Mama We Made it!!!
Journey so far…
This journey started on the 17th of April 2015 7:29 PM. I got back from work that day and re-stumbled on the Andela Ad on my Facebook timeline. I called my friend Sanni Yëttïë to ask her a few questions about it and all.
I started the registration process the next day being a saturday, did the Plum test and even started General Assembly and Codecademy. Then the decision to quit my job came and I just ran from it all.
Fast forward to the SheLovesCode event at Amity one month down the line. I attended just to fulfill all righteousness ‘cause Sanni Yëttïë had invited me and maybe because I wanted to know a little more about Andela. It was really enlightening and it was there and then I decided I was going to go for it. I put in my second application that day. I did the Plum test, the homestudy test and the interview, Voila!!! BOOTCAMP CLASS X.
When I got the mail to come for the bootcamp, I took a big risk and quit my job on the 26th of June 2015*crying inside, but smiling outside*. The bootcamp started on the 6th of July 2015 and I met a lot of peeps and then I knew I was in for it.
I was surrounded by extreme geeks and I had just a little idea of programming. The fear and panic started when I found out that some people will be dropped after the first week of the two week bootcamp. I was so naive that I didn’t know what an argument or a parameter was.
At the end of the first week I was dropped and I cried my eyes out even though I was expecting it because I had never failed in anything before. It was my first time failing. Considering that I quit my job for this. It hurt a thousand times.
I immediately applied for the next class and got through to the interview level and guess what? I made it? NO!!! I didn’t! Another round of tears. I almost gave up. Decided not to apply again but go and get better and come with a bang!!! I had made some friends at Andela so I decided to ask some of them to mentor me. So the second part of the journey started.
Along the line I got tired and wanted to just let it all go. But my friends from bootcamp and some of the fellows kept encouraging me(Amodu Temitope, Sanni Yëttïë, Falade Mayowa, the list goes on). I got official and unofficial mentors. Then I was part of the SheLovesCode initiative to get more female developers into Andela.
I finally re-applied for the fourth time and I made up my mind that if I didn’t get in this time that was it. The mentorship/ SheLovesCode initiative went on from August till January. I got to the interview stage and was so scared that I was gonna blow it, but Voila! I made it.
BOOTCAMP *I lost count of the class*
I got to Herbert Macaulay on Monday 15th of February 2016 to meet 62 other prospective fellows and I was really scared at first but I told myself I could do it. And it started. You can read about my first day here. I was put in the Ruby class.
Fast forward to the end of the first week… The tension was so visible in the air, I was praying all weekend not to get the negative response. When the mail came, I couldn’t check it by myself. I told my friend to read the mail and tell me the content.
It was the positive response, I was relieved but it meant more work. So it was time to buckle up and boy did I buckle up? The second week went by with it’s own challenges and we were told we will get our verdict within the following week.
VERDICT!!!
On the 2nd of March 2016, I was on my way home having Gala in the bus when I saw a mail from “The Recruitment Team”. I lost my appetite immediately and I opened the mail…*crickets*
I GOT IN!!!!! I’M NOW AN ANDELA FELLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So what do I have to say after all that story?*Whew* It pays to be persistent. If you want something go for it till you get it. A lot of things will come up to discourage and frustrate you but you gotta stay strong for no one but yourself.
And on that note, I’d like to say thank you to all my official and unofficial mentors : Falade Mayowa, Jumoke, Prosper Otemuyiwa, Idowu John Abimbola, Susan Adelokiki, Olatoyosi , to mention a few. And My friends who stood by me and encouraged me :Sanni Yëttïë, Amodu Temitope, Olaide Agboola, Rukky(sorry I don’t have your handle), Kosisochukwu Anyanwu, Blessing Orazulume, Durotola Tomiwa and list goes on. My external ginger, My parents,Lara, Jenny, Courage and Olaitan Abbas. Thank you very much
THIS IS ANDELA #TIA!!!
Bye….
Lovelyn
