Crossing the Rubicon (2)
In the first part of this series, I talked about my experience so far at the Andela Bootcamp Cycle XXV. Yes, I was able to cross the first stage of the Rubicon and I’m looking forward to subsequently being a fellow. Thank you Andela.
In this second part of the series, I will be talking about the challenges I faced since the start of the Bootcamp and how I was able to adapt.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS:
Being a software developer for 6 years and having developed several clients and personal projects, the bootcamp was the first place I will be hearing about some productivity and project management tools. As always with learning new technologies, It was challenging understanding how to use it. But after making mistakes, reading tutorials online and being put through by fellow bootcampers, I was able to have a good understanding of their usage.
Thanks to Victoria for not giving up on us when we made those mistakes.
JAVASCRIPT ES6:
While I’m not new to programming generally, the bootcamp was the first place I will be hearing about Javascript ES6. Within two weeks, we are expected to have developed a bespoke application where users can borrow books, an online library sort of, using Javascript ES6 syntax. So how do I go about this and not get left behind?
So the first thing I did was to read about the best practices and get familiar with the syntax; I do this often when learning a new language. At first, it was a bit challenging because there are other tasks left behind unattended to.
Being the first time of using Javascript ES6, it was more challenging debugging my application whenever I encounter a bug. At a time, I had spent over 8 hours debugging a bug. It was really frustrating, trust me.
TEAMWORK:
Have you ever noticed the level of teamwork displayed by American Soldiers whenever you watch Hollywood movies? They move in formation; the first team member, who’s of higher rank, directs the other team members to take position. Then the last team member watch the back of others while those in front cover up for those behind. Not only in movies, it happens in real life too.
One of the most important soft skill I learnt at the bootcamp is Collaboration and team cohesion. The bootcamp has helped me learn how to collaborate with others and get comfortable with being asked questions.
Prior to now, I’ve always executed projects all by myself. This is not because I don’t possess the skill to work in a team but because I always like to think I’m a perfectionist and I can only deliver what I want. Collaboration has not only helped me get the job done but it has also helped me interact with others and share ideas.
CONCLUSION:
From posting daily standups, writing tests for each tasks, among others. The bootcamp has been challenging, tasking and fun; at some point.
As I will always say, challenges are not a curse, they are phases that makes us a better person.
When you are given a task you perceive to be very difficult/hard, don’t fret! Take your time, break it down into bits and you will see that it’s actually easy to execute.
This is just the beginning of the second stage. I look forward to better and challenging days ahead.
