Learning is actually fun

When you have the right tools and feel inspired!

Even though I got by with okay grades, school was a struggle for me. I always felt pretty stupid compared to my classmates. I think that played into my lack of direction going into college and entering the workforce. It caused a lot of grief and anxiety for sure, and it made me believe that I hated learning. But now that I understand myself a little better and know the strategies that allow me to actually comprehend concepts and solutions, I love learning!

I have especially loved learning at Code/+/Trust (CT). I keep saying this to anyone who asks or anyone that will listen, but I truly could not have imagined a better environment for this stage in my career. There are several factors that make this experience excellent. CT has made some remarkable accomodations for us and I have also found my groove for consuming new information in a productive way.

Things Code/+/Trust does that just make sense:

• We're working in person, with all the interns and new hires grouped together in a pod of really nice desks. I've figured out that the physical space I'm occupying has a major influence on my ability to learn and be productive. Having a nice work station is the first step, and CT provided such a nice set up. Secondly, being grouped with peers helps us build confidence and relationships that are crucial for learning. And probably most importantly, being in person gives us exponentially more opportunities to ask questions and be mentored effectively.

• We have frequent and comprehensive code review on low-risk, high-reward projects. Since we're only in the office three days a week, it can definitely be challenging to get back into the flow on projects or even retain concepts, but CT has a solution for that. They've tasked us with rebuilding portions of an existing product that the company built from the ground up. We were given comps and guidance on setting up our enviornments, and then let loose to work together on building the web app. In my opinion there are some key factors that make this teaching/learning method effective:

  • Our team dynamic mimics what we will experience on client projects. One mentor leads our code review, providing answers and advice at a high level. One mentor is the project manager, keeping us on track. Then on the dev team we have a lead developer that is more experienced and equipped to coach us through a majority of any issues that come up. Then we have a back end dev and three front end devs. So we've got a lot of support and diverse resources of experience to rely on.

  • We have access to the real web app's repo, the live site, and the developers who are responsible for building the whole thing. Kind of like a north star.

  • Even though we have access to the real deal, we are using a slightly different tech stack (namely newer versions of the languages and frameworks used), so we can't just copy/paste. This pushes us, but it also gives our mentors a little break because we can be slightly more self-reliant using the real project as a guide.

  • This is not a client project. The company doesn't have to worry about disappointing a paying customer and we don't have that pressure either. This freedom allows us to focus completely on the learning.

  • We have a code review first thing Tuesday and Thursday mornings. After a four day break from the project, the Tuesday meeting is a nice reset and helps us get back in the flow. Before going on that four day break, the Thursday meeting is great for accountability of progress and reinforcement of the lessons learned that week.

Things I'm doing that make sense (to me)

• Handwriting notes in code reviews and at the end of each day. I find that handwriting things always helps me thoroughly process ideas or questions, and is an excellent way to commit things to memory. After figuring something out, I like to write out the steps it took to get to the solution, including the challenges or questions I had along the way. This also allows me to stay focused on whoever is speaking instead of being distracted by anything and everything else that is happening in the room.

• Handwriting my to do list and outlining the approach to each task before ever writing code or Googling. Like the note taking, this is a very productive way for me to look at all sides of a problem and figure out how I'm going to tackle it. Most importantly, it leads me to a better understanding of the desire outcome which will increase effeciency of any needed research.

• I get my files, tabs, terminals, and browser dev tools organized. Just easier to do that first rather than fumbling around as I go along. This is also another opportunity to conceptualize the task at hand and to brainstorm solutions.

• I write my questions down as soon as they pop into my head. Otherwise I'll forget!

• I take my questions to the internet first. If I feel like I have a good grasp of how to verbalize what I'm trying to accomplish, I check out the docs first. If I'm not even sure how to ask the question, I'll just start with what I think I'm trying to say in a Google search, poke around sites like Stackoverflow to find the appropriate terminology, and then go to the docs. I also use YouTube tutorials a good bit because the audio paired with the visual is very helpful for me.

• If I can't get anywhere on my own, I actually try to ask the questions. This one I'm still trying to improve upon. Sometimes my ego gets in the way of asking and I spend way too much time trying to figure it out on my own.

That's a lot, but it was kind of nice to reflect on all the great things about this experience and my progress as a learner!