Another Story from an Aspiring Dev

We are all over the place; self-taught developers, boot camp developers, and those striving to become one. Most of us have similar stories, similar reasons as to why we are in the position we find ourselves in.

As for me, as soon as I found out that you don’t need a Computer Science degree, it was all systems go.

I started with teaching myself JavaScript through online courses and tutorials, then I joined a camp where I am learning full stack development of web applications. The boot camp is amazing, really, I recommend it to anyone. Before the camp I didn’t have a plan. I was going to learn languages, and as many as I could. I didn’t fully grasp computer science theory and the way web services operate.

New Direction

Relatively, I was wandering through a forest with no map or compass. Bugs were often trails that were guarded by snakes, which I avoided. Avoidance only hurt my education. Within my first week, they had given me a compass, a map, a fresh pair of hiking boots, and a mental refresh after being lost for so long.

Down the Trail

As I ventured down this trail, more positive about my decision to become a developer, I found myself able to solve problems differently than before. My perspective changed and I took a more creative approach to handling any issues with code. Whether the issue a bug, error, or a misunderstanding of the language, I was better at figuring it out.

The Hill

I found myself exhausted, sore and my eyes strained sooner than expected. You wouldn’t think sitting in a chair could be so strenuous, and that’s coming from an Active Duty Seabee. When I sat back and looked at the big picture, I realized developing will always be an uphill battle. It’s not something you can learn and be done. There is always something to learn, new best practices to adapt to, and new problems to solve.

Into the River

After wandering the vast forest of programming, fighting my way through briar patches and thorns I finally found the river. It will take me where I go as I jump in, float, and live at its mercy.

I stood at the bank and pondered..

My life now revolves around code. During any free time I have, I am writing code. If not I am watching tutorials, listening to other developers and seeing the approach they take to certain problems. I read documentation, I work on my portfolio. It’s just become the lifestyle, it is rewarding although I haven’t earned a penny from it, yet.

I jumped, and here I float.