The prodigal son returns to blog (part two)

So here we are continuing off from Week 7, how exciting, the SQL that you’ve all been waiting for. (Please appreciate my SQL joke. Thank you.)

Week 8 & 9

Señor Engineering Project. Señor Engineering “lets-stick-you-into-a-group-of-8-and-see-how-you-cope” Project.

This was no bueno. This was very tense and I learnt a valuable lesson in vocalising the pace at which I can go. I also learnt that going with the flow isn’t always the way, chief.

The project was straight forward, 8 people, 1 facebook clone and a Rails frontend & backend combo. We spent the first two days planning when one of us had suggested we get ahead of the curve and create our frontend in React Native this means our clone could be a mobile app! This was our first mistake.

I say mistake but it was actually a really good insight into the world of frontend development its just a shame that it ultimately divided the team into two smaller teams and a good number of us didn’t get any experience with this new-fangled technology.

We had decided that we were going to separate into two groups, one frontend and one backend. I was on the Rails backend team and the idea was that we would rotate around…at some point. We never really decided on when and then we barely got round to doing it during the second week. To say these two weeks were exhausting was an understatement. I think one day we were down to 5 people because 3 of us needed a break. What resulted was a really ambitious if not really basic looking mobile app.

Rails was really interesting to work with but again this is where my imposter syndrome and comparing myself to others really peaked until I had a bit of an epiphany that, you know what? I really need to be more vocal about my own ability and actually tell people that I can’t move that your speed, please be patient with me. My course mates are lovely, really patient people, this is all on me and I really did benefit from vocalising more after this project.

Ultimately I don’t think people enjoyed this project all too much and I think our final product reflected that but we realised the importance of communication and reflection (which we did none).

Weekend challenge: Instagram clone
You know, this went alright. I enjoyed this, I found a nice tutorial on creating a Rails frontend/backend web app and I just went with it. It turned out to be a nice break from the mayhem. In a somewhat “you have to laugh or you’ll cry” kind of way my repo was just not sitting with me at all so I had to keep resetting and start a new one. I think I did this about 4 times so every time I would lose all my commits and every time I was praying I don’t need to rollback otherwise I was done. But I did well with this one, I almost completed it which I’m quite pleased with.

Week 10

Individual challenges! AKA respite from the madness that is an intensive 12 week bootcamp. This was a pretty chill week. I believe this was a double bank holiday weekend so we had a bit of a long break that everyone deserved.

We had to complete a tech test to prep us for what we could expect at interviews. It was a Bank tech test that involved asking us to create, well, a bank which would allow users to set up bank accounts and deposit/withdraw money and check balance.

Looking back on this if I had to say something I am really good at is reflection. I have been a tad inconsistent which doing it but my reflections whilst I’m working are really helpful. I got pretty far with this until I hit a brick wall, as is standard practice… This was the second time I hit the coaches up for a review of my work and I received some really useful feedback! Which if I ever revisit will absolutely implement.

Week 11 & 12

Oh my, the final two weeks. Where did the time go? I’m not ready for the real world of coding, surely not. I can just about Ruby, what am I supposed to do with this!?

You can expect thoughts like this and much more run through my head in the lead up to our “graduation” of sorts.

Although in all seriousness this was a quick two weeks. Really interesting because this is something we choose to work on, not something we were just given by the course.

I was grouped with a bright bunch of lads and we had set our sights on making our final project “RECLAIM!”, a recycling loyalty reward app that creates an incentive for consumers and business owners to recycle more. You can find the frontend here and the backend here.

We set up with planning as per usual and things went a lot better this time than the engineering project. Straight off the bat we decided on a React frontend with a Rails backend. We chose React because a lot of us wanted to mess with React and try something new and Rails because we wanted to really consolidate the last 12 weeks of learning and come full circle so to speak.

The process was okay. We all in agreement, we communicated well, we rotated roles so everyone was involved in every aspect of the project and I actually felt like I contributed. The one thing I wish we had more time for was the CSS, I wasn’t a huge fan of how the aesthetic of the page turned out but don’t tell my team that!

I think more importantly we had fun. We were all anxious about the looming end of our time at Makers but it was fun. I’ll be honest I think we were all deliriously tired from the last 12 (well 16) weeks at Makers and I think the end was just a welcome sight.

Closing comments

This course has to be one of the most stressful and humbling choices I’ve ever made. This course has made me question my own intelligence, whether I’m really supposed to go into programming and whether £8k was just wasted for nothing, but I was a great experience. I met some lovely people, I learned valuable lessons about myself and I really cemented how I feel about my career ahead of me. My only qualm is that COVID meant that I wasn’t onsite, I think it would have made this experience all the more special.

I haven’t touched on it much I feel I should add something about remote learning… Maybe I’ll chuck up a blog on that next!

My one week break turned into two weeks and I’m now having a bit of a struggle but I have a plan, a course of action! If only I could get myself in gear and start! But I will, there isn’t any pressure at the moment except what I’m putting on myself. I deserve to take it easy and take my time. Sure I need a job, savings won’t last forever! But I think I can afford the time I have taken to rest and relax, visit the friends and family I have been neglecting since March. Enjoy myself! I’m a fully trained Full stack Junior Software Developer after all!