Who Am I?
Hello, I’m Ümit Dansuk. I’m a 4th-year Computer Engineering student at Kocaeli University. I work on software development, artificial intelligence, and web technologies. Throughout my university years, I’ve been involved in both volunteer projects and corporate internship experiences.
But my life isn’t just about writing code 
I have a life filled with sports, chess, books, and travel. Through football and volleyball, I learned teamwork and perseverance; through chess, I developed strategic thinking. Books opened new worlds to me, while traveling allowed me to discover different cultures.
In this blog, I’ll share both my software development journey and experiences from my personal life. This way, I want to offer a more authentic perspective on both my career and my life.
📌 What Chess Has Taught Me
I love chess very much. I’ve been playing since a young age and I always learn new things. Chess has given me three important qualities:
Strategic thinking – Trying to anticipate 3-4 moves ahead helps me make long-term plans in software projects as well.
Patience – Waiting to see the outcome of each move taught me to be patient when debugging code.
Focus – When playing chess, you concentrate completely on the game. This is the same as those moments when I catch the “flow” in software development.
Today, when developing a React project or writing SQL queries, I think the same way as I do on the chess board: “What will the next step be?”
📌 Books and What I’ve Learned
Reading books is not just a hobby for me, but an indispensable part of my life. By reading books in different fields, I contribute to both my personal and intellectual development.
📖 History books help me understand the past and interpret the present better. Seeing the background of events teaches me to approach problems from a broader perspective as an engineer.
💰 Economics books guide me in understanding the world order, business world, and the economic impacts of technology. I’ve realized that software has not only a technical dimension but also an economic one.
🌱 Personal development books both increase my motivation and help me develop myself in a more disciplined way.
🧠 Through psychology books, I try to better understand human behaviors and thought patterns. This also contributes to my teamwork and communication with people.
🌍 Finally, reading world classics opens the window to different periods, cultures, and schools of thought. They help me both question the meaning of life and develop my imagination.
In short, books don’t just add knowledge to me; they also broaden my perspective and help me make more conscious decisions in both my career and daily life.
Why Do I Love Traveling So Much?
Traveling always gives me new energy. Seeing new cities, meeting new people, and encountering different cultures not only brings me joy but also inspires me.
Creativity is very important in the software world. The things I see while traveling sometimes give me ideas for project design, and sometimes for software architecture. At the same time, getting to know different cultures gives me an advantage on my path to becoming a global developer.
For me, traveling is not just entertainment, but also an opportunity for learning and development.