Updated Bootcamp Learning Plan

What is your long term goal or career pathway?

It's still mostly the same but I think I am more focussed on wanting to continue learning. I would love to be part of a team that is super generous about sharing and teaching and helping me to develop my skills.

I know I want to stay in the web development space and have every intention to stick to full stack web dev. Before Bootcamp I wasn't sure if I would enjoy backend but I am very glad I do!

• Learn lots as a junior dev - Coming straight out of bootcamp, I would like to join an experienced team that I can learn from. It doesn't have to be anything particularly fancy but an environment where I can develop my skills for the real world and building my CV.
• Cool lifestyle - This is probably the number one goal for me. Ideally I'd mostly be based at home, do something that makes me feel proud of myself, earn good money and still have energy at the end of the day and week to enjoy my life. Is that too much to ask for?

A description of your strengths and limitations when it comes to learning.

I've surprised myself at how focussed I have stayed throughout Bootcamp. I even got some really nice feedback about my work ethic and that felt really validating.

I also have done really well in asking for help while in-person, which is something I struggled with while being at home. I feel a lot more comfortable asking for help and being able to ask follow up questions if I don't understand. Similarly, I have felt more confident about giving answers or suggestions during lectures. That's something I never used to do in school!

Something I want to work on is being more assertive and asserting my boundaries . Things like sharing my opinion or moving the group in a particular direction or even saying no. I tend to go with the flow even if I think we should take another approach.

What skills (non-technical/human skills) would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?

Having difficult conversations and giving growth feedback is quite intimidating and difficult for me so something I want to continue working on even after Bootcamp.

A commitment to how you will manage your workload in this programme.

I think I did an awesome job of staying motivated and focused during Bootcamp. I think I could have done a little more afterschool learning but I am really proud of my personal projects and the skills I am taking away.

While I didn't intentionally ask 2 questions each week, I think I definitely participated in Tech and Human Skills lectures in a way that I am proud of. I think it also made me feel more connected to my learning because I felt more involved.

A description of what you expect from the Facilitation team.

The facilitators are awesome! They were really kind, gentle, patient, generous and funny. I really appreciated that they had experienced Bootcamp for themselves and were able to empathise with how we were feeling. I think they did a great job at teaching, answering questions and making the space feel safe.

Any scheduling information such as block-out times when you are committed to other things.

Everything was pretty smooth sailing. I have been able to continue therapy and also a few physio sessions. My husband has been the best at taking over chores at home when I am too tired and being home for our dog.

Bootcamp Learning Plan

What is your long term goal or career pathway?

I don't know that there is a particular job that I'm after (yet) but I do have some lifestyle ideals that I like the idea of. Like earning big bucks and working from home or being fairly independent.

• Learn lots as a junior dev - Coming straight out of bootcamp, I would like to join an experienced team that I can learn from. It doesn't have to be anything particularly fancy but an environment where I can develop my skills for the real world and building my CV.
• Big company - This is more of a CV flex and what I imagine to be really cool work experience (and good benefits?). If it was a platform I really like and use (like Canva) or fulfilling (like a nonprofit agency) then that's even better! I don't know that I'm ready to dive completely into ✨unethical✨ corporate world just yet.
• Freelance work - There is a small amount of Freelance work that I do now, mostly helping charities design and build their fundraising websites on a fundraising website platform called Raisely. I like the idea of doing freelance work but it also freaks me out thinking about the income and hustle side of it, but I think I'd like to give it a go for a little while.
• Cool lifestyle - This is probably the number one goal for me. Ideally I'd mostly be based at home, do something that makes me feel proud of myself, earn good money and still have energy at the end of the day and week to enjoy my life. Is that too much to ask for?

A description of your strengths and limitations when it comes to learning.

I've surprised myself at how focussed I am especially while studying at home. I thought I might procrastinate lots or get distracted all the time. But this experience has reminded me that when I am really passionate about something or really enjoying it, staying motivated is a lot easier and my mental health feels pretty good too.

