Revitalised and ready
After the pre-course, I had a much-needed winter break - a chance to catch up on sleep, recharge the batteries, and indulge in some well-deserved relaxation. And what better way to do that than spending a few days in the City of Lights, Paris, during the New Year's period? Let's just say croissants for breakfast, the Eiffel Tower, and a glass or two of le chocolat chaud (if your immediate reaction was not researching the word, you’re clearly still a le couch potato) did wonders for my frosty soul.
Macbook, Ya nasty
The device of choice for the Makers boot camp is a MacBook, given its popularity in many workplaces. They even graciously supply participants with a 'brand new' MacBook, although it needed a good cleaning before use). Despite receiving the MacBook just before the start of the course, I couldn't bring myself to use it. I'm too loyal to my trusty HP Spectre X360 (I'll admit, I'm totally showing off here). Using my device was manageable, but the course doesn't offer much support for Windows users - you're left to your own devices to figure things out, and they’re clear about that.
I must admit that I was left feeling disappointed. It seemed unfair that the course only provided instructions for MacBook users, as some Windows users were left struggling to keep up. Despite my lack of technical knowledge, I was able to navigate the course, leading me to believe that a few additional commands could have easily accommodated users on both operating systems. While I understand the desire to introduce students to new technologies, ultimately, it should be up to the individual learner to choose which device to use, especially at such a cost.
The beginning
For some reason, when writing the title, I felt like this was the start of a big blockbuster movie. Relax, it’s only a coding boot camp, you nerd.
On a more serious note, a few days before the start of the main course, we received some brief information on what to expect. They mentioned that we would have access to a calendar but warned us that it was subject to change. And boy, did it ever change. Honestly, they could have saved some time and just said it was subject to staying the same - it would have been more accurate.
Knock, knock - Who's there? It’s you again, Spiderman?
On the first day of the main course, we were told we would have a different coach each week. But truth be told, it felt like the same three coaches rotating. Now, these coaches were very different in themselves. For instance, we had this one coach, let's call him Peter Parker for the sake of anonymity, who was hands down the most boring person I have ever met. I mean, sure, he was a talented coder, but he could suck the life out of a room faster than a Dementor. Another coach, who is no longer with Makers, wasn't exactly a crowd favourite. The cohort found him a bit condescending, but I personally liked him. That means my personality is similar to his, or the rest of the cohort was too soft. We also had some excellent coaches on the odd occasion - they weren't as entertaining to write about as the dude in the red and blue spandex.
An introvert’s nightmare
On the first day, I was introduced to my peer group - a motley crew of four who would gather every morning from 9:30-10:00 to chat about our progress and exchange some witty banter. At least, that's what I assumed would happen.
As it turns out, my inner sloth took over as the course got more intense, and I found myself hitting the snooze button instead of joining the group. My pillow was the only companion I needed - those peasants could wait!
I’m fine, honestly.
At the boot camp, they put a lot of emphasis on well-being. There were optional 15-minute daily well-being sessions, and then twice a week, we had to attend a compulsory hour-long well-being workshop. Don't get me wrong; I understand why some people value well-being so highly. But for me, it felt like a lot of wasted time. I didn't enjoy the sessions, so I decided to skip the rest after going to the first few. Of course, some folks actually liked these sessions, but to each their own, right?
The daily grind
The day was split into two sessions: morning and, you guessed it, afternoon. The morning session involved independent work on assigned coding tasks or attending workshops (which we'll discuss shortly). The afternoon session was always peer programming, where you would be given a new partner each day to simulate a "workplace environment".
Now, as much as I appreciate the concept of peer programming, this aspect of the course was a bit of a time sink, and the organisation for it was poor, too. The pairs were announced exceptionally late in the day, leaving us little time to discuss timings with our partners and work out a schedule that worked for both people. We brought this up with the course leaders, but sadly, there was no improvement. Maybe they were too busy trying to catch up on their own work.
What was I grinding for?
This is the most important question, was there a benefit in the learning? Definitely. There was a lot to learn and benefit from during these weeks of the course. As it was done in Ruby, much of it will likely never be used again. However, the concepts I learned were beneficial and helped develop my skills. I learned about test-driven development, HTML as well as other things.
Regarding whether the £8500 investment was worth it, I can't pass judgment yet. However, based on the skills I've acquired and the knowledge I've gained, I'm undoubtedly benefiting from this experience.
Explain the grind
Now, let's talk about the assigned tasks. Each week, we were given a set of tasks to complete designed to help us develop our coding skills. The syllabus was well-structured, although I must admit that I didn't quite click with our girl Ruby. All tasks and instructions were provided through a GitHub repository, including written instructions, video tutorials, and practical assignments.
At the start of the course, the video tutorials were informative and easy to follow, but I found that the quality of the videos dropped significantly after the first two weeks. It was clear that the person in the video was more talking to themselves than teaching the students. This was disappointing, as video tutorials are a crucial aspect of online learning, and poor-quality videos can majorly hinder the learning process.
As part of the tasks, we occasionally had to do self-recording jobs. It's like the ultimate challenge for introverts - record yourself and submit it to the coach. Talk about pressure! But you know what they say, pressure makes diamonds (or, in my case, awkward stutters and nervous sweating). Despite the discomfort, I have to admit that I enjoyed these tasks. The feedback we received was top-notch, given a fantastic amount of detail. Kudos to the coaches for that! And, if you fell really behind for the week, the coaches would chase you up on it. It's like having your personal task manager but with more accountability and less passive aggression. Overall, the tracking system helped ensure the pairings were made between students on a similar task.
There were two or three workshops weekly. One would be well-being orientated previously mentioned. There would also be a coding session relevant to that week's tasks. What I liked about the workshop was that it wasn’t restricted. Instead, it was whatever the students felt they needed help on. Although these are optional and recorded, I used to attend as I found these extremely beneficial.
We were given a project to complete at the end of each week, designed to be completed towards the end of the week or over the weekend. These projects were then peer-reviewed on Monday mornings. I found these projects enjoyable and well-structured, as they allowed us to apply all the concepts and skills we had learned throughout the week. They were also a great way to showcase what we had learned and receive constructive feedback from our peers. Overall, this was an effective way to consolidate our learning and build our confidence in coding.
Conclusion
Upon reflection, I can confidently say that the first four weeks of the boot camp have been a significant growth period for me. While there were some minor setbacks, such as the lack of support for Windows users and the poor organisation of peer programming, I was still able to make the most of my learning experience.
One thing I appreciated about the boot camp was how it challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and pushed me to learn new things. The curriculum was intense but designed to help me develop my skills and grow as a programmer.
Despite the time-wasting moments, I gained a lot of knowledge and skills that I know will be useful in the future. The first four weeks of the boot camp provided me with a solid foundation for my journey as a programmer, and I am eager to continue learning and growing in this field.
Looking ahead, I am filled with a newfound sense of confidence and excitement for what the future holds. All in all, I am grateful for the experience and excited about what lies ahead. Who knows, maybe I'll even try out that MacBook.