#CodingLabStudents: Ong Zi Xun, HCIC 2024 Bronze Winner
Meet Zi Xun, our talented young coder and artist!
At just a year into his coding journey, Ong Zi Xun has already proven his mettle by clinching the Bronze award at the prestigious Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2024.
Zi Xun’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and the pursuit of his passions. Initially introduced to coding during a school holiday camp, he quickly developed a deep interest in it, fueled by his love for games and creativity.
Despite facing challenges, like not getting into his first-choice robotics club, Zi Xun didn’t let setbacks deter him. Instead, he turned to coding as an outlet to explore his love for technology and problem-solving.
His journey serves as an inspiring example of how determination and enthusiasm can lead to remarkable achievements. Read on to find out more about his coding journey!
“The HCIC preparation class helped me a lot. At times when I got confused with some of the questions, Teacher Hovan would patiently explain them to me in a way that was easy to understand, which is very helpful!”
Congratulations on winning an award at the HCIC! How did you feel about your achievement?
I felt great and accomplished as I did not expect to get an award, especially since I have not learnt coding for very long. It was really tough!
How was your HCIC experience? What did you learn, and what was the best part of it?
It was my first time participating in such a competition. I had to really put in a lot of effort to go through and understand all the concepts that might be tested. I started taking coding classes less than a year ago prior to the competition and the HCIC preparation class helped me a lot. At times when I got confused with some of the questions, I am glad that I could still message my teacher, Teacher Hovan, who would patiently explain them to me in a way that is easy for me to understand.
Zi Xun in his first holiday class, learning how to create and present his app!
How did you first get started with coding?
I started in September 2023 during the School term break. My parents and I were at KAP mall and we saw Coding Lab conducting lessons for kids, which made me curious about the courses offered. I was initially interested in robotics and computer but did not manage to get into my school’s Robotics Club, which made me pretty upset at the time. My parents used this opportunity to enrol me for the holiday camp coding class at KAP mall since I am also interested in coding.
What do you enjoy about coding, and how has it impacted your life?
I am a gamer so I am quite curious about creating games with coding skills. Coding allows me to understand about how games are being created!
How did you get started at Coding Lab?
I have been in Teacher Lakshmi's class for a while. I find her friendly and like her interactive method of teaching. We have fun while learning and I especially look forward to the Kahoot challenge at the end of every class.
“Whenever I do long codes, I sometimes struggle to find the lines I need to change, but I’ve learned how important it is to organisee my code better. It’s a skill that I keep improving on as I continue coding.”
What challenges did you face while learning to code, and how did you overcome them?
Whenever I do long codes, I sometimes struggle with finding the lines that I want to change as there are too many lines and sometimes I would have to go through with it one by one, but all I needed to do was to organise my code better.
Why do you think learning to code is important?
Coding has impacted the world greatly as many of the devices we use today are also programmed with coding, so if we learn coding, it will help contribute to the society.
How do your family and friends react when they find out you know how to code?
They were quite surprised as they thought I am a music and arts guy as I take piano lessons and like to draw for fun, but I really enjoy coding even though it is more technical.
Aside from coding, what are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like gaming as well as drawing!
Zi Xun’s coding journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and curiosity. From being intrigued by how games are made to successfully participating in a prestigious competition, he has shown that passion and hard work can open doors to exciting opportunities. With his love for coding and creativity, we’re excited to see how he’ll continue to develop his skills and make his mark in the tech world.
Our #CodingLabStudents blogs feature our ambitious students and their ongoing coding journeys – be it the budding coder or advanced Python Pro, we appreciate each and every single one’s efforts as they progress to greater heights. 🌱
Coding Lab offers an award-winning curriculum specially for ages 5 to 18 – check out our courses to begin your own coding journey today!
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