Winston Kamau
Jul 25, 2017 · 2 min read

The New Me!

Applying to Andela has been a bumpy journey, with many hills and valleys on the way. Challenges were quite many, but in this blog I just center on the ones that had the biggest impact and required me to adapt tremendously.

I applied to Andela with little background in programming, and from the start it has been a race of catching up. When starting a new task, almost all requirements needed to accomplish it were new to me. I had to practically start form zero, at times even having to first learn the language I was going to use before implementing the task. This required a lot from me, I had to use my time wisely, change my attitude and believe that learning new programming languages over a short period of time was possible. It required total focus and determination to pull through and learn in record time, to at least catch up with my colleagues. From this experience I have definitely learned how to be a fast learner. I realized that anything is possible and that our abilities can produce much if we are passionate enough to follow through.

The second thing has been the art of collaboration. At many times I have found myself meeting blockers or challenges that end up taking too much of my time in trying to solve them. In some instances I found my program not working, other times I was not able to figure out what was required of me in a particular task. The frustration that these situations came with, had its own advantages. I found myself mastering the courage to go ask my peers how they solved a particular problem. More often than not, a first reply would not lead to a solution and so I’d find myself asking plenty of my peers how they solved a particular issue. With luck and effort I got my right answer and I was good to go, issue solved! The same thing also happened to me, other peers came to ask me on issues they needed solved. The experience has practically taught me that no man is an island, and one man sharpens another. It has been an automatic adaptation that I found myself engaging more with my peers.

The last item I believe that has helped me during the whole Andela journey has been adapting a growth mindset. Keeping my mind and will in check and learning that this is an opportunity to grow has been an essential asset in my journey this far. I have used all opportunities in whatever way possible to learn as much as I can in such a short time, and it has required me to develop a mind that never gives up and is committed to ensure that it accomplishes its goals. The best thing I have to say is that the process has made me new and a “better new” than I was before.