Ryan Druckman, Peer Consultant

Major Computer Systems & Software

I find coding to be a bittersweet battle between me and the console. In my head I have a perfect vision of the execution: my code flawlessly compiles and sends back some 1’s and 0’s just like I thought it would. And yet all the computer gives me are strings of compiler errors: Forgot your semicolons here, forgot to close your brackets there, and your recursive function still calls itself into infinity. So I grit my teeth, roll up my sleeves, and stare at my wall of code until my eyes start to twitch. This struggle is what makes successfully completing an assignment such an achievement; I can say with great pride that I have spent over ten hours creating a program that just prints out triangles. And I owned it! 

What does this have to do with writing? At first glance, almost nothing; this is probably why I find writing such an excellent foil to the grind of programming. Writing isn’t about right or wrong answers, it’s about ideas. A lot like making music, I find that in writing you can take an instinct or an intuition and run with it in ways that coding doesn’t allow. Whether I’m composing a piece of music or writing a reflection, I find it easy to move the different parts and pieces around without distorting the message. On the other hand, code falls apart the moment you change it. Programming in Java has made writing in English seem blissful in comparison.

But I realize that for some people, writing looks just as muddled and confusing as endless lines of code. Even more frustrating is when you think you understand writing only to have your professors disagree. But whether these problems sound familiar or foreign, I’m more than happy to do whatever I can to help you grow as a writer. Whether it’s brainstorming for an essay on dream reflection, trying to understand Kant’s theory of universalizability, or creating a sound business plan to sell a hotdog stand, I’d love to help in any way I can. Writing can be tough, but no one has to go through it alone.

Ryan Druckman

Major: Computer Systems & Software

"I find coding to be a bittersweet battle between me and the console. In my head I have a perfect vision of the execution... What does this have to do with writing?"