You Don’t Need to Be a Genius to Code

The Real Secret to Learning Code?

Most people think coding is only for “tech geniuses” or people born with some kind of superpower.

I used to think that too.

Let me start with my story.

My Journey: From Hope to Pressure

As a child, I was good at learning, sports, and extracurricular activities. Growing up in Sri Lanka, one of the biggest early milestones is the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam, a highly competitive test that helps students enter prestigious schools. I passed it successfully and continued my education with strong results.

In Grade 11, I sat for my O/L (Ordinary Level) exams and passed with the best results possible: 9 A’s.

That success led me to choose the Bio stream for A/Ls (Advanced Levels), where I studied Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, the most competitive track in the country.

But this is where everything changed.

When Life Hit Hard

Until that point, I studied because I loved learning. But during my A/L years, my family was going through a hard time. My father lost his job, and all hopes were placed on me. I took it personally. I felt like I had to carry everything, not just my dreams, but my family’s too.

I studied hard. The syllabus was tough. The pressure was heavier than ever. And I cracked under it.

I sat for the A/L exam stressed, burnt out, and overwhelmed. I didn’t get the results I hoped for. I got CCC, with a Z-score of 0.8763.

Now, that wasn’t a bad score. But deep down, I knew I had the potential for AAA. That broke me. I felt like I had failed not just myself, but everyone who believed in me.

But Life Gave Me Another Chance

I was stuck. I wanted to enter a top public university with the best degree program, but my Z-score wasn’t enough for my dream university. I felt hopeless.

But then my father got his job back. And he gave me the best gift I could ask for: a second chance.

He said, “Don’t worry. I’ll support your education. You can go to a private university. I’ll pay the fees.”
It brings me tears. “I will do my best,” I promised myself.
And that’s how I ended up joining the #1 private university in Sri Lanka.

That moment changed everything for me.

But it wasn’t easy.
I struggled. I doubted myself.
And yet, I found a way to learn, not because I was born for it, but because I learned the right mindset for it.

That’s where Mind Over Syntax begins.
In the next article, I’ll take you through my first weeks of learning to code at university, the ups and downs, the confusion, the “aha” moments, and the simple mental shifts that turned a frustrated beginner into a confident developer.

🔗 Read Part 2: “My First Weeks in Code — From Confusion to Confidence”(Coming soon…)