I think those strengths also come through in my problem-solving, I don't give up easily. And I think the people skills I have will come through in bootcamp and will help me when I'm on campus, whether it's asking questions or working with others.

I am still struggling to ask people for help when I need it and I can feel that it holds me back from moving on. I want to work on this in bootcamp and I think it'll be easier when I'm with people in person.

What skills (non-technical/human skills) would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?

Yup, I still want to be more articulate. I can feel a small bit of progress already but I think this is going to require a lifetime of practicing.

Another new skill would be getting into the routine of managing my time. Some days I am great at start my pomodoro timer and other days (like today) it goes out the window.

A commitment to how you will manage your workload in this programme.

This is the thing that surprised me the most about my time during Foundations - that I was super committed and stayed focussed the entire time. I hope this continues through to bootcamp.

Things that helped the most was treating it like a 9-5 job, starting with a good morning routine and having a proper lunch break to clear my mind.

Going into bootcamp, I want to continue to make it feel like a 9-5 job I am responsible for, make a conscious effort to start my days off right, and still practice proper break times. I will have to drop some of my Foundations routine but I might be able to do something nice with my time on the bus and with other people around.

And to make sure I am asking for help when I need it, I am going to set myself some goals for asking questions each week. To start, in week one I'd like to ask 2 questions.

A description of what you expect from the Facilitation team.

I expect the facilitation team to make bootcamp a safe space for making mistakes and I already know they recognise how tough bootcamp is but that they help to keep us motivated and help us where they can. I also hope its all super friendly and inviting which I'm sure it is!

Any scheduling information such as block-out times when you are committed to other things.

I have weekly therapy appointments on Wednesdays at lunch time. I also have a dog that I need to manage care for with my husband, but we have both agreed to make sure bootcamp is interruption free for me.

Foundations Learning Plan

What is your long term goal or career pathway?

Ideally I'd like to become a full stack developer but I'm also very interested in front-end development. As I start, I want to be able to work alongside others and learn from them in a team setting. I'm also really interested to see if there is any work in the charity sector with my background.

A description of your strengths and limitations when it comes to learning.

One of my strengths is that I usually pick things up pretty quickly when I listen or read first and then have a hands-on go.

A limitation for me is that I often feel too shy to ask for help. My go-to is to figure it out on my own. I like having the timeboxes, they help me stay on track and give me an idea of whether I'm sitting on a problem for too long.

What skills (non-technical/human skills) would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?

One of my lifetime goals is to be articulate. To be able to say what I mean and be easily understood. While at Dev, I'd like to get better at describing concepts to other people in plain language. I think things make sense in my brain but don't necessarily come out of my mouth in a way that makes sense lol.

A commitment to how you will manage your workload in this programme.

This should include:

An explanation of how you will manage yourself to work productively and safely with other learners, Facilitators and industry/community representatives

What you will do when things are building up and starting to get to you

I tend to handle stress pretty well and enjoy working in a team. For me, it's important to have a fun and supportive culture and I like to help make the mood a little lighter with humour.

I definitely relate to that concept about getting in the zone requiring a small amount of stress - that's my happy place! But when it gets passed a reasonable amount of stress, I will make sure to communicate where I'm at.

A commitment as to how and where you will seek help in a timely way.

I will ask random questions in a forum like discord or in person with peers. And if it gets hard, I will reach out to a tutor in person or online if I need to.

A description of what you expect from the Facilitation team.

I expect the facilitation team to provide as much 'real-world' knowledge as they can to help us get career ready. I heard that studying through Uni will teach you everything but bootcamp will teach you what you need to know and that's why I signed up.

Also the basic, teaching with respect, patience and a bit of compassion. So far all the staff have been really awesome, I feel like I'm in the right place :)

Any scheduling information such as block-out times when you are committed to other things.

For example, you might have whānau commitments like school drop-offs. It's important to plan these in.

I'm in the middle of setting up my weekly therapy sessions with an interim therapist. It'll be the same hour each week, hoping to schedule it for Wednesdays.