More Butterflies Than Bugs: How a Little ‘=’ Made Me Panic
Just in time, I was referring to a Java book for some quick reading when something caught my attention — the assignment operator. You might wonder, what’s so special about that simple “=” sign?
Well, it holds a very special place in my heart — because it reminds me of my
very first job interview.
I still remember that day in
Chennai — my first ever interview. I had all kinds of butterflies in my stomach
(and a few bats too). Even after finishing my UG and PG in Engineering, facing
a school panel felt scarier than debugging an infinite loop.
But what happened next
doubled my nervousness! They handed me a 12th standard Computer Science
question paper and asked me to write the exam.
Shock No. 1: I was a Math–Bio student in school, not Computer Science.
Shock No. 2: The question
paper had 75 one-mark questions and 75 more mixed ones! (In college, I was used
to 10 two-mark and 5 sixteen-mark questions — now I had to run a marathon in 3
hours!)
Still, I took a deep breath
and decided to just enjoy the moment. Whether I got selected or not, I
wanted to give my best.
After finishing the test,
the HOD gave me a 12th standard book and asked me to prepare a demo class on a
topic.
He insisted I start from the
beginning, so I picked “Assignment Operator.”
I chose that topic for a
reason — if it was too easy, they might ask too many questions; if it was too
tough, I might get stuck. So, I wanted something simple yet smartly handled.
After 30 minutes of preparation, I was ready. I expected a conference room or AV hall, but surprise! I was led into a classroom full of students. Yes — actual students. At that moment, I realized — it’s easier to face a principal than a room full of teenagers with judgmental eyes and mischievous smirks.
I said a silent prayer: “God,
lead me in the right direction.” Within seconds, I was at the podium,
facing the class.
I began, “Good morning,
everyone.” They just stared. So I smiled and said, “Why can’t you greet me
back?”
And they replied, “Good
morning, Miss!”. That simple moment
broke the ice — even my principal joined with a smile. I started my class:
“Few of you might know that
the assignment operator is just the ‘=’ sign. For example, x = 10 - what does
that mean?”
Most of them said, “x is
equal to 10.” I raised my voice playfully and said, “No! In programming, x ==
10 means x is equal to 10. But x = 10 means the value 10 is assigned to
x.” Then, I wrapped up my topic and completed the class.
The class smiled, the
principal nodded, and that’s how my very first teaching demo ended —
successfully. Yes, I got selected for that job! That was the beginning of my
journey as a Computer Science teacher, a moment that still fills my
heart with pride and gratitude.
Even today, 10 years later,
I learned something new about that same operator:
In Java, the statement x = y = z = 25; assigns the value 25 to all three
variables — first to z, then y, then x. (Value flows from right to left.)
Learning never stops. Even
as a teacher, I love being a learner. Because truly, we know only a drop of
the ocean.
So, tell me — are you still willing to learn without hesitation? 🌊
🏹 “Assign yourself courage daily. – Even small steps matter.”
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