My TIIDELab Experience 1.0

This is an article about my one-month journey as a fellow at TIIDELab, it has been really interesting and challenging.

My journey to self-reliance began on 7th July, 2020. I am a product of second chance, you’ll understand as you read on

I decided to go into software development in March 2020, with the self-taught path of learning, Codecademy, and free code camp were my resort because that is the only option I had at the time. I applied for TIIDElab cohort 2 fellowship but unfortunately, I was not admitted, I continued my self-learning journey but my growth has been inconsistent. After the first failed attempt at TIIDELab, I signed up for the TIIDELab newsletter and I received a mail calling for application into Cohort 3 fellowship, You know the feeling right! Opportunity presenting itself again I didn't waste any time applying and I also began preparations for the aptitude test stage, but guess what? I FAILED the test again, surprising right? I felt really bad and thought that will be the end of the journey yet again. Hold up!! Drum rolls…. I miraculously got a mail saying that I should proceed to the next stage of the interview, then to the next and the next.. amazing right? in a short while. Remember earlier I said I was a product of second chance so here goes my story I received a mail to come for my in-person interview scheduled on 26th June 2021, I missed the interview because I had an excruciating toothache that almost led to tooth extraction, arghh!! later that night I got a mail saying “Sorry Your journey has ended and you were not given a slot……” It was a rollercoaster of emotions for me that day. But here is the deal breaker I TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH!! yes, I did. I had this, I would say a bad habit of not replying to emails, I mostly read keep important ones and trash unimportant ones but that day I thought it wise to reply to the email that was sent to me from Tiidelab, well, I did just that, in the l mail, I appreciated Tiidelab for the opportunity to participate, explained the reasons I missed the interview and shew interest to participate in the next cohort. One fateful Sunday 30th June 2021, I got a call from the Program Coordinator Mr. Shamsudeen Aderoju, he said “I went through your message and I felt you should be given another chance, Can we have a virtual interview by 6:00 pm?” I was on my bed when this call came in your need to see the way jumped and shouted for joy, clearly the interview went smoothly, and to cut the long story short, I made it into TIIDELab and I became a cohort 3 fellow, although it did not look real until we did our first meetup where I was given TIIDELab shirt, ID card, and a notebook.

During our first week at TIIDELab we were introduced to a key concept that holds all programming languages which is Data Structures and Algorithm, we learnt quite a few things

1. Properties of an algorithm, features of a good program,
2. Time and space complexity
3. How to write Readable and Scaleable codes
4. Big O notation.

We then proceeded to learn Git & GitHub a version control tool that helps us collaborate easily while working as a team, although I have used Git before, I have been inconsistent this class refreshed my memory and emphasized the importance of using Github as developers. I learnt a lot from Miss. Grace and was able to do new things and understand better Git Github.

In the second week we moved on and was Introduced to Advanced HTML & CSS that was handled by Mr. Solomon Chokor, he started with HTML and CSS fundamentals we learnt about CSS attributes, positioning, animation, transition, pseudo-selectors, responsive web design, etc. all these lessons has helped my HTML & CSS skills, during the two weeks duration of our HTML & CSS class we were asked to build our portfolio site which I did. Guess what I built this from scratch, super amazing right?

TIIDELab made it possible for me to have a portfolio website that was hosted in Netlify and that is really amazing. We also learnt how to write Software Requirement Specification (SRS) Document and Functional Requirement Document (FRD) by Mr. Ibrahim Kehinde. In the coming week, we will be diving deep into Javascript. I can't wait

TIIDELab does not only invest in technical skills s developers they also invest in our soft skills, we are taught how to become problem solvers. Mr. Pishikeni Tukura will always stress the importance and need for us to be software developers that can solve problems and not just developers that can code.

We have our meet-up on Fridays and I always look forward to this day, filled with so many educative and fun activities. Over the past few weeks, we have learnt Team Basics and Forming, Problem Framing and Solving, Organizational skills, Crafting interesting articles in this session the program coordinator Mr. Shamsudeen Aderoju said “ TO sell yourself, it is important to tell stories” this is why I’m trying to make this article engaging as possible, I hope I’m doing a good job at that? we were also taught Complex decision analysis using the PROACT approach and many more we would still learn as the program continues…

We had in our midst very Important guests, on our second physical meet up we had with us Mr. Kadir Salami we had a wonderful session with him he talked about “Four things he wish he knew earlier”

1. Show your work
2. Fear is your friend
3. Find a mentor
4. Develop good communication skills he said that “Communication is the distance between you and everything you want”

In these meetups, we participate in tasks the weekly head of house games and wager task during these challenges we learn collaboration and team building awesome prizes are won also, well, I've won some cool prizes from the group wager task

It is amazing we have done all these things in just a month and we have also been divided into different teams that will work on different projects throughout the program well guess what I’m the group lead, I am a shy person but this responsibility has forced me out of my shell, my teammates are all amazing and supportive, we’re in this together “Till we all win” I must say a Big Thank you to TIIDELab for this privilege. and I am assured that the remaining duration as a fellow of TIIDELab will be more interesting, challenging.

Looking at how I was when I started at TIIDELab and where I am now I can assure you that there has been tangible growth, I am more outspoken, professional, empathetic, and informed. I learn new concepts every day. The thoughts of what it will look like at the end of the program motivate me to keep pushing and I am grateful to be a part of TIIDELab.

I have met a lot of people in TIIDELab, people that are smarter and better than me. I have learnt so much from almost every fellow funny thing is that I have not met some of them especially the Lagos fellow.

This one-month journey would not have been interesting if not for the management of TIIDELab, they have gone the extra mile to see us become self-reliant and a good product at the end of the program. They have done so much for us from the full month data subscription so that you can meet up for all classes and also learn with it and it is very rare to see a fellowship that would give you such, to every other prizes and gift I really do not know the best way to express my gratitude to TIIDELab, but just want to say is a very Big Thank You to the Founder (Mr. Kadir Salami), the sponsors of this great program (ITF, NECA), Ms. Celeste, Mr. Shamsudeen Aderoju(Program Coordinator) our own big brother Mr. Shams, Mr. Pishikeni Tukura with the advises and motivation, the instructors that have taught us so far Mr. Saheed Adepoju, Mr. Farouk Alogba, Miss Grace, Mr. Solomon Chokor and currently Mr. Ibrahim Kehinde. Special thanks to Ayodele Samuel Adebayo aka Uncle Bigbay and Arimoro Olamilekan Ezekiel they are super amazing and to the entireTIIDELab team… Thanks so much!

Thanks for sticking with me and reading all this, be on the look out as I will be sharing more of my experiences as I journey along in TIIDELab.

Second chapter coming soon!!!!!

I would like to connect with you, below are my social media links

linkedIn: Abigael Anyanwu

Github: Chigael

Instagram: abigael.david

Twitter: OmaStar14