Once upon a Tuesday (because disasters always happen on Tuesdays) I accidentally crashed my entire program by using one teeny-tiny comma where I should’ve used a semicolon.
One.
Single.
Character.
And just like that—poof—everything fell apart like a Jenga tower built by someone who swears they’re
“just winging it.”
If you’re new to STEM, welcome!
This is your official permission slip to mess up gloriously.
Let me take you back.
—
The Day My Code Imploded and My Confidence Almost Did Too
I was working on a “simple” script to automate my newsletter process. Nothing fancy.
Just a few loops and some logic.
You know, classic I watched a YouTube tutorial and now I’m brave energy.
Everything was going great until… it wasn’t.
I pressed “run” and the script acted like it had been personally offended. The console exploded with errors I can only describe as passive-aggressive.
My website froze.
My newsletter drafts disappeared into the ether.
For 30 seconds, I forgot how breathing worked.
I stared at the screen like it owed me rent money.
The best part?
After an hour of spiraling, crying (yes, I cried), and dramatically telling my dog that I was quitting tech forever, I realized it was just a misplaced comma.
A comma, TechShethink. A comma.
—
Why That Breakdown Was the Best Thing Ever?
Here’s the deal: STEM isn’t just wires and algorithms and math symbols that look like IKEA instructions.
It’s messy. It’s human. It’s emotional.
And mistakes? They’re part of the package.
That one glitchy moment taught me more than any perfect run ever has.
I learned how to read error messages instead of treating them like hieroglyphics.
I found out that saving backups is not just a suggestion. It’s a lifestyle.
Most importantly, I realized failure is where the growth lives.
—
Real Talk: Everyone Breaks Stuff
Ever heard the saying “move fast and break things”? Yeah, that’s not just for Silicon Valley bros. That’s all of us in STEM.
Behind every impressive woman in tech is a Google search history full of “why won’t my code work” and a private folder of breakdown gifs.
So next time your project crashes, your formula goes rogue, or your robot refuses to listen (rude), remember: you’re not failing—you’re leveling up.
—
Burnout & Breakdowns: Cousins Who Shouldn’t Visit Together
In my last blog post, I talked about burnout—that fried-brain feeling where your code is blinking and so are you.
This is where the messy magic of mistakes connects to something bigger: taking care of yourself.
When you’re stuck:
Take a walk (or a nap—we don’t judge here).
Text a friend or a mentor.
Drink water. You’re not a cactus.
And when all else fails, try again tomorrow.
The world doesn’t need perfect coders. It needs curious ones who bounce back.
—
The Glorious Beauty of Failing Loudly
So, here’s your reminder, from one imperfect techie to another:
Your code doesn’t have to be flawless.
Your experiments can (and will) go boom.
And you can still call yourself a STEM badass while googling “how to center a div” for the 80th time.
Progress is messy, but so are paintbrushes—and no one questions whether they’re making art.
—
Call to Action: Let’s Build, Break, and Grow Together
I want to hear your funniest tech fail.
Did you break a program? Melt your laptop (please tell me this happened)? Accidentally email your entire office a picture of your 😺 instead of your code?
Tell me in the comments or reply to this newsletter.
Because if we’re going to break things, we might as well laugh about it together.
And if you ever need a nudge, a pep talk, or a fellow “oops” enthusiast—I’m here. Debugging life, one line at a time.
—
Now, ready for that goddess-level drink to recover from your latest crash? You deserve it.
Love, code, and Ctrl+Z,
Your BFF TechSheThink
—
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