I'm Brysen Landis, a Computer Science student at Columbia College. I got into CS because I've always been the kind of person who needs to know how things work, not just that they work, but why. That curiosity has a way of pulling you toward programming whether you plan for it or not.
My path into computer science wasn't some grand, lifelong calling. I didn't grow up writing code at age eight. I just kept finding myself drawn to problem-solving, and at some point it clicked that this was the field where that actually pays off. Now I'm here, a few years deep, and genuinely glad I ended up down this road.
At Columbia College, I've built up a solid foundation in the fundamentals, data structures, algorithms, software development, the stuff that makes everything else make sense. But the classroom only goes so far. A lot of what I've learned has come from just sitting down and trying to build something, hitting a wall, and figuring out how to get past it. That process, frustrating as it can be, is honestly where most of the real learning happens for me.
Outside of coursework I work on personal projects, mostly things I actually want to exist or problems I find interesting enough to solve. I'm not the kind of person who learns well from tutorials alone. I need a real goal to work toward, even if that goal is completely arbitrary. It keeps things interesting and gives me something to show for the time I put in.
When I'm not doing school stuff or working on projects, I have a life outside the screen too. I'm into my hobbies, I spend time with people I like, and I try not to let CS consume every waking hour, with mixed results. Balance is a work in progress.
As for where I'm headed, I'm working toward a career in software engineering. I want to be on a team that's building something meaningful, where I can contribute real work and keep getting better at what I do. I don't have every detail of the future mapped out, and I think that's fine. I know what I'm good at, I know what I want to get better at, and I'm putting in the work to get there.
If something here resonates, or you just want to connect, reach out. I'm always open to a good conversation.
My path into computer science wasn't some grand, lifelong calling. I didn't grow up writing code at age eight. I just kept finding myself drawn to problem-solving, and at some point it clicked that this was the field where that actually pays off. Now I'm here, a few years deep, and genuinely glad I ended up down this road.
At Columbia College, I've built up a solid foundation in the fundamentals, data structures, algorithms, software development, the stuff that makes everything else make sense. But the classroom only goes so far. A lot of what I've learned has come from just sitting down and trying to build something, hitting a wall, and figuring out how to get past it. That process, frustrating as it can be, is honestly where most of the real learning happens for me.
Outside of coursework I work on personal projects, mostly things I actually want to exist or problems I find interesting enough to solve. I'm not the kind of person who learns well from tutorials alone. I need a real goal to work toward, even if that goal is completely arbitrary. It keeps things interesting and gives me something to show for the time I put in.
When I'm not doing school stuff or working on projects, I have a life outside the screen too. I'm into my hobbies, I spend time with people I like, and I try not to let CS consume every waking hour, with mixed results. Balance is a work in progress.
As for where I'm headed, I'm working toward a career in software engineering. I want to be on a team that's building something meaningful, where I can contribute real work and keep getting better at what I do. I don't have every detail of the future mapped out, and I think that's fine. I know what I'm good at, I know what I want to get better at, and I'm putting in the work to get there.
If something here resonates, or you just want to connect, reach out. I'm always open to a good conversation.