Understanding the undergraduate experience in computing requires more than measuring outcomes; it calls for close attention to how students make sense of their highest points of success and deepest moments of struggle. These emotional narratives offer insight into how confidence, motivation, and identity are formed. This qualitative study examines how undergraduate computing students describe the emotional ups and downs of their academic journeys using a phenomenological approach. Drawing on 119 open-ended reflections from students at both 2-year and 4-year institutions, we found clear patterns by gender. Women were more likely to frame grades as critical markers of competence and belonging; on the other hand, academic setbacks, especially in unsupportive environments, led to self-doubt and feelings of marginalization. Men, by contrast, found satisfaction in internal breakthroughs when a concept finally “clicked,” but described deep frustration when prolonged efforts to solve a computing problem failed to yield any resolution. These patterns reveal how computing students talk about their highs and lows, and how those stories differ by gender. The findings can inform faculty development and advisor training in ways that support student growth and persistence.