Reflections on a Software Engineering Bootcamp
As I write this, my class is rounding out the last course section before work begins on our final independent project. It has been almost twelve weeks, not counting the ones devoted to completing the prerequisite course work, and looking back on both the application process and the core of the educational program I recognize both how far I’ve come and how far I have to go.
The reason I chose a bootcamp to learn about programming, the reason I assume most people in these courses choose them, is the relatively short (and intense) amount of time advertised to learn a new marketable skill. And while I have undoubtedly learned a lot about computer theory, enough arguably to get hired for this new skillset, as the program winds down I feel mostly that I have a long way to go before I can confidently call myself a “software developer”.
The nature of a bootcamp program is that just when you start to get comfortable with the concepts and syntax of a given section, you move on to something new. Because of this I have always felt I had only a tenuous grasp of much of the material. I’ve regularly had to review notes, lessons and labs from previous sections in order to implement past-learned tools in current labs and projects. That has been a little anxiety-inducing. After all, how can I sell myself as a developer if I have to go back and check my notes all the time?
I’m being overly dramatic. The reality is, even seasoned developers consult documents and message boards to remind themselves of languages and frameworks they’ve learned and used in the past. I like to think that it will keep me humble, no matter how long I will be professionally programming.
One of the most exciting (and often daunting) aspects of programming is how much there is to learn. You can presumably spend years devoting yourself to one language and still have more to learn. And then there are software updates…
Personally, I’ve found the amount and density of the material we’ve covered in the program to be enough that I rarely get a good night’s sleep. I’ve had many an anxiety-ridden night worrying about what work I needed to get done and how well I understood it all. What I don’t feel I’ve had adequate time to do is implement the lessons I’ve learned, i.e. build things. I’m looking forward to putting these tools into practice.
