The answer is still the same as in my original plan. I'm looking to become a website developer but I’m excited to learn some more skills in Bootcamp so I can learn more to become a full stack developer. I am pretty open to working anywhere, with nothing specific in mind.
I know bootcamp is going to be a much more challenging time, so I think my strength of persevering is going to be even more important in bootcamp than foundations. After revising over my original learning plan, I think I would agree with everything I wrote then. I don’t think anything significant has changed, but I am excited to see how my view will change on that during different stages of bootcamp.
I think my biggest non-technical skill is going to be getting used to the schedule of it. It’s been a while since I’ve had to be on a specific schedule like 9am to 5pm where I have to be present. Usually, I’m just used to completing everything in my own time, whenever I need to, so I think getting into a proper routing is going to take a bit of time for me to adjust to.
As mentioned in the learning plan below, time management is definitely something I still want to improve upon. I think this is going to be way more important for bootcamp, as things are going to be a lot more intense than foundations, and I’m going to have to make sure I finish everything on time, when needed. In foundations I could get away with not having the best time management skills by doing everything just before the deadline, but I know that’s not going to be possible in bootcamp, so I’m excited to focus on improving that aspect more.
My expectations from the bootcamp team are pretty similar to the ones in foundations. Obviously we are going to be working closer with the bootcamp team, but the main thing is just being friendly, and available to ask questions during reasonable hours.
My expectations of myself is to try and go above and beyond the bare minimum. Sometimes I can get complacent getting away with just doing the bare minimum to pass, but for bootcamp I really want to focus on giving it 100% of my effort, so I can really take the time to learn and improve my skills at a much better rate. In order to achieve this I’m going to really need to make sure I’m focussing on managing my time well, so I also expect myself to put a massive emphasis on following this.
My long term goal is to get a job as a website developer. I haven’t decided yet whether I would prefer front-end, back-end, or full-stack.
My main strength when it comes to learning is my perseverance. This means that even when things get hard, I keep pushing through it in order to make sure that I can complete the task. This is especially important for programming, as it can definitely be frustrating at times, but having the ability to persevere through the problems is always very useful. My biggest definition as listed below is my time management skills, but definitely something I am trying to improve on.
One thing that I really want to prioritise developing while attending Dev Academy is my time management skills. Before coming into this course I have had really poor time management skills, and I think it’s a skill that’s very important to have so I look forward to getting better at it.
There is quite a big workload for this course, so finding ways to manage it all is quite important. One of the main ways to work productively is to work well with other learners and facilitators. This works best in an open environment, where no one is afraid to ask questions or be judged. I think the Discord provides a great space for this, allowing students to help students when we inevitably get stuck on a problem. When things are building up and starting to get to me, the best thing to do is take a short break. Get up, stretch and go for a quick walk. I then find it best to come back and try and frame everything in my mind of what I need to achieve. I then try to start with the easy, small victories and build myself up. This makes a problem that once seemed impossible, start to feel a lot more doable.
If I get really stuck, seeking help is very important. The main thing for me is not get stuck on a problem for a few days, and realise that it’s better to ask for help sooner rather than later. When I realise I do need help, I will ask in the Discord where other students or the facilitators will be able to help me out.
Realistically I don’t expect too much from the facilitation team. The main thing I would expect is just answering questions where we have them, but I think the team is doing a really good job as it is now.
At this current stage I don’t have too many commitments to other things apart from this course, as I wanted to make sure I have enough time to effectively complete this course. The only times when I am busy are Wednesday evenings, and most of Saturday as I am committed to football.