Foundations Reflections

What are three new things you have learnt about yourself and your ego due to the core learning?

My ego is bigger than I thought it was! I don't like putting my ego on the line and asking for help. When I do realize that I am bigger than my ego and ask for help, I always wonder why I didn't ask for help sooner!

What are the role of values, empathy, and self-awareness in learning and programming?

Having a good sense of self-awareness in learning is really important. When we are self aware and can identify our feelings and regulate them in a healthy way, it leads to better connections. When we are self aware we can identify our values and what is important to us. Having empathy is essential because when we put ourselves in someone else's point of view, we see where they are coming from. It really helps in coding as when we recognize someone else's feelings, we can react in helpful ways and this leads to better connections with others.

What has surprised you the most about the core learning?

That core learning is just as important if not more important than the technical side of learning! There is no point being a good programmer if you don't know how to interact and build rapport with others. There is a lot of teamwork in coding so it's essential to have good interpersonal skills with teammates.

What were the most challenging aspects of the core learning?

Making sure I stuck to the allocated time slots for the core aspect. It's quite easy to get carried away when you're delving into a topic.

Why do you think we, a programming school, are spending so much time focusing on core learning in a web development Bootcamp course?

Because it is essential to have good interpersonal skills when we get our first junior developer jobs! We need to know how to communicate effectively with others.

Does the time you spent studying core learning here feel like a waste of time? Should you have just used that time to practise programming instead?

Not at all. It's nice to have a break from the technical side of things especially when we've been coding for a good part of the day. It's beneficial to reflect and to get a good understanding of why good interpersonal skills are essential in the workplace.