#flatironhouston

[pandasandeggs]

1000 Pieces

I was having lunch with a friend this weekend discussing a problem they had just helped me with. I was stuck on it for a whole hour! They figured out what I was doing wrong in a matter of seconds. I was incredibly frustrated, not that I couldn’t figure it out, but that I didn’t feel equipped with the knowledge to solve my problem, even after googling it. He has been coding for years. I have been coding for weeks. 

I explained to him that it feels like coding is like trying to complete a 1000 piece puzzle. And when experienced programmer starts on the puzzle they have all 1000 pieces on the table. If one doesn’t fit, at least they know the piece they need is available, they just need to locate it. When I, a complete newbie, am trying to code, its like trying to solve this puzzle, but 500 pieces are missing. So when something doesn’t fit, or I run into a problem, I don’t even know if I have the piece I’m looking for! Both situations can be frustrating, but I rather be frustrated with all my pieces on the table...

He told me programming will always be like this. I will get stuck a lot. All programmers do. Sometimes for hours or days. It’s normal. It’s part of the process. 

And while that wasn’t the advice I was looking for, it was definitely the advice I needed moving forward. It was also validating to know, I’m not the only one who is struggling through lines of code trying to get it together. Especially when the solution seems so simple after you figure it out. Good luck to the stuck programmers out there! May your solutions be right around the corner. 

Panda

[pandasandeggs]

Coding Bootcamp: Day 1

I survived day 1! It was a really eventful, emotional day for me. I walked in full of excitement and curiosity about what school would be like and who I'd be learning with. The staff greet me by the elevators with big smiles. Everyone was really kind to each other. And suddenly, I felt 100% of the imposter syndrome I anticipated feeling.

I felt like everyone was going to find out how much I don't know and look down on me for it. Completely irrational, but still valid. And then came orientation. One of the Lead Instructors talked to us about not knowing what were doing (and how often we'll feel that way), the fear of failure, and - you guessed it - imposter syndrome. I was relieved to know that it was a common enough feeling to be discussed on the first day. It eased my mind a lot.

We did an ice breaker to get to know each other, then had lunch, and our first lecture. We got to work on our first labs together, which involved creating pages with basic information about each other. It was an important lab to me, because it showed me that I know more than I was giving myself credit for. And that reaching out for help isn't nearly as terrifying as it seemed like it would be.

We're all here to learn together. The instructors are here to help us learn. We're all going to make mistakes and that's okay. We're also going to have some amazing wins!

Here's to the first cohort at Flatiron School in Houston! We can do this!

Panda