Taking the Time
A survival guide for a software engineering boot camp.
I am at the end of my software engineering course with Flatiron School, and it has been a challenging ten months. Software engineering, coding, or even using a computer for something other than research or streaming services was such a strange concept before I looked into this program. I am thrilled that I took the leap though, as I have come through it with a wealth of knowledge and a newfound sense of accomplishment at stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’d like to share my thoughts about how you could successfully get through the program should you be thinking about it now.
I have always been at ease with learning. I’ve rarely ever needed to study for tests, or take very long to pick up on concepts in a variety of subjects. This course blew all of that up in my face. I struggled in the first few weeks, convinced myself that there was no way I could finish the course, and almost quit. DO NOT LISTEN TO THESE THOUGHTS. The entirety of learning coding for me has been “what is this, I don’t get it, this is impossible” followed by continuous attempts to understand and then one day you realize that you actually kind of understand it! Some people describe it as an “aha” moment, but for me it wasn’t so straightforward. I just realized that as I moved along, things sunk in and I had to face the next seemingly insurmountable hurdle.
Yes, this is an exhausting process. I did work throughout the course and I know many others who did so while also raising children and they are honestly superheroes. What I found was the absolute most crucial part of my success during the program was planning. This is an awful cliché, please don’t be mad at me, but it is truer than anything else. When you still feel shaky on a topic and then you have to create an entire project from concept to completion, it is imperative that you take the time to sort out exactly what you want to do. Lay out plans online, using a visual tool, or just write it out in your notebook like I did, but make intricate plans. You will save yourself time and energy when you are actually coding if you flush out the design and pattern before you begin in earnest.
Did I do this every time? Absolutely not. Before my last project, a React frontend with a Rails backend, I was mentally checked out and just wanted to get through it. But I then used one solid week out of the two weeks for project creation just organizing the structure of my application and had to spend the second week frantically getting all my code worked out. In the Flatiron course in particular, as I cannot speak to other courses, take time a week or two before the project-mode and work through your ideas, make plans, and have things set up so that on day one of your project mode you can actually begin coding. You will be thankful you did.
The second and possibly most important piece of advice I have is to utilize the most important resource available, your fellow cohort members. Pair coding, group meetings, and asking for help from friends will not only help you code better, it will help you feel calmer and happier and turn what can can be a nightmarish process into a fun time with people experiencing the same feelings that you are. You can find a big group to share with or you can find those one or two friends in the cohort that you talk to most and set up a time with them maybe once a week to just discuss what you’re struggling with and you will feel infinitely better. And one final thing, get rest. When you’re stuck, take a break. When you’re tired, go lie down. Everything can wait a few minutes or even until the next morning, and sitting at your computer staring at the screen in frustration won’t help you feel any better or fix the issue. Giving yourself time away and to rest clears up your mind and restores your sanity. I won’t call it self-care because rest is just the act of surviving, but do make it a priority. Good luck to any of you who give this a shot!
