How to survive coding bootcamp..
It’s your first day of boot camp, you’re so excited and also have no idea what you’ve just signed up for. But don’t worry, I can give you a few tips to make this process a lot easier.
First and foremost, right before you start bootcamp get yourself accustomed to an early morning schedule. I started bootcamp around the time of Covid-19 so I was at home everyday. I was waking up late in the afternoon and going to bed even later. Adjusting to bootcamp schedule was hard in the beginning and if I can go back in time I would definitely get accustomed to waking up early and going to bed earlier.
Now that you are waking up early the next thing is to make sure that you have a designated area for your studies. Avoid studying on your bed at all costs. If the bed is too comfortable, you will want to just sleep. Also, have your favorite snacks ready in this designated area to reward yourself for what I will be speaking of next; study break intervals also know as Pomodoro Technique.
Studying for long periods of time can be very daunting , which is how the Pomodoro Technique. How this technique works is you study for 25 minutes straight and once the 25 minutes are up you take a 5 minute break. You repeat this 3 times and once you reached the fourth round of breaks you gift yourself with a 30 minute break. This technique is great because it gives your brain time to process all the information you’re learning. These numbers are not concrete and can be adjusted to your liking.
Now let’s focus on the learning community you gain being in a bootcamp. You have now joined a cohort which means you now have a team with a common goal. Don’t distance yourself from people because of your own habits or past experiences. Lean on your colleagues when you’re stuck on a problem for more than 20 minutes. It can save your hours of going down the rabbit hole.
Asking for helping during lectures can be very intimidating but don’t let it be. Start the boot camp process by getting accustomed to asking for help. It’s best to make this a habit sooner rather than later. Don’t let things like ego or shame stop you from asking for help. You would be surprised how many people have the same question as you but don’t ask because of the “fear of (insert fear)”.
Finding out your learning style will come in very handy. It can be either Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic. Knowing your learning style is beneficial because once you apply it, you will be able to retain information better.
The last bit of advice I think is worth mentioning is in regards to your new availability. Bootcamp is more than time consuming, it’s life consuming. You will not be as available much during the week and sometimes on the weekends. Let your friends and family know that you are not going to be available due to the intensity of this bootcamp. Get noise canceling headphones if you are unable to remove yourself from the daily commotions of your living space. Communicating the boundaries to your family early on will make for a less stressful experience when working on any of the bootcamp materials from home.
I hope that these tips help you on this journey! You are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. Know that not everything will make sense at first but with practice things will start to “click”. Happy coding!
