Launch School for speedy learners
If you’re anything like me, you passed college classes and coding bootcamps on the fly, getting passing scores without spending long hours studying as most people do. I’ve met a few of us, speedy learners. We enjoy multiple-choice exams and quizzes, especially open-book ones where we can Ctrl-F any answer within milliseconds. Smart. Efficient. Lazy. In December 2022, I decided to get help finding a remote developer position ASAP, for free, because I got no money. After earning a graphic design degree, and completing self-paced coding curriculums 10 times faster than average, I thought I’d fly through Launch School the same way. Nope. Right from the get-go, before I was admitted to the core curriculum, Chris pointed out my weak points: inattention to details, inexperience with a long-term focus, and a lack of problem-solving process. “There will be times when you won’t be able to solve a problem in your head.” said Chris, responding to my “I just get it.”
Now, 34 days after starting JS101, I am 120 hours into the curriculum (including orientation hour logs). I barely passed both written and oral exams, falling behind the track to Capstone Project with my miserable A-. If I had lost 3 more points, it would have meant a failing grade. It’s like being millimeters away from dropping down into a canyon after you stepped to the next plank of the rope bridge while shaking and clinging to the shaky rails. Devastating. Intense. Exhilarating. I want to do it again!
Here are three things I learned in this small step.
One. Slow is fast. Take breaks. Do exercises. Go slow. Let things sink in. Sleep well. Drink water. Get distracted — not for too long, though, that you get booted off the program. Read #motivation slack channel. Come back to learning. Keep the fire going. Hour logs help.
Two. Be as pessimistic as possible, but do it anyway. Anxiety is a catalyst for performance. Let me correct it — a proper amount of anxiety — helps boost performance. The sharp, adrenalin type of focus helps you be aware of your body and environment, and creates an emotional attachment to the information you learn; for the next time you’re running for your life, per se. Read Psych by Judd Biasiotto for more on performance boosts.
Three. I don’t know what I don’t know. Follow the process, run with study buddies, attend workshops, and ask awesome questions to the slack community. These have been of utmost help to test what I don’t know. Feedback from exams helped me focus and fulfill my weaknesses. That’s not the best time to test it, hehe, so I advise using the first three first.
Never thought that becoming a developer is such a dangerous adventure. Onwards, to the next plank.
Read more about Launch School at https://medium.com/launch-school
