An Array of Thoughts
Some things I’ve learned as the bootcamp nears the end
Balance
Coming into a software engineering bootcamp, everyone knows they’re in for a long and challenging journey. Your commitment is needed if you’re to be successful and make good on your investment. All of this is true, but giving your full energy toward this task doesn’t mean working yourself into the ground. Take breaks from your computer and go outside, watch a TV show or a ballgame. Your brain is absorbing new high-level information on a daily basis, so giving it some comfort food is good practice to keeping your mind healthy.
Lean On Each Other
One of your greatest assets while studying in a bootcamp is your cohort. Nobody knows the struggle, joy, and volatility of what you’re going through like your classmates. Talk to and check up on each other. You’d be surprised how much you can learn by pair programming, reading one another’s blogs, and studying algorithms together. Encouraging each other with positivity, or even just blowing off steam goes a long way.
Engage The Material
This one might seem obvious, but it’s important to note just how critical this is in a learning system like a bootcamp. With so much material coming at you, it’s important to do what you can to make things stick. If you have a question or need something clarified during a lecture, don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask. You do what you need to do to understand the concepts and improve your skills. Engaging the concepts and being proactive about your learning is beneficial to you and your cohort.
Take Care Of Yourself
Sometimes you might find yourself glued to the computer and realize you’ve been working for hours without a break. Sometimes you might realize you haven’t showered in a couple of days because every day is the same and you’re only walking 3 feet to your computer. It happens, but be conscious of your wellbeing. Make sure you eat enough during the day and get enough sleep at night. The amount of brain power you use during a bootcamp requires taking care of your mind and body and not doing yourself the disservice of overdoing it.
Keep Learning
If there’s something you’re scared of, like figuring out how to use an API, or deploying an app, then do some research online and read about it. And if you don’t understand what you’ve read, then read another article, and if that doesn’t work, then search for another. Browse the Stackoverflows and peruse the Githubs, because eventually you will come across something that either helps you or leads you to the question you need to ask to get help, either from your classmates or your instructors. There is no shortage of material and the material keeps growing, so do yourself the favor of not giving up and keep the faith.
Do your best to keep improving everyday, and don’t get discouraged by the inevitable down days. This is a struggle, but the satisfaction will come, just be sure to take care of yourself and help each other.
