CYOA from a Computer Science perspective is not about the A - the narrative in the Adventure. This is where you can waste a lot of time - creating a story to make the game exciting. This was not the focus of the project.

The project's focus was on developing the software design using the constraint of what we learned in Intro (mainly lists, dictionaries, classes, and file I/O) and in the execution of that design in the form of a working Python terminal program.

I started an iterative approach of creating a proof of concept or just about the most minimal viable assignment I could: a story node class that has a description and some choices. Once I could instantiate this object then I could display the story on the terminal and ask the player to enter their next choice.

Each choice would bring up another node until a terminal node is reached and the story concludes.

I soon added an int id as well as a title. Then I added a csv file format in order to be able to change the story in a file that would be loaded - and not have to hard code strings into a Python program.

The final result can be found at github in what I called Code of Shadows when I was still focused on the detective story narrative. You can try this code at replt.

Based on the csv story file my test case was the following choices:
At Welcome (where Text 1 and Text 2 are displayed) Press 1 [for Do Thing 1]
At Thing 1 (where three text lines are displayed) Press 3 [for Ending 2]

That concludes my CS101: Intro to Programming in Python Portfolio Project.

But with so many programming languages, frameworks, and resources available, where to begin?

In this blog, together we will embark on an exciting journey as I introduce a comprehensive curriculum of self-study designed to guide you through the process of learning to code all the way to my personal goal of becoming a data scientist and machine learning engineer.

The Breakdown

I've broken my journey into three College Eras:

1. Undergraduate,
2. Master's degree, and
3. Doctorate.

For the majority of my undergraduate education in Computer Science, I've chosen Codecademy's Computer Science Career Path. The adventure begins with this program as every great journey starts with a solid foundation. There is one freeCodeCamp course in my Senior year - but consider that an elective.

I will begin my coding expedition by exploring the basics of computer science and programming concepts. With Codecademy I plan to gain a deep understanding of algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving techniques that form the backbone of coding. This stage serves as a springboard for all future coding endeavors.

I try and avoid the Udemy code-along courses that are just tutorial hell. If you're not familiar with this term tutorial hell happens when you get used to learning by hand-holding, and can’t learn any other way – which inevitably leaves you stuck at an amateur level unable to even start basic applications on your own.

Undergraduate

Like college, the undergraduate program is divided into the following four "years":

1. Freshman

2. Sophomore

3. Junior

4. Senior

The eight specific courses throughout each phase are as follows:

1. Freshman Year

Intro to Programming: Python

2. Sophomore Year

Data Structures: Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Hash Maps

Fundamental Algorithms: Big-O, Recursion, Search, Sort

3. Junior Year

Data Structures Advanced: Trees & Graphs

Databases: SQL and Relational Databases

4. Senior Year

Programming Languages(freeCodeCamp on YouTube and not on Codecademy)

Computer Architecture

Discrete Math

Course Components

It should be noted that each course has the following four components:

1. Reading Material, Code todos, and Quizzes

2. Code Challenges

3. Multiple Projects with a Capstone Portfolio Project

4. A final exam in the following two parts: multiple choice and coding.

In the next article, I'll discuss what happens after the undergraduate certificate.

It is a long and winding road that stretches beyond the horizon, filled with challenges, discoveries, and endless growth opportunities.

This is what lies ahead of me just as a traveler embarks on a quest to explore new lands, so too do I as an aspiring engineer set off on a journey of continuous learning and improvement. And if you're here reading this - then maybe this lies ahead for you as well.

I can't see the end of the road - but I have to start and see where it leads.

I plan to use this blog to chronicle my journey of mastering software development, from my humble beginnings of learning to code in Python to the ultimate destination of data science and machine learning.

My goal is to become a Machine Learning Engineer.

As I researched the field and explored the different paths what helped me was reading the experiences of others as they grew. My goal is to keep track of my journey and hope that in some way this helps others discover in the same way that others have helped me.

As I embark on the road to mastery in software development I expect it to change me. It will be a transformative journey. By definition, I expect to become a different person along this journey just as a traveler evolves and grows with every step, and you too will undergo profound personal and professional growth as you advance along this path.

I will embrace the challenges, embrace the learning opportunities, and savor the victories. I will always remember that mastery is not a destination but a lifelong pursuit. I will endeavor to enjoy the scenic beauty of each milestone and never cease to be inspired by the ever-evolving world of technology.

So, gather your tools, map your course, and embark on the exhilarating adventure that awaits me and you on this long road to mastery.

Wish me safe travels, fellow developers, and may your own journey be filled with endless discoveries and triumphs!