenging
because I had no clue if I wanted to go into engineering, or finance, or
consulting. I have a feeling if I knew the joy of programming and being able
to build a company from my house over the internet, I would have ditched
college and just started my own thing. Wish I found HN back then for sure!

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srijanshetty
I was in college, and I must admit it was one of the most transformational
experiences of my life. A lot of fuss nowadays is about how colleges aren't
worth it, but I would have to respectfully disagree, college isn't just about
academia, it's also about the experiences that you share with a diverse set of
people who are working towards the same goal of expanding the horizons of
scientific understanding.

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merciBien
Drove a truck delivering paint for a local paint company. Carried heavy 5
gallon buckets up stairs at construction sites. Decided to go to college, to
avoid doing manual labor for the rest of my life.

Edit: added buckets

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non-entity
Same thing I'm doing at 21. Working and hoping my life works out in a way I'm
satisfied with.

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joegahona
Undeclared major and a proof-machine operator at a bank. Lifting weights.

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lprubin
I was playing online poker professionally during the peak of that craze.

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gaspoweredcat
working and living in a pub on darkest Bodmin Moor

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baizid
I am doing 22 years old

