What are three new things you have learnt about yourself and your ego due to the core learning?
I can get distracted quite quickly, which hampers my learning ability. I spend too long overthinking a problem, and when I don’t find a solution, I get frustrated. I must be more patient and take time to understand the concepts we have learnt.
What are the role of values, empathy, and self-awareness in learning and programming?
Being patient with myself, helping others where I can and taking time to reflect on my achievements and shortcomings have helped me get to where I am today. I do believe if I continue to challenge myself and continue to work on areas I can improve upon, I will gain a better understanding of myself and reach the goals I have set for myself.
What has surprised you the most about the core learning?
My ability to reflect and pick up on certain tendencies that mitigate my learning process, and identify these things, has been vital to the days I feel confident versus the days I feel less than capable. Learning JS has been the most complex process to wrap my head around, regardless of the good and bad days. It’s been a critical challenge to keep progressing to a more stable career. In tandem with core, I feel more able to identify points to improve, practice, and deal with negative emotions. I hope to try and find more opportunities to work with my fellow cohort to help aid my learning process.
What were the most challenging aspects of the core learning?
Having to discuss and think about my identity, strengths, and values. Sharing these details was never easy and having to think about and share them as part of a blog post was even more difficult but I am glad I did it.
Why do you think we, a programming school, are spending so much time focusing on core learning in a web development Bootcamp course?
It’s challenging to learn so many of these complicated concepts quickly. We must be able to understand what our limitations can be and how our emotions can play a factor in our ability to learn. I have felt, at times, my limitations and am slowly learning how to use them to my advantage or find ways to mitigate them. They’ll always be there but if I am aware of them, it will be easier to learn going into boot camp.
Does the time you spent studying core learning here feel like a waste of time? Should you have just used that time to practise programming instead? Justify your answer.
It has been a valuable learning experience and something I haven’t experienced with other courses. Focusing on our mental health is always a net positive for a student’s experience. This kind of learning will play a more important role as myself and fellow students progress through our coding journey/careers.