Hi, I’m Niamh — and if you’re new here, welcome to ThinkDataHub.
This is my first proper post under the new direction for this blog, and I wanted to make it count. Not a tutorial, not a guide — just an honest introduction to who I am, where I’m at, and where I’m trying to go. Because I think context matters, and I want you to know the person behind the posts.
Where I Started
I spent years working in pubs. Assistant manager, long shifts, dealing with everything that comes with hospitality. It’s a world away from software engineering, and honestly for a long time I didn’t think tech was something that was meant for people like me.
I’m 28, I live in Scotland with my wife and our two cats Clover and Poppy, and I do cleaning work on the side to make things work while I study. I’m not coming from a traditional background. There was no computer science A-Level, no straight line from school to university to tech job. Just a decision at some point that I wanted something different, and a lot of hard work since then.
Where I Am Now
I’m currently studying Computing and IT BSc Honours with the Open University, and I am absolutely loving it — even the hard bits.
This year has been a lot. I’ve been working through TM111 and TM112 alongside each other, which covers everything from the fundamentals of computing right through to the maths that underpins it all — statistics, surds, binary, and everything in between.
The maths side of things has been one of the most satisfying parts. Binary in particular just clicked for me — converting between number systems, binary addition, understanding how computers actually process numbers at a fundamental level. There’s something really satisfying about understanding what’s happening underneath the hood.
I also completed a networks module through Cisco’s NetAcad this year, which I’m proud of — my TMA came back with 97%, which honestly made my week. I’m currently waiting on my final overall result for TM111 and I’ve been predicted a distinction, which I’m equal parts excited and nervous about. I’ll update you when it lands.
A Quick Taste: Binary Conversion
Since we’re on the subject — here’s something I’ve been learning that I think is genuinely fascinating once it clicks.
Computers don’t understand numbers the way we do. They work in binary — a system made up of only 1s and 0s. Every number, every letter, every image on your screen is ultimately represented in binary underneath.
Converting a decimal number to binary is simpler than it sounds. Take the number 13:
- 13 ÷ 2 = 6 remainder 1
- 6 ÷ 2 = 3 remainder 0
- 3 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 1
- 1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1
Read the remainders bottom to top: 1101
So 13 in binary is 1101. That’s it. Once you understand the pattern it becomes second nature, and it gives you a completely different way of thinking about how computers work.
This is the kind of thing I’ll be sharing more of as I go deeper into the technical side of my degree.
Where I’m Going
Next year I move into the Software Engineering pathway of my degree, which is the part I’ve been building toward. But I’m not waiting until then to get started.
I’m already planning to build projects — real ones, things I can put on GitHub and talk about in interviews. Because the honest truth is I want a career in software engineering, and I know that a degree alone isn’t enough. You need a portfolio, you need experience, and you need to show people what you can actually do.
That’s a big part of what this blog is becoming. A place where I document the projects, share what I’m learning, and hopefully help other people in similar situations — students, career changers, self-taught developers — do the same.
What ThinkDataHub Is Now
This blog has evolved since I started it. It’s no longer just general tech content — it’s my story, my learning, and everything I’m building along the way.
You’ll find tutorials, honest reflections on studying, GitHub guides, Notion templates, and starting this Monday — a weekly paid newsletter with practical portfolio challenges designed to help you build a CV worth showing employers.
If you’re a student, a career changer, or just someone trying to find your way into tech — stick around. You’re in the right place.
I’ll see you in the next one.
— Niamh ThinkDataHub.uk
