Coding & Full Stack Web Development
I’ve dabbled in programming here and there in the past and I know I like it and it also matches up nicely with my natural skill set.
I also have a wide background in related things like math, science, design, writing, blogging, photography, and software support.
It just seems like a really good idea to increase my programming skills. Plus, I like the idea of new job opportunities. I wanted a skill that would serve me well professionally for the next 10-20 years.
Web development in particular seemed like a good path. It covers a lot of principles used in programming in general, but I thought it would also help me to understand the mystery of the web. Prior to starting the pre-work, I had no idea really how websites worked. (OK, I knew a little basic html, but that was a long way from understanding interactive sites.)
So much is web-based that it just seems like a good place to start learning. Also, they weren’t offering a Python bootcamp.
The learning style
I am intrigued by the learning style that a bootcamp represents. The full name of the program is Deep Dive Coding Bootcamp and yeah, it’s just that: a chance to go deep. Class is 8-5 M-Th and 8-3 on Fridays… and then there’s homework.
This is very different than a typical college schedule where a student has like 5 classes that each just meet for a few hours a week.
It’s intense. And while that can be hard, it also accelerates learning. It’s immersive, like going to France rather than taking a French class for an hour on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Also, it’s just 10 weeks and it’s easy to commit to do something for 10 weeks. With a young child at home, it would be a lot harder for me to commit to a longer program right now. But 10 weeks of my life doesn’t seem like that much of a risk.
I love learning
I just love to learn new stuff. The idea of spending 10 weeks learning stuff was really attractive to me.
Working on new and challenging problems makes me feel engaged and satisfied. I like the feeling of figuring out something new and putting the pieces together.
Coding in particular provides a chance to learn new things and then to apply them and to immediately create something new with them. Making even a simple program run is very satisfying.