Bootcamp End of Week 3 reflection
My idea was to create a blog that was purely focused on the technical side of my journey at Makers Academy. However, the third week of the bootcamp has just finished and I feel like I need to take a personal approach this once.
Makers has, indeed, a really well-thought and structured curriculum, and also a great pair-programming system which seems to be working really well. Nonetheless, what has truly amazed me is the atmosphere that they manage to create and how that, I believe, fosters learning. Feedback and communication are paramount and practically prioritised over every single coding concept, which surprised me at first, I have to admit.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been reflecting upon several ideas that I believe are key to succeed at any bootcamp. I would like to highlight some of them:
Stop for a moment and congratulate yourself
Sometimes we get so absorbed in our daily grind that we forget to stop for a few minutes and think about our achievements. When you are taking part in a bootcamp, you have to assimilate a great amount of information and input on a daily basis.
You may wrongly think that you are not focusing enough on what you have done wrong, and that, if you fail to do so, you will not succeed. The truth is, paying also attention to what you do well will allow you to pave a smoother road and set yourself in a better frame of mind and be ready for what you can not do that well.
Also, by appreciating what we do the right way, we are building up our confidence, which will trigger the well-known ripple effect that will make us better learners. So, please, do not forget to stop, even if it is for a few seconds, and congratulate yourself for what you have done well, no matter how important you think that thing is.
Stop because you need to, not because you want to
You: “Wow! It took me only one minute to set it up and this method is almost returning what I want it to return! I feel so close…”
Two hours later…
You: “What am I even trying to do with my method?”
There is an important lesson to learn here: you need to take regular breaks. If you are stubborn, self-demanding and somehow perfectionist, like I am, you will have to fight that inborn impulse that asks you to stay seated because you “almost finished it”.
Just go grab some water, go for a quick walk, call your friend… Just take a short break at least every hour, this allows you to refocus.
This is something I struggle with sometimes and I am trying to become better at it following the example of some of my colleagues.
Be kind to yourself
Chances are this is not the first time you come across the following quote:
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Ian Maclaren.
Sometimes I think about how easy it is for many of us to be nice with the rest of the people, and how at the same time we forget to be kind to ourselves and to address our needs. I believe this is a deadly sin.
We prefer, for example, not to ask for help even if we really need it because doing it would mean changing the status quo or, maybe, because we are too ashamed to recognise that we are not perfect and that we need to rely on others sometimes. This is a distressing paradox: we assume we do not need anything from anyone while, at the same time, we are willing to help anyone, anytime.
If you want to truly succeed at Makers, you definitely have to ask for help when you need it. Do not be so proud or ashamed not to do so.
Do not take things personally
Try and make your ego smaller. Feedback is incredibly powerful and necessary as a tool to grow, both personally and as a coder.
Not everyone is going to have a perfect day every day. Pressure, anxiety, sleep deprivation, stress, distractions… all of these come into play for many reasons. And even though we should train our bodies and minds to minimise the effects, we are human and there are simply some things that we are unable to control.
This is why communication is key. All of us will have such days.
Never compare yourself (or your code) to others
I am constantly being reminded of something that I had probably forgotten. One of the reasons I moved to London almost three years ago was to live new experiences and become a better version of myself.
For a while, I indeed experienced a lot of them in a relatively short amount of time, until I fell prey to the daily grind where all days look the same. If you combine this with a not-so-good weather and the stress of a big city, you can see yourself drowning in a toxic cocktail.
At Makers, there is no day like other, and even though you may think: “But it only lasts 12 weeks, what can you possible change in that time?” My answer is: a lot.
You do yourself a favor if you do not compare yourself to others. This would not allow you to become the best version of yourself. We all go through different stages at different times in life. The intensity we experience things with is also different.
If you tend to be rather reserved most of the time when it comes to opening up and expressing your feelings, and if you love coding, Makers Academy is probably a place for you. You will probably grow as a coder and as a person. Or, worst-case scenario, you may find that some feelings will awake within you. My feeling is I will start wondering how I want to spend my own time in the future.
One of the things I am finding truly amazing is the enabling environment created in the group sessions, which allows you to overcome your feelings of insecurity. Probably for this reason alone, I know that Makers Academy is, and will be, totally worth it for me.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s post and feel free to drop a comment if you felt related to it somehow or have any questions, I would be glad to get back to you.
As usual, do not forget to follow me. Also claps are much appreciated.
