Has it only been two weeks??

I’m not sure why, but in my mind I feel like this has been going on a lot longer than two weeks, perhaps its the constant flow of work and the fact that I (like many of my peers) am now dreaming in code. I’ve been advised that this doesn’t stop and that I should probably get comfortable.

Week 2 was intense, I did feel like I didn’t get much done, however upon reflection with one of the coaches, I did actually accomplish most of my goals for the week. I think the important lesson I learnt from the week was that I seriously need to prioritise my learning. Yes, I should attempt to tackle all the learning objectives from the week but I need to make sure I am comfortable with something before abandoning it for a shiny new learning objective.

It is also fair to say that perhaps I don’t really have as streamlined of a work schedule has I previously thought. That’s something I need to spend Week 3 working on, I need to make time for my learning in a way that I know I can thrive. This might involve getting up earlier or spreading my objectives across the week rather than dedicating specific days to specific objectives.

Speaking with my peers this morning, I feel like people are a bit stressed with the weekend challenges, specifically the expectations. This I feel like I have tackled well. I’ve experienced burnout and its not fun! Knowing that this was going to be an intense bootcamp I opted to challenge myself but not to work myself to the bone. This course is tough enough without us being tough on ourselves.

What has helped me is realising that these weekend challenges don’t have to be completed, this has been a massive help in removing stress from the equation as I can go into this and give it my best without worrying that this will negatively impact my learning. Anything I do with these challenges helps with my learning, with that approach I can comfortably take a guilt-free day off without panicking that I’m sabotaging my learning!

My advice to my peers would be to pace yourselves, take that crucial time to yourself — rest, recharge, catch up on your shows, go for a run or do some crochet! We’re all doing so well and it’s important that we keep our minds relaxed and stress free.