Ask me 10 years ago if I'd be writing a blog post on a developer website, and I would have probably wanted some of what you were smoking cause it sounds really good. What is my point? Well life is a journey full of smaller journeys, and last fall (2021) I embarked on an adventure to learn computer programming. It began with a intro to computer science course that sparked my interest. As a result, I joined a bootcamp. I hear plenty of controversy on bootcamps and I honestly couldn't tell you if it was a better option than sticking out 2 to 3 more years of college or learning on my own. Once I weighed out my options, I made the decision to go the bootcamp route. I started my bootcamp in February of this year and I am set to complete in October. We are currently learning React. So far, I have been loving my decision and I have learned so much. I have built full stack web applications through both python and java. I even had the opportunity to participate in a Chainlink hackathon.
Though there have been successes, there have also been plenty of struggles. I experience tons of doubt in myself and sometimes believe I am not capable of any of this. I experienced a lot of fear on whether or not this was a good decision for me and frustration when I can't figure something out or grasp a concept. One of my biggest weaknesses is asking for help from my peers and the community. I understand how important it is to ask for help in this field and it is something I need to work on. Lately, I have been struggling staying proactive and consistent with learning new material.
I write this post because It has been on my heart for some time, I had never written a blog post before and I thought I would try something new. Also, I wanted to reach out to the community to say hello I am here, I exist, I am human. I am over joyed to be apart of this community. If you're reading this and you feel some of the same things I have, I hope you continue to press on in your own journey with software development I am rooting for you!
The meme above describes how I feel most of the time. I either feel overzealous about solving a problem or like a complete idiot for not understanding something. I love it though, I'm grateful to have finally found my passion. Recently, I have been trying to wrap my head around useReducer in React. I read something for my bootcamp about it yesterday and had no idea what I just read. I have found though, that just trying stuff in my code and getting my hands dirty is where I learn the most, especially when It breaks!
Top comments (1)
Glad you are pressing on and congratulations on your first post!
I am self taught after being booted from coding school for failing too many times (lol). I persist out of belief that I can create an amazing learning experience for myself that keeps me hungry for more so I can realize my ideas as my skills progress. The avenues in which you learn development are unique to each person with varying results, in my opinion.
Asking for help is also anathema to me but I think that's because my only experience of collaboration with other developers has been quick one-on-ones with tutors and distracted cohort/accountability groups. This led to me often being pointed in the right direction or given a quick solution without being given the time to fully explore something before moving on, and the constant feeling of still being lost even after asking for help discouraged me from pursuing it.
Ironically, teaching myself has made me more confident in seeking help and answers these days, mainly because I have the space to absorb necessary information and seek detailed explanations from others outside of a classroom environment where there was decent competition for time with tutors and TAs with strict time limits on concepts. I have less pressure which allows me to follow rabbit holes and solidify understanding before moving on.
Development is such an enormous field, and that's both terrifying and beautiful to know you will never understand everything but there's always something new to learn. The sky is the limit, literally. At first you are completely overwhelmed by the mass of information, you feel like you're never going to "know enough", but after a while it becomes comforting; when you specialize and are comfortable with a skillset, you are free to build on that as your imagination desires, and explore more in-depth information connected to what you are already confident in.
I'm currently looking at PKM (personal knowledge management), workflows, and the concept of digital gardens. Ways to organise my note taking and build my own documentation of useful information as I go that stops futile and/or repetitive googling, combing through daunting documentation unnecessarily, and allows my brain to let go of what's been processed so I can learn more without worrying about forgetting (because I will forget and then that fuels the fear that I am dumb lol).
React is my nemesis but I'm hoping to conquer it with my main portfolio project of an e-commerce store. Take your time, play around, and build on what you already understand if you are having a moment where you feel like you don't know enough.