I feel good about this year. Like nothing I aim to do is too distant. Last year I focused on personal community centered/philanthropic goals and achieved each one. I’m proud of the work I did and the people I helped, but now I’d like to use this time to strictly focus on my technical skills. I turned my old laptop into a Linux machine by creating a bootable USB stick. The process took literal HOURS for the OS to download onto my USB. I deleted Windows and I plan to master Linux (or at least gain intermediate skills for the time being) with my new machine. I also took a big leap and registered for the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam. I have exactly 66 days to prepare. I’m nervous, but excited. I’m using Stephane Mareek’s Udemy course and practice exams to prepare. I’ll document what I’ve learned each day to keep the information fresh and follow-up with blog posts. I’ve set up my AWS account. There’s nothing left but to do it.
Perfectionism Has NO Place Here…at least that’s what I’m telling myself
So… it’s been a while. Each time I’d attempt a new blog post I felt like a fraud and ashamed because I wasn’t further along in my coding journey. So, naturally, I’ve avoided my blog altogether. *round of applause for perfectionism induced anxiety* I have the fortune of having a great friend who reminded me that this journey is uniquely my own. There are no deadlines or limits or expectations except for the ones I set for myself. This is my mantra currently. Since I last updated y’all I’ve completed a couple of small projects: mad libs generator, number generator, and a dice rolling simulator. I tried to use as little help as possible, but I allowed myself to receive help when I needed it. I’ve also decided to get the AWS Solution Architect Associate certification. ACloud.Guru has been an awesome resource. A little pricey for the paid subscription, but worth it in my opinion. The lectures are clear to understand, but best of all, they won’t bore you to death. The hands-on labs are my favorite part. I’m continuing to code. Hopefully, I’ll be onto data structures and algorithms by the end of the month, but if not that’s okay too.
Hello World
Welcome to my blog! Here documents my journey of learning to code and becoming a software engineer.
I started self-studying Python sometime in January 2020. It’s nearly eleven months later and I can proudly say that I’m still learning. Am I where I would like to be? No. To be fair, I’d like to be an engineering manager at Microsoft or work on cutting edge AR/VR technology or pioneering tech in self-driving cars, but I’m trying to manage my expectations. Have I continued to learn Python despite working full-time during a global pandemic and weathering an election that’s historical for too many of the wrong reasons? Yes! Round of applause for me for not throwing in the towel. That’s the part I’m focusing on. I won’t lie and say the stress of COVID hasn’t made this process more difficult. Let’s break down the journey thus far…
I struggled to decide which language was right for me. Did I want to study front-end? Back-end? Cybersecurity? Not to mention I had no idea what any of those terms entailed. I finally settled on Python after playing with HTML on freecodeacademy and a going through a Harvard CS50 course. It’s a popular beginner friendly language.
I took a two-month hiatus from coding while in quarantine and focused on maintaining my mental health. Don’t neglect your mental health, people. I have anxiety and I’ve learned managing it makes me more productive. Shoutout to self-care 🎉
Fast-forward and I’m pretty much done with the first part of the Python crash coursebook.
My goals for this week are to finish up learning functions in my Udemy course and to begin my first project. It’s a pretty simple tic tac toe game, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not excited to finally build something!
I’m delighted to share my experience with you lovely people. Hopefully, a few years from now this will inspire some warm nostalgia of me grinding it out in the library after work. (Speaking of libraries, if you’re not using your library to study or check out free coding books or even their free classes on lynda.com, you are missing out. Seriously.)
I’ll try to update weekly. Glad to have you. ✌🏾
Awkward Tech Girl 