Then
I began this a while ago. It started with my trying to figure out what I wanted to do in my life, what “career” to have, and the pressures from my family. I first came across programming in my Engineering Program where I was learning C++ in my second semester.
I hated everything about it and did the Airbender thing of running away from it.
I tried giving it another shot, by switching to the Video Game program at my university.
The monsters of code followed me around, this time it was Javascript baring its curly semicolons.
After a long while, through the insistence and advice of a friend, he told me to try it again, that if I just got through the scary code id find that I would enjoy it.
I did
and discovered this through learning Python for a month and found my way to Coding Bootcamps to accelerate my entry into this field. The first one I tried out was App academy and its pre-Bootcamp, which cost me all the savings I had then.
Eventually, I found
Perpetual Education.
I came across a link on Reddit to this hour-long video of a guy with a mohawk(?) explaining how to choose a Bootcamp, after a dozen more of his blog posts and videos I was firmly indoctrinated into the way he thought about things, his attitude about the field and used the skills he taught me to choose him.
Also also the idea of being in a mentorship program as an apprentice sounded really cool. I felt like the trope of the blacksmith apprentice, where I smith websites.
Bluesmith?
The interview process was scary, I thought I messed up because of the long radio silence but I managed to get in (woo), got into debt to pay for it(woo) and thus began some of the best time I’ve had in a long long while.
I remember starting this and thinking, that I’ve set up a wonderful year for myself with this, and I was glad because it was one I had set up proactively.
I had doubts in myself and about the possibility of actually getting a job without a degree or a strong work ethic, I decided then that I wouldn't care about later, all that matters is this mentorship itself, and that id commit to it regardless of it leading to a job or not.
This was a mindset had to take because I couldn’t allow myself to overthink myself into feeling hopeless and dejected.
It's been a struggle, it always will I suppose. it helped in calming my mind each time it tells me I won’t make it whenever I would hit a wall.
Instead of going “what’s the point of breaking this wall when there’s a big one at the end” it turned into “its just this wall that’s all, one easy wall designed exactly for the point I’m at”
Now
Well, I’m having a tough time thinking of what to write here since we have done so so much.
the thing I’ve come to appreciate most is the confidence I’ve gained with the skills that we have worked on through our various exercises and projects. It has wonderfully coincided with other life skills I’ve been working on such as cooking and choring.
I’ve gained a greater appreciation and interest in the design side of things, I didn’t even realize that I could be an artistic person.
I’ve gained a genuine interest in pursuing a career in this field.
I even got paid for a small simple site I made for a friend of mine!! that was mindblowing. that I could get paid for this.
Initially, I had decided to go through each of my projects or areas in this blog, but I quickly became overwhelmed by its volume and all the different things that there, are to write about so I decided to speak about my experience.
Clearly there’s still more work to be done, and more to learn but coming from where I came I’m surprised that I’m down to keep pushing forward.