Hack Reactor Remote Week 1
Week 1 of hack reactor remote was in one word, intense. From day one, the intention was made clear. Hack Reactor’s goal is to make us autonomous engineers who can tackle any challenges thrown at us. We were going to learn how to learn.
In a week, we went over intermediate concepts such as recursion, javascript higher order functions and classes, and data structures. After viewing lectures that clearly explain how each of the primary data structures such as hash tables and binary search trees work, we were able to implement them in javascript using our understanding of the concepts.
You may or may not ask how all of this is possible in just the first week. My answer to that would be that hack reactor requires students to have a solid foundation in javascript before starting the program. Hack reactor advertises itself as a not a “0–60” course, but a “20–120” course. Thus, by not having to worry about syntax, we are able to put all our focus into harder concepts.
Besides learning programming concepts, we also had to start using tools that are commonly used in the industry. These include tools for version control, real-time code collaboration, debugging, and unit testing. Technical blogging is another practice we are advised to partake in. Apparently, many students have gotten jobs because of their blogs. That may or may not be the reason I am writing this post.
The biggest takeaway I had from this week is the importance of pair programming. Students are required to work with a partner to solve problems in the 2 day sprints. I’ve had 2 partners so far and both were awesome people (like myself). This has allowed me to see different ways one may approach a problem, and help me practice articulating my thought process when writing code. This, i hear is an essential skill to have in the industry. But mostly importantly, I made 2 incredible friends. Can’t wait to make more!
At the start of this post, I used the word ‘intense’ to describe the first week. But if I had to use one word that depicts the experience, ‘fun’ stands out. Despite being online, Hack reactor remote can be a very social experience. The program has activities built into it, aimed at building a community. 11 hours a day, 6 days a week. I did not feel bored at any moment. Similar to living on campus in college, you just have to make the most of your opportunities!
Feel free to leave any comments or reach out to me if you have any questions!
