Getting back to coding - 2 weeks later

Maik — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 08:45:09 +0000

I can't believe but 2 weeks have passed already and they have not been the easiest. Despite my partner falling ill and some - as they call it - challenges at my regular 9-5, I did manage to continue learning.

The pomodoro technique definitely proofed itself worth it. I kept following the Freecodecamp learning paths and discovered The Odin Project - more on that later.

My conclusion of the last weeks: I do enjoy the comfort of freedcodecamp telling me exactly what to do. However, starting my own project seems terrifying although I'm capable. As for most people it's difficult, I assume, to take off the training wheels.

The Odin Project somehow took away this kind of anxiety though. With the curriculum being structured and offering all information + additional resources I can continue learning but do need to use my logical thinking more actively.

I need to come up with the solution and use the knowledge I have.
I need to look up things in documentations/ stackoverflow.
I need to think ahead and make decisions but also question my decisions.

Especially the last part is what elevated my learning. Now I'm recapping more effectively and ask myself 'Can I explain this concept to somebody else?'. Because if I can explain it, it means I understood and if there are certain things I can't explain, I just identified a gap in my knowledge.

Lastly, engaging in channels where other people ask questions about their code is also a great way for me to learn. Taking a look and asking myself 'How would I approach this?', 'What's the cause?' and if I come up with a solution 'How can I explain this to the person asking?'.

Getting back to coding in 2023

Maik — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:05:04 +0000

Hi, I'm Maik, and I completed a coding bootcamp in 2020. The whole program took me six months to finish since I was doing it part-time while still working my regular job. During the bootcamp, I met a classmate who offered me a freelance job at his company right after the camp.

I took the chance even though I knew the job would be limited to one year, and all the knowledge I would gain would be self-taught. To be honest, I also didn't feel like we had the experience to offer clients a web shop, but we did, thanks to Ruby on Rails and a shop system that we could integrate with our Rails project. Sometimes you really do need audacity. If you think that's already a bit crazy, we also attempted to implement a payment provider from Argentina because our client was from South America, and Stripe wasn't an option at that time.

What happened next was that our contract eventually came to an end, and I had to venture out to find a new job. I started applying at different companies and received interview invitations, but my confidence at this point in time was really low. Most of the time, I felt like I couldn't make it, that it was too much, and I couldn't keep up with things. Then came the day when I was given a coding challenge for an interview, and I just couldn't solve it. The task was so abstract; I had no idea where to begin. For me and my potential career, this was the last time I should touch code for a while.

Three years have passed, and I'm back. I want to give it another try and see if I can land a job because coding has been one of the few things I can actually see myself doing long-term. I'm dedicated and excited, ready to document my process and start again with a more defined goal and better self-talk.

Despite having some knowledge, I do feel like a beginner again since it has been three years. But here is my current action plan.

Step 1 - Setup

I chose VS Code, although I used to use Sublime Text.
signed up for Github, Codepen, and Freecodecamp.
got a dev.to account (obviously)
I got a Pomodoro app: I will be using this method during my learning because I tend to either keep reading and studying or get distracted because my brain believes it needs a break when only five minutes of focus time have passed.

Step 2 - Refresh

I will take the courses on Freecodecamp since I do want to get the certification and believe this guidance is better than shooting in the dark.
My goal is a frontend developer position, so I chose the courses Responsive Web Design, Front End Development Libraries, and JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures for now.

Step 3 - Reflect and document

I will keep an eye on my progress by comparing my work to my previous work only and not to what others accomplish.
I plan to spend about 30 minutes per day to journal and reflect on the day before.
I'll share my learnings, successes, and struggles because maybe YOU are going through something very similar right now.

Photo by Gia Oris on Unsplash

DEV Community: Maik

Getting back to coding - 2 weeks later

Getting back to coding in 2023