Photo by Nemuel Sereti
From Petroleum Engineering to Python
Tech!, Tech!!, what a buzzword lately, transition into tech people will say to one another, AI is exploding, Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the next big thing, but for me, it is not just a trend. It’s a story of growth, the ability to create things out of your imagination, limitless, discovering a new path that challenges me daily, and also the reward that comes with every single step.
My name is Kingsley Ezeudu, a Petroleum Engineer who graduated with distinction, a certified data analyst, and now, a software developer with a growing passion for building solutions with Python.
I started by thinking about what I would become in the future like any other high school graduate. Petroleum engineering seems to be a good path to start off, given the region and country I was from, it was really a big discipline to delve into. I loved it there and gave it my best. I was a bright student, which is why I graduated with a distinction. After graduation, during my paramilitary period, I started my journey into data analysis, to expand my portfolio, and to earn the title of “an Engineer and Analyst” or “an Analytical Petroleum Engineer”, which sounds pleasant to me. I earned a certification as an Associate in Data Analysis from DataCamp.
Python was introduced to me while I was learning at DataCamp because it was one of the tools we used in analysis, but I didn’t really focus on it; I was focused on getting my certificate. I learned what was necessary for analysis alongside Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and SQL. I did learn a lot, even built a 10-year budget planner with Excel (see here).
Having all these certifications, I was still feeling unfulfilled, I knew something was missing. I wanted to be a creator, one who makes things for people to use, one who can solve problems, automate tasks, and bring ideas to life. With the little knowledge I had in Python from my data analytics classes, I began to do some research about software development and Python. I needed to have the power to create things by speaking to computers. “I have to start now,” I said to myself, and with the positive reviews I got from different individuals about Python, I decided this was the path I would take.
Just like starting any other thing, consistency can be difficult. I remained consistent in learning Python. I learned via Coursera, I started with Python for Everybody by Dr. Charles Severance (Dr. Chuck). I followed through to the last, from the basics to somewhat advanced. It was a journey I truly enjoyed.
I have built many small projects since I finished the advanced class ending November 2024, things became interesting, and I started seeing that I was beginning to have superpowers, writing a code from scratch to do what I intended it to do was beautiful (I don’t want to talk about the errors and frustration I passed through yet).
One project that really changed the game for me was a major software project where I integrated a RESTful API with my bank and a P2P platform to enable real-time payment and assessment for any new client that places an order. It had over 1000 lines of code combined across about 6 files.
Wait a minute, in just under 4 months, I have been able to write a program of about 1000 lines of code, import modules, work with the asyncio module, and classes in Python. Wow, that is impressive. This is me giving myself some accolades. This particular project I mentioned won’t be made accessible due to certain reasons, but you can find many other projects of mine on my project portfolio page or simply click here.
To anyone reading this, this journey hasn’t been without its challenges, debugging bugs late in the night, feeling stuck on logic problems, and learning best practices haven’t been easy. But with dedication, you can do it. AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek have made it easier to debug errors, so you can also use that as an added advantage (Note: write code yourself and use AI to debug when stuck). Module documentation remains my bestie.
I am still learning, I am not yet where I am supposed to be, a lot and a lot is still not known, I still have to learn other languages to make me better, a better software Developer. So right now, I am focused on deepening my backend development skills (Django), contributing to open-source projects, and building scalable systems. I am also interested in mobile development (Flutter is on my radar), and I am actively seeking opportunities to work on real-world tech problems and grow as a developer.
Every week, I will post a project I have worked on, the challenges faced, and how I was able to do it. I believe with this I will be able to stay actively on track and expand my coast.