A Day In The Life of A Coding Bootcamp Student
It’s a testament to how intense my course has been that, although I intended to blog weekly throughout the process, this is the first post I’ve made since starting the course nine weeks ago. Here is what a typical day looks like.
A Typical Day
(when I don’t have an assessment due)
6:25AM
I snooze my first alarm.
6:30AM
I snooze my second alarm.
6:45AM
Sometimes I snooze my third alarm and sometimes I get out of bed. The closer it gets to winter, the more likely I am to snooze this one too.
7:00AM
This is when I definitely get out of bed. I rush around, eat some breakfast and head out the door before 7:30AM to catch my 7:48AM train.
I live just over an hour away from Melbourne, where my campus is located. While some other student are surprised at how long my travel time is, most days I’m able to get a seat on the train so I can to study and code during my commute. My two-and-a-half hour travel time every day means I’m able to study in transit and relax or do personal projects when I get home.
9:00AM
By the time I get to class there is only one or two other people there. Getting to class an hour early gives me a chance to relax and mentally prepare for the day, as well as complete our ~morning coding challenge~. I also get the opportunity to work on some personal projects in an environment where I can troubleshoot any issues with others.
10:00AM
Our class starts for the day. Usually we do a quick rundown of the topics we will cover, then we get straight in to coding. We often cover new topics in the morning and spend the rest of the day reinforcing what we’ve learned through code-alongs and challenges.
11:30AM
We are gifted a 15 minute break before our brains explode.
12:30PM
Everybody starts lagging. It seems like every second until our lunch break at 1:00PM is five minutes long. Despair begins to set in.
1:00PM
Lunch! Our class of 35 breaks off in to smaller groups — some of us go out to eat every day, some of us bring lunch and eat as a group in the kitchen. It’s not unusual to see those who finish lunch early back in the classroom at their laptop.
2:00PM
The battle for knowledge begins again. If the topic we covered in the morning was large and in-depth, we will continue with challenges for the rest of the day. If it seems like the class has a good grasp on the topics covered then we will begin a new topic.
3:30PM
Another break. Sometimes I fall asleep in class before this break. This is the 3:30PM coffee break that we all need. If we are lucky enough to break early, we can get happy hour coffees downstairs for $2.50 instead of $4.
5:00PM
We did it. We survived another day.
Many students hang around after class and continue to study. Others will stay behind and socialise for a while before heading off to one of the many tech meetups in Melbourne. Our teachers encourage students to attend meetups regularly, which frankly as an introvert is daunting. Having said that, I have forced myself to attend a few meetups solo and it has been a great experience. Plus free stickers.
A Typical Day
(when I do have an assessment due)
12:00AM
It’s already tomorrow and I really need to get some sleep but I also really need to get this one thing working.
1:43AM
Another coffee break.
3:00AM
This is my self-imposed bedtime. No matter how much work I need to get done or how behind I schedule I am, I make myself go to bed when the clock hits 3AM. A study released by the University of California suggests that REM sleep helps your brain make new connections between unrelated ideas. This means that you are able to reach new solutions that you may not have otherwise considered. Sleep is important, guys.
6:25AM
I definitely don’t snooze this alarm. A healthy breakfast (or sometimes a sausage roll on my way to the train station) gives me enough brain fuel to get through the first few hours of the day.
10:00AM
“Class” starts, which really just means that our teacher and two teaching assistants are in the classroom. During days when we are working on an assessment we regulate our own break times. Some people arrive to class late. Some arrive an hour early but won’t be seen all day once they’ve found a quiet place in the building to work.
1:00PM — 3:00PM
Lunch at some point during this time if we need a mental break. Often either quickly bought and eaten when back sitting in front of a laptop, or skipped entirely.
Our class slowly descends into madness thanks to sleep deprivation and copious amounts of caffine. Group acapella sing-alongs of Hamilton, The Lion King and Mulan often feature - as well as the occasional Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf or Just Do It reference.
5:00PM
Class is technically over. Sometimes the teachers leave. Sometimes they are kind enough to hang around afterwards and continue helping students work through their issues (and their code). Most students stay behind and keep working.
6:00PM — 9:00PM
Occasionally we go out for dinner. Often we’re too busy.
9:00PM ONWARDS
Our campus building closes. We get kicked out. Some students find a Starbucks and continue working until the early hours of the morning. I go home and continue working until the early hours of the morning, but in the comfort of my own home instead.
Rinse and repeat.
