The latest articles on DEV Community by Judy Kagia (@judy_kagia_b0614d39216209). https://dev.to/judy_kagia_b0614d39216209 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F2139666%2Fa8d8995e-605e-438f-bcb8-9a6e5a8095f4.jpg https://dev.to/judy_kagia_b0614d39216209 en Judy Kagia Thu, 02 Jan 2025 18:09:18 +0000 https://dev.to/judy_kagia_b0614d39216209/retroing-and-debugging-2024-56d1 https://dev.to/judy_kagia_b0614d39216209/retroing-and-debugging-2024-56d1 <p>Wow, what a ride 2024 has been! Looking back, it feels like a whirlwind of lessons, late nights, and a lot of "ah-ha" moments. Let's rewind a bit. 2023 was my year of campus freedom. I graduated with a Bachelor's in IT (cue the applause) and thought, "Okay, now it's time to figure this life thing out." Enter academic writing—my unexpected side hustle turned full-time gig. At first, it felt great: the money flowed, deadlines were manageable, and I lived that freelance dream. But somewhere along the way, I lost sight of the bigger picture. My IT degree was collecting dust while I became a pro at APA formatting and citing obscure sources. Fast forward to early 2024, and it hit me: I need to get back on track. Cue the software development boot camp—a six-month crash course in everything I thought I knew but didn't. It was a grind, but man, was it worth it. I went from fumbling with code to building some genuinely cool projects that made me think, "Wait, I can actually do this for a living." But it wasn't all sunshine and clean code. Imposter syndrome decided to be my annoying co-pilot for most of the journey. There were days I stared at a blank screen and thought, “What am I doing here?” Debugging felt like solving riddles in the dark, and let's not even talk about the nights when nothing worked, and I wanted to meet my laptop across the room. But every struggle came with a lesson, and honestly? Those challenges built resilience—and a killer GitHub repo.<br> Reflecting on that year, I've realized that taking a detour isn't the end of the world. Sometimes, it's the scenic route that teaches you the most. It's January 2nd, 2025, and I can't help but feel excited about what's ahead. The plan? Land a tech role that lets me grow and push boundaries while still carving out time to build personal projects that excite me. I'm stepping into 2025 with a solid foundation, a clear vision, and the confidence that no challenge is too big to tackle. Let's make this year unforgettable! </p> devchallenge newyearchallenge career