Learning Plan - Bootcamp
What is your long term goal and/or career pathway?
I would like to get a web developer job straight after course, to keep my skills up to date and to keep learning coding, get back in the workforce... No destination in mind but I would like to work for a big development company one day, IBM?. I wont be accepting anything that isnt a developer job, if there is any down time, inbetween course and getting a job it will be dedicated to learning more and becoming a better coder and searching for a web developer job. I would like to leave my mark on a development company who is good to work for, and give the job my all.
What do you think your biggest strengths and limitations will be in Bootcamp?
The more I've been coding the more I like it. I find it so rewarding when your able to problem solve and get something working, even when you had no idea how to do it a hour beforehand. I am still so curious, and I really want to learn the ins and outs of Javascript. In terms of procrastination I mentioned in sprint 2s post, I havent really felt that. Foundations has been alot of fun and rewarding, nothing has really felt like a chore, and coding feels like a game to me. I would say my biggest strength is still curiosity. I know bootcamp is going to get intense, I would say a limitation may be trying to remember the flood of information each day, week. Its alot to take in, something I am preparing myself mentally for.
What do you think your biggest non-technical challenge at Bootcamp will be?
For this I would have to say keeping up with the work load, I know I will be able to do it, I will be keeping alot of notes. I dont want to rush through a concept and move on without fully understanding it. I am not the greatest speaker when the attention is on me, but I look forward to improving this skill during the course as I feel it will be needed in a web developer job. 9 weeks, it is a stretch, but one I welcome, it will definitely be a challenge staying focused and absorbing everything, I feel the workload may get tough at times, but its good knowing there is support for us during the course.
What non-technical skills - human skills - would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?
Definitely would like to develop my self awareness and emotional intelligence skills. I think these are important for being a developer and also being a better person. Improving my communication if I am not okay with something is also something I would like to improve, not just sitting back and going with the flow, but voicing my opinions and to reach a compromise that everyone is happy with. I look forward to the group and pair work, really want to see how everyone else approaches problems, I feel I will be a good team player, I would like to develop that skills even more aswell as my leadership skills. I enjoy criticism, without it, I feel its hard to get a real perspective on how I can improve. I want to take onboard anything that comes my way and do my best to amend it.
What are your expectations from the Bootcamp team?
I would like to think the course is going to have a good balance of fun and problem solving needed to make us better developers. In terms of support, I think just knowing its there for alot of people is a good boost, I know it will be for me. Extra time for things if needed, I feel is good support but also not being too leanient. Fairness above all, I feel is an expectation.
What are your expectations of yourself on Bootcamp
To be completely honest, I feel my answer is still the same as it was with sprint 2's post. If a concept comes my way, and time is tight and I have not fully understood it before moving on, I will seek advice in the discord or from facilitators. I plan to keep a schedule through out the bootcamp, allocating time for breaks and rest at specific times. I want to give this 9 weeks my all and I think this kind of schduling will help not only me but my peers I will be collaborating with, I feel it will make me a better team player overall.
Learning Plan - Foundations
A description of your strengths and limitations when it comes to learning
Curiosity. I am so eager to learn more about coding, that lends itself to keeping me engaged with the content of the course. I am looking to get the most out of it and change careers, so the learning has a purpose behind it for me which is also a good help. A past limitation of mine was procrastination, I would leave assignments till the last minute, and then stress and panic to get them done. I have not come across that yet with this course and I would say that is due to the engaging content, but it's something I am aware of and keeping a mental note on.
What skills (non-technical core/human skills) would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?
I would like to develop my self discipline when it comes to learning a bit more, making sure I keep putting in the hours to get the most out of this course. I also want to develop my ability to push through obstacles no matter how confusing they are, and ultimately solve them myself. Logical thinking, I feel this course will help me grow in this area. Asking myself questions as to why something is happening and what can be done to remedy it, getting myself unstuck and developing my problem solving skills.
A commitment to how you will manage your workload in this programme. This should include: An explanation of how you will manage yourself to work productively and safely with other learners, Facilitators and industry/community representatives What you will do when things are building up and starting to get to you
I will endeavour to keep things in perspective, when the course gets hard, keeping a mental note that it isn't forever, and that my future self will applaud me for persavering. Working with others is a big part of being a developer, with this in mind I will strive to be a good team player and offer my assistance to those who need help, and also not be afraid to reach out and ask for help if I find I am truely stuck on something and its taking away precious time I don't have. Being flexible, being able to adapt and fit in with other peoples schedules and changes we may agree/disagree on within group collaboration. Keeping a mental note that we are all on the journey together and we can all help each other to succeed.
A commitment as to how and where you will seek help in a timely way
If I am going way above the time box schedule because I am truely stuck on something, then I will ask for help. It really depends on the task and what it is, but I would reach out in the discord channel. If I don't understand a concept and still can't get the answer that I'm looking for online, again reaching out in the discord, maybe someone else's perspective will help bridge the gap for me and that concept I am not getting. This also comes back to framing to question correctly, making it easier for my peers/facilitators to help and not take up a lot of there time just trying to understand where I am stuck if that happens.
A description of what you expect from the Facilitation team
I would like them to not just solve a problem for us if they are helping us, but more act as a guide to help grow our problem solving skills and logical thinking.
Any scheduling information such as block-out times when you are committed to other things. For example, you might have whānau commitments like school drop-offs. It's important to plan these in.
Not really. The only thing I would say is I am a night owl. When it comes to group collaboration, if the timing isn't right, I will adjust sleeping patterns to suit.