How I demonstrated a Growth Mindset recently

kimenyikevin — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 14:22:34 +0000

Hello! I am Kevin KIMENYI. I am from Rwanda and I am currently studying at the University of Rwanda/Nyarugenge campus. My personal interests are mostly digital designing. I also like to paint on canvas when I am free. However, I spend most of my free time designing using software like Photoshop, Microsoft Design(Publisher), etc. Furthermore, like many students, I like listening to music and watch movies.

To begin with, growing enthusiasm for hard work and determination aiming for success was not a short process for me as I am going to discuss. Before applying for Andela’s Program, my work as a student on holidays was only designing and going out with friends as well as other fun activities. Luckily, these holidays are not going to be the same. When I first heard of Andela, I made a detailed research about the company and decided to put design and so much fun aside for a while and start a serious coding career. For that very reason, I decided to apply without delay.

I am studying Software Engineering but my coding experience is pretty narrow. I have never done serious projects. As soon as I got an E-mail to attend Andela’s Bootcamp, I started working hard as if I was learning starting from scratch. I got to work on a project called Free Mentor Project, and the first challenge is to make User Interface (UI) with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. My experience to make UI is not very impressive but I am pretty sure I am good enough to make good UI as I am familiar with designing.

The above project is not entirely programming related because the instructions says to make good UI that will be able to work in all devices, and also use GIT WorkFlow along with Github. Honestly, it was my first time to hear about responsiveness. For the first time, I made a homepage for UI. When I felt like I was done, one of my colleagues challenged me with reducing browser, then I realised that all my contents were not in a clear arrangement. This issue was so hard for me to fix. I started taking tutorials like I did not have any knowledge of CSS. I also started to work hard, wake up a little bit earlier and sleep later. With this strategy, I was able to fulfil my task. Imagine how I was able to learn CSS, HTML, JavaScript and also make the assigned project in three weeks.

Finally, I started making some functionality platforms for the first time in my life. The second challenge was to make APIs for challenge one. I started building a project in JavaScript by using Nodejs Technically. I like to learn a new thing by doing it in action. That is why I took a step to build instead of taking a long-time learning JavaScript and Nodejs. I thought it would take me like a year to be able to work on a project. But when I started to learn and put in action, it was possible to think logically on how a task can be implemented and also make research on how to do it technically.

To some up, Using Git and Github was for my first time. I tried my best to work with it while continuing learning. The two challenges I got for these last two weeks made me

My Experience working on Andela's-Kigali-Cycle-10 challenge one Until now

kimenyikevin — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:29:24 +0000

Hello! I'm Kevin Kimenyi. I heard Andela Last year August 2018, when Company first launched in Rwanda. I was a student at the University of Rwanda/Nyarugenge Campus in Computer and Software Engineering until now. I didn't Apply that time because I was out of Kigali, it was hard for me to get the internet. Most people don't know information on working on Andela's challenge, that why I decide to share with you some experience working on the challenge in Andela's Kigali in Rwanda.

First, let's look at the structure of the Challenge I'm working on still continue until on 16th, September 2019.
My application started at the end of June 2019. on 6th, July 2019 I received the first E-mail to study HomeStudy Curriculum provided by Andela and also got a link to start the Javascript challenge That was the first challenge I got from Andela and also was my first time working on javascript. you think how is my first time when I am a student in faculty of computer and software Engineering, yeah you are right but most time I got the assignments in other programming languages and also it was the first time I got worker need me to make a lot of research, I started working on it without any knowledge about Javascript programming language. believe me, for the first time I kicked out a challenge and got another E-mail to continue to other Andela's-Kigali-cycle-10 challenges. another challenge was to work on a simple program and multiple choose. this challenge took me 6hours on machine only working on a challenge. it was hard right? for me, it was simply because I want to get on my way and also fulfill my dream. I believe my journey with Andela will make me become a senior developer.

So, let continue with another challenge I got that helped me to pass an interview. I got an E-mail to contain two challenge, one for making a simple calculator in javascript and other was to make palindrome of string (palindrome means to take a word and make the reverse of its characters after continue to look like before for example: omo). So, I choose to work on a simple calculator. I didn't have an idea of how to start, it took me two days for first to perform one operator but I after it was very very simple, to become developer doesn't mean to know all programming languages, all you need is to start and work hard if it doesn't work try again until you find out. After I performed one functionality others became simple it took me a few hours to finish all a calculator. other thing was to choose time for an interview I picked the first one because I want to make it fast.

My Lord helped a lot I passed an interview that was part I feared a lot and I believe my Lord will continue to be with me on my path. finally, I got an e-mail to invite me to the Bootcamp. the project is to make Free-Mentor, the first task on this project is to make UI(user interface) and the rest is for their functionality(API). To start UI was hard for me because I was not familiar with HTML and CSS. to make Homepage took me 3days to make it responsiveness for all device but when I finally made it, others were so easy as I told before to start is hard but when you figure out. programming is very good to do it. when I was working on UI I meet with some problems because it was my first time using GIT and GITHUB. but I tried to use some tutorials and also ask friends for help. Now I can integrate working my project with GIT and GITHUB.

That's it. As I told to start is hard but when you get into filled it is simple, all you need is to work hard and hard when it doesn't work try again and again.
For me, I reduced the time to sleep and increase my time to work. Thanks for reading the all story

DEV Community: kimenyikevin

How I demonstrated a Growth Mindset recently

My Experience working on Andela's-Kigali-Cycle-10 challenge one Until now