Strategies for Coding Bootcamp — Week 1
I’d like to share my experience and some of my strategies for navigating the first week of coding bootcamp. It should be noted that we are operating remotely, so this is written for online classes.
1. Be prepared for lectures
Prioritize reading READMEs/lessons up through the next lecture topic. Skip the labs. Going into the lecture with a conceptual understanding or a recognition of the terminology is going to be much better than going in 14 labs & READMEs behind. Trust me. I was so determined to do each lesson and lab in sequence, and I quickly discovered that it’s simply impossible for me to get through all of the content up to the next lecture material. Additionally, I got lost very early in the first lecture, and experienced a lot of unnecessary frustration. You can go back and do the labs after you’ve read READMEs up to each lecture.
2. Build your community
We had our first lecture on day 3. I was completely lost 10 minutes in. I hadn’t read up on the concepts that were being covered, and I spent the duration of the lecture spiraling in my head, wondering if I should even be doing this. Will my old job hire me back? What would I do now? I’m putting all of my eggs in this basket. Shit.
I reached out to one of my cohort mates, and learned that I wasn’t alone. As soon as I started talking with fellow cohorts, asking for help, pair programming, collaborating, and checking in, my whole experience became brighter. Socializing is not second nature to me, so feeling this was a huge light-bulb moment, and each day after, I made an effort to open up a dialog with two new people each day.
Having a deep network of connections will also pay off during the job hunt, both right after coding bootcamp and throughout your career. My best friend who attended Codefellows has had three jobs since graduating, and each one was upon a recommendation of either a cohort member or an instructor.
3. The 15-minute rule!
My Codefellows friend gave me a hot tip during my first week: don’t spend more than 15 minutes being stuck on one issue. Set a timer if you need to, but your productivity rate plummets as you spend more time frustrated and banging your head against the wall. Take the opportunity to ask a cohort member!
4. Create and maintain a daily schedule
Take 5 minutes at the beginning of each day to map out your plan. It can be fluid and change throughout the day, but having goals and times in mind will establish structure and alleviate anxiety. Make sure to look ahead as well, so that you can be ready for any lectures or events.
Be sure to give yourself breaks during the day, and an appropriate amount of time at the end of the night to wind down, eat, and whatever else you need to do. It will be easy to get caught up in the code, but taking care of your body and mind is going to ensure that you’re getting the most out of this time.
