Learning Plan: Foundations Onwards
Long term goal/pathway
I don’t have a specific job in mind, my goal is more to reach a point where I have options, flexibility, and balance between work/life. I know to get there I need to start an entry level job and work my way up, but I want to be in a position where I have the knowledge and skills to be able to take on a number of roles, be able to go in a different direction with coding. As well to have the flexibility to work in different parts of the world, to be financially secure and to have a job that doesn’t overshadow the rest of my life, and in particular a job that doesn’t constantly drain me emotionally.
Strengths and limitations concerning learning
I think my strengths are that I am motivated and interested in what we are learning and I think I’m alright with picking things up at a good pace. My limitations when studying in the past were probably my efficiency when studying, knowing how to best organise and utilise my time, so that’s where I’m putting a fair bit of focus on now.
Human Skills I would like to develop
I would like to develop the ‘growth mindset’ a little more and emphasising this to both myself and others. I think confidence is something I would like to develop, not just in the sense of believing I can complete a task, but also confidence in, for example, presenting to a group, asking what I think might be a silly question, being confident in my ideas etc.
Commitment to managing the workload and working with others
I already have a daily working schedule that I am sticking to for the foundations. I will aim to then adapt this to the bootcamp, so have a daily schedule of how I will work ‘after-hours’.
In regards to working with others, I will be conscious of allowing space for others to participate, being aware of other people’s backgrounds and situations as well as ensuring I am self-aware. With working with a wide range of people I think adaptability is key to working productively with others, making sure I adapt my working style to best fit the other persons to be the most productive.
When things start to build up I would hope that I will have the common sense to reach out to my facilitator to come up with a short-term plan to release some of the pressure. Also talking to others in the cohort as they might have strategies to help, or just be a good support to help let off some steam.
In regards to smaller help, for example I’m stuck on a task, I need to keep firmly in mind that I should ask for a hand if I can’t quite crack it after 15-20 minutes. The first stop will be in discord. In the bootcamp section I’m not yet sure of the exact set up so will need to come up with a strategy then.
Expectations of the facilitation team
I expect a certain degree of level-headedness to help bring me back to earth when I think something may be too hard. I would expect timely replies to any queries I have and the option to be able to talk one on one if a chat response, for example, doesn’t quite resolve my issue.
Scheduling conflicts
No scheduling conflicts at the current time
Learning Plan: Bootcamp Onwards
Long term goal/pathway
I don’t have a specific destination in mind. It’s more that I want to be able to build a career in web development or some other form of programming and have better options for my career, and have better options in general. I want to have the ability to have a skill that can give me good chances of employment wherever I may be in the world. If I can use these skills to make a positive change, it would be great, but I have nothing specific in mind.
Strengths and limitations concerning bootcamp
I think a strength I will have is that I am able to work well with people. I think my curiosity for understanding why something works, or how it works, will also be beneficial. Another strength I’m trying to develop, even before foundations, is admitting that I don’t know something and being much more open to asking others to explain something for me. And also admitting that I still don’t understand something even after they’ve explained it.
In regards to limitations I think I will find it difficult to not compare myself to others. I think this could be something that could lead to myself losing motivation if I don’t stay realistic. While I think I managed my time quite well in foundations I think my time management might still be a limitation in bootcamp. I found in week 5 that as the challenges got harder, I was not taking my breaks and my sleep was slightly worse. So I’ll need to keep an eye on this.
Biggest non-technical challenge during bootcamp
I think my biggest challenge will be trying to keep up with the material and trying not to feel overwhelmed. I know I’m going to be bombarded with information but I mean overwhelmed in the sense that it makes me think I’m perhaps not good enough if I am struggling to understand or keep up with others. I know this could also have an impact on my motivation. I also don’t want it to impact the time I spend with my girlfriend, or that it has a negative impact on my moods. I want to make sure I do my best to have a positive mindset.
Non-technical skill I would like to see developed in myself during bootcamp
I would like to see some leadership skills be developed. There are times in the past where I know I’ve been capable of taking charge of something but have preferred not to, as I didn’t want to have that responsibility, or perhaps fail. I would also like to be able to build more reflective skills. I think it will help me see things clearer and give me better internal references when facing future challenges of a similar nature.
Commitment to managing the workload and working with others
My expectations of myself will be that I come up with a schedule or plan of how I will organise my time outside of class time. I don’t know how this will look like yet as I’ll need to see how the first week goes I think. If I better manage my time, I think the bootcamp will be a better experience for me. I also need to ask for help sooner rather than later. If I’m stuck then there’s no point waiting too long to ask as this will only get me behind. I need to be confident as well to ask questions even if it seems everyone understands it.
I expect to get to know my fellow students well, along with the facilitators. I will be sure to be respective of different perspectives and beliefs, and be sure I aware my privileges. I do hope it is a chance to make new friends and learn from the people I am with, not just about coding, but about their experiences and other knowledge they have.
Expectations of the bootcamp team
I would expect them to be mindful of everyone’s different abilities. Be available to assist with questions and be patient. I would expect them to be approachable and not make students feel intimidated or feel like their question is silly. I would not want to be in a situation where I find myself avoiding asking questions to a specific staff member due to this. I would like to be able to have one to one conversations if I wanted extra support with something.