DEV Community

Ernest Yoyowah
Ernest Yoyowah

Posted on

Compiling 2025: Year of Growth 🌱

#devchallenge #newyearchallenge #career

This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Compiling 2025.

year of growth

Introduction

2024 was the year I set my foundation, navigating internships, contracts, and learning opportunities while balancing challenges in college and life. Now, 2025 is here, and I’m stepping into The Year of Growth 🌱. This is the year I take bold steps toward becoming the well-rounded software engineer, and musician I’ve envisioned. Here’s how I’m planning to make it happen!

🎯 Main Goals for 2025

🖥️ Become a Better Software Engineer

  • Deep dive into Full-Stack Development: JavaScript, TypeScript, ReactJS, and Node.js.
  • Build practical projects while mastering design patterns and runtime concepts.

🎹 Excel as a Musician

  • Strengthen keyboard skills: ear training, soloing, and exploring music technology like VSTs and DAWs.
  • Expand both local (Ghanaian worship styles) and foreign (advanced chord progressions) repertoires.

💬 Enhance Communication Skills

  • Refine articulation, presentation skills, and tone to improve speaking presence.

🎓 Succeed Academically

  • Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.4 with consistent performance.

💼 Secure Professional Experience

  • Obtain a full-time role or freelance gigs to enhance industry exposure.

📅 Quarterly Quest (Jan – March 2025)

Morning Manifesto

"I am a great and renowned software engineer, architect, and musician through Christ who strengthens me. 🙌"

Focus Areas

🖥️ Software Engineering: Full-Stack Development

  1. JavaScript (JS)

    • Study runtime concepts: execution context, event loop, and transpilers.
    • 📖 Resource: You Don’t Know JS (YDKJS).
    • 👉 Key Deliverable: Build a project using advanced runtime concepts.

  2. TypeScript (TS)

    • Understand its use for type safety and transpilation.
    • 📖 Resource: TypeScript Handbook.
    • 👉 Key Deliverable: Refactor an existing JS project into TS.

  3. ReactJS

    • Master design patterns, state management, hooks, and reusable components.
    • 📖 Resource: React Design Patterns by Michele Bertoli.
    • 👉 Key Deliverable: Build a feature-rich web app using reusable components.

  4. Node.js

    • Learn advanced patterns and middleware.
    • 📖 Resource: Node.js Design Patterns.
    • 👉 Key Deliverable: Build a REST API with Node.js and Express.

🎹 Musician: Keyboardist and Music Technologist

  1. Ear Training

    • Local focus: Ghanaian worship & praise (horns/trumpets, advanced voicings).
    • Foreign focus: 251 and 736 progressions.
    • 👉 Key Deliverable: Transcribe 5 songs (3 local, 2 foreign).

  2. Music Technology (MuTech)

    • Explore VSTs and DAWs for music production.
    • Tools: FL Studio or Ableton Live.
    • 👉 Key Deliverable: Produce one instrumental track using DAWs.

💬 Communication Skills

  • Record and review presentations to refine articulation, tone, and voice projection.
  • 👉 Key Deliverable: Deliver a 3–5 minute presentation on a technical topic.

🎓 College

  • Allocate daily study hours for core courses.
  • 👉 Key Deliverable: Complete assignments on time and prep early for exams.

💼 Job

  • Polish resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • Start applying for full-time roles and freelance gigs.
  • 👉 Key Deliverable: Secure 3 interviews or freelance opportunities.

Looking Ahead

2025 is a year of intentional growth—professionally, creatively, and personally. With faith, focus, and consistent effort, I believe I can achieve everything I’ve set out to do. 🚀

✨ Let’s make this year amazing! 🎉

Connect With Me

Top comments (0)