Where I Was:
My introduction to coding started during my freshman year in high school. I, needing to take an elective, decided that an Intro to C++ class would be a resourceful use of that empty slot. I wanted to know more about coding, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that the class captivated me. I did well but didn’t really retain much information. The only two pieces of syntax I remember are cout << and cin >>.
Fast forwarding to my junior year, I decided that since Intro to C++ went well, I might as well take AP Computer Science. The class was taught in Java, and I retained a little more information from that class than Intro to C++, but I still wasn’t really passionate about coding. The teacher was fresh out of college, and as a result, our class of 8 didn’t do too well on the AP exams. After performing horribly, I believed that pursuing a career in Computer Science wasn’t in the cards for me. I really like the idea of becoming a veterinarian, but on the advice of my high school Calculus teacher, I decided to major in something more math-y. I ended up graduating with my degrees in Finance and Math in 2019.
Prior to graduating, I took one more Computer Science class, Intro to Computer Science (aka CS 111). The class was also taught in Java, and I still had a pretty good grasp of the language, so it was a relatively easy elective to knock out. I figured that I would take it to fulfill a requirement, then never have to deal with anything super technical again.
I like my job now, but the learning has grown stagnant. I’ve always been a curious person, always wanting to seek more knowledge. I get bored easily. I want a career where the pool of knowledge is vast and the field is growing. I’ve always been a believer in constantly improving, and not many fields are still growing today. As I was searching for new career opportunities, my relationship with coding rekindled. I knew there was much to learn as a Software Engineer, and the field is just getting started. After thorough research and deliberation, I made the decision to commit to FlatIron.
Where I’m Now:
After a few months, I learned a lot. However, the Dunning-Kruger curve hit me like a ton of bricks. For those who are unaware, the Dunning-Kruger curve depicts Confidence vs Competence when learning a new skill.
When you first start, you learn the easy parts. You breeze through them, and your confidence is at an all-time high. This was me during the first few weeks of the boot camp. I had a solid understanding of variables, arrays, and functions, so I believed that learning everything there is to know about Software Engineering would be a piece of cake. After these first few weeks, I started encountering concepts I wasn’t aware of. HTML and CSS were harder to grasp for me than Javascript given my background in Java, and even now, I’m far from an expert. The DOM made no sense, interactivity with web pages was confusing, and communicating with servers went right through my skull. I haven’t really had to critically think in some time, so having to force myself to learn how to learn was humbling. Soon enough, I found myself in the “Valley of Despair”.
I kept trying, failing, and trying again. Finally, the concepts started to click, and once I started coding more, I started to understand the benefits of DOM Manipulation, the usefulness of event listeners, and how to give/get information to/from a server. I’ve heard the word “API” many times in the past but never knew what it meant. To finally understand how they work, and to implement them into my own code was such an uplifting feeling.
I’m still near the bottom of the valley, though. I’ve climbed up the curve a little, but I know how much there is left to learn. The difference, though, is my mindset. I’ve always been curious and eager to learn, but jumping into something new is terrifying. I’ve finally embraced that fear, and have shifted my mentality into tackling problems head-on. I know there is much to learn before I get to that Slope of Enlightenment, but I look forward to struggling my entire way up there.
Where I Want to Be:
Within the next few months, I don’t expect much to change. I’ll learn a little more for sure, but that’s not why I signed up for the boot camp. I joined this program as a way to make me struggle. I know that this program is well-designed, and will definitely help prepare me for my future career as a Software Engineer. However, there’s only so much that can be taught in 40–60 weeks.
I want to be someone who constantly learns and approaches difficult problems with eagerness. I’ve grown to love comfort, and I hate that. In terms of coding, I want to be more competent, for sure, but more than anything, in terms of life, I want to be someone who embraces struggle.