Chaiwat Janchalee

A late start, then catching up

I wrote my first line of code in December 2021, in my first year, because a course required it — a Pomodoro web app called Vibly. Before that I had been interested in computing since secondary school, but my school taught no programming.

Four years later I was maintaining the system every incoming student at the university used to register for orientation.

Why the work keeps coming back to the university

None of the four welcome platforms started with me pitching. Each year someone asked. The first was a senior I met while serving on a student organization subcommittee; the next came from someone I met at a camp who later joined the organization themselves.

As for why I kept saying yes: when I arrived I found the university's websites and systems dated, and I wanted to be one of the people helping move them forward.

What I care about

The hardest part of my work so far has not been difficult problems — it has been digging through disorganised existing code before I could start my own. Tasks that should take hours took a day, because there was no meaningful code review and the conventions on paper did not hold in practice.

So I weigh code review and structural consistency more heavily than raw speed at closing tickets.

Why a university role

Honestly: I want predictable hours, so there is time left for my health and the things I want to do. It is not an idealistic answer.

The plan is for the full-time role to be the main work, with freelance and consulting alongside it outside office hours.

Where ITSKYUQ comes from

My nickname is Kyu. ITSKYUQ reads as “it’s Kyu”, with the trailing Q echoing the same sound.