Editor's notes: Wu Yulin stood out and amazed everyone in her first appearance at The International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) as a freshman. Starting from a computer layperson to an ICPC competitor and a programming teacher, What's her secret? Lots and lots of interests.

Interviewee Wu Yulin at Jinfo Mountain in August 2022 (Photo / Wu Yulin)

"I had never programmed before I started college. I didn't even know how to use Microsoft! Who would have thought I would be so obsessed with computers a year later?! When I found out I had been admitted to a computer science major, the first thing I did was buy a book to learn Microsoft Word. Silly, right?"

"But just one semester later, I was deeply impressed by this amazing field. Nothing can compare to the feeling of satisfaction when the computer does what I want."

Participating in ICPC (The International Collegiate Programming Contest) was an impulsive decision. The competition has been in training since middle school for many competitors. Instead, I was a total rookie until college. It took me a whole winter holiday to grow from layman to a qualified competitor, from day to night, with rare entertainment. All I got was an introductory algorithm book and my unbridled enthusiasm for programming. I signed up for the contest at the end of that winter holiday with a nickname because I thought it would not be very comfortable to have people know it was me. But the results turned out to be unexpectedly good at that stage."

Wu Yulin participated in a summer program in Finland in August 2019. (Photo / Wu Yulin)

"Do you think you succeeded in programming in such a short time because you are smart or something?" "That's a common misperception." I'm not clever; people don't have to be clever to program. I am learning it because I really want to. Interest is my only motivation. When you really like something, you think about it, spend time on it, and find ways to improve yourself. Dedicated work pays off, that's it."

"There are too many stereotypes about computer programmers—keywords: Female or Asian. I've also heard some people, including my students, say, 'I'm terrible at computers. I just don't have the brain for it.' Unfortunately, I'm all for people not learning to program as long as it's for the right reasons. But 'I'm not clever' is not the right reason. I believe we have all evolved to be proficient at programming as a species since it's not much more than primary school knowledge."

Wu Yulin and her ICPC teammates in 2020 at the college (Photo / Wu Yulin)

"I said this because I am a programming teacher. In my experience, people, especially young people, can learn anything they are interested in, including programming. I had a student who was not expected to be competent in this discipline for 'not being smart,' but he worked harder and excelled over other students to prove the perception about him was wrong. When I was teaching graphic programming to first graders, I had a student who tried to adjust parameters spontaneously through logical thinking just out of curiosity."

"Don't ever be limited by the thought 'I'm not smart enough.' It's really just a matter of interest."