In middle school my parents got me a graphing calculator for Algebra. Couldn't figure out a damn thing about how to write programs on it, and I didn't really have much computer or internet access at home, but I was curious.

In the school computer lab I did some searching and found a programming guide for that model of calculator on some university website. While printing out my assignment I also secretly printed out the guide and hid it under the other papers (not supposed to be wasting ink on a personal print job). Took it home and was glued to it for months.

Eventually I was able to program the game Snake. It ran slow as hell, but it ran.