The Coding Bootcamp Experience - Impressions and Reflections
Inspired by the endless possibilities that the technology industry had to offer and looking for a change in direction, in August 2018 I decided to attend the Coder Academy Fast-track boot camp located in Sydney, Australia.
The first orientation day introduced me to my new classmates, or more appropriately, my new colleagues. Our cohort comprised of people from all walks of life and from different countries around the world, from Russia and Canada, to Nepal and Mexico. Each had their own unique stories to tell and life experiences to share, but had gathered here in unison with one singular focus — to become web developers by the end of the 6 month boot camp.
Right from the get-go, we were exposed to the tools that are essential for any web developer. Our first week focused on familiarising ourselves with the command line terminal — the interface in which the. To those that are unfamiliar with the terminal it may seem intimidating, with it’s cryptic phrases and terms making it seem difficult to understand much less utilise.
However, it’s importance is undeniable. It is the most basic part of a developers toolkit and allows for basic work such as running programs and creating files seamlessly. Once you can manage to work your way through the terminal and further explore it’s functionality, it will become the trusty screwdriver inside the developer toolkit.
Next on our list to get to know up close and personal was Git/Github. Before the bootcamp I had tried to understand what they are and why it was so essential to software development, but looking at the home pages for Git and Github as well as YouTube video explanations made me somewhat more confused. Terms like “repository” and “pull-request” may as well have been in a foreign language for me when I first encountered them.
It wasn’t until a great explanation from our educator/advisor Saad that it became quite clear why. Git is a piece of software which essentially lets people access a central chunk of what is usually code, and make alterations to it without stepping without interfering with each other. All of these processes are confined to the local machine in which Git is being used. To showcase the projects which use git to the world, GitHub is the most popular website that is being used. Git/Github work hand in hand to foster collaboration because it is open-source, whilst also allowing a glimpse into the hard work of code behind an intricate project.
Our first foray into actual programming with a language came with Ruby. Within less than two weeks, we were taught core topics such as data structures, methods, objects and classes which make up fundamental programming concepts. Within less than two weeks I went from writing simple Ruby syntax to making terminal apps such as a banking simulator and simple trivia game. Although admittedly I still require reinforcement in my knowledge in the aforementioned concepts, I will strive to learn something new everyday.
As I’ve recalled so far, the learning process has been intensive. Whether it be something like the self concept in Ruby or Rspec, there is something that will leave me thinking — what is going on? The feelings of not understanding something immediately can be somewhat distressing, and can lead to self-doubt (It could also lead you down the stack-overflow rabbit-hole).
Aside from the emphasis on the technical side of web development, Coder Academy have also highlighted the importance the mental aspect of what it takes to be a successful developer — an underrated and often neglected part.
Reflecting on the advice bestowed by our mentors and educators, it is important to adopt certain attitudes in order to accelerate learning and personal development. The fixed-mindset vs growth-mindset debate was touched upon as one of they key features of determining an individual’s potential success.
Throughout most of my life, I have somewhat always had an outsider’s perspective of a fixed-mindset — the belief that an individual’s success is predefined by their natural talent and ability.
Perhaps a deviation from this outlook is in store for me. Rather than focusing on how good other people are, I should focus on being the best version that I can be. By adopting a growth-mindset — one in which your abilities can be developed through hard work, good strategy, and input from others, eventually as I hope, the feelings of self-doubt will dissipate and allow me to become the best developer I can be.
Tune in to this space for any cool and interesting developments in my coding bootcamp journey!
For more info on Coder Academy: https://coderacademy.edu.au/fast-track