"Muad'Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It's shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad'Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson." - Dune

Long term goal and career pathway

My long-term career path / goal is the same as my previous answer below. What I would add is that I (and this might sound like a cliche and I am fine with that) want to leave the world a bit better by the end of my time. Be it through good relationships, making a positive impact with/through technology, being an inspiration (through my own excellence of character) or to mentor someone. That would be my definition of success and a fulfilling long term goal.

Strengths and limitations during bootcamp

Learning, resiliency and adaptability has luckily remained consistent strengths of mine during foundations and I think it will serve me well during bootcamp. I discovered during foundations that I do have the capacity to persevere despite how hard a challenge might be, and having aan overall mission (like the above) helps.

There is one caveat to my perseverance though, which is a limitation of mine that was prevalent throughout foundations. I am able to persevere and stick to a problem, but only after the initial 10 to 20 minutes discomfort of planning, thinking, and struggling. I would oftentimes switch context because of that discomfort which has its obvious drawbacks. I do enjoy a challenge, but that is only after I allowed my mind to settle in general and on the problem. It's almost as if my brain is saying 'Ok fine. I see you are still doing this thing? Let's get to work then.' After that, I am able to focus, learn, adapt and persevere which can be deeply satisfying.

Knowing the above I can intentionally compensate for my limitations by recognising what is happening and then gently, but firmly, telling myself that it's time to work. There is a quote from Steven Pressfield that comes to mind when I can't sit down and settle. It is in the context of writing but I believe it can be applied to programming as well:

"There's a secret that real writers know that wannabe writer don't, and the secret is: it's not the writing part that's hard. What's hard is sitting down to write. What keeps up from sitting down is Resistance."

Biggest non-technical challenge during bootcamp

My biggest challenge might be the steep learning curve. While I do enjoy learning, and that whole journey, I enjoy it most when I understand something almost in its entirety. If I don't then I will take my time until I do. During bootcamp I would have to be comfortable with moving on from a topic when I might not have mastered it as much as I would like. That would mean I would have to adapt my strategy form completeness to good enough and being as resourceful as I can along the way.

Non-technical human skills that I want to develop

The number one human skill that I want to develop would be to work along side and with other people in the context of programming. I am very interested to see how that pans out. Particularly because each person has their own preference and style of writing code. And each person is at a different level of mastery. I can image that trying to navigate that will be a test of ones own emotional intelligence.

Expectations from the bootcamp team

I would expect the team to treat everyone, including myself, with resect every step of the way. I expect the team to help me on my learning journey, to challenge my thinking and solutions. I expect the team to be open to any questions and help everyone with compassion and empathy. I don't expect the team to provide the solutions and walk away but I do expect each engagement to be informative, pleasant, and walk away having learned something.

Expectations of myself

From myself I would expect the following:

Long term goal and career pathway

My long-term career path would be to work in the Tech space as a full-stack developer. My long-term goal would be to work with people that align with my values and that I enjoy working with and vice-versa. Ultimately I want to work on something that is meaningful, all while enjoying the journey and be happy. Amongst that, with time and patience, I want to become a pragmatic programmer.

Strengths and limitations in relation to learning

One of my major strengths is that I enjoy learning. Coincidently, that will come in handy while I'm on this learning journey. Going from zero to competent is deeply satisfying for me so my journey at Dev Academy will be extremely enjoyable (with a fair bit of challenge to look forward to). If I need to learn something quickly I can be quite resourceful at procuring and weeding through complex information (aka google-it for short).

The other strength would be a combination of resiliency and adaptability. Inevitably challenges will arise but it’s our response to them that matters. I always try to adapt when things change and to bounce back quickly when I fail. Having such a mindset is key.

My biggest limitation would be my perception on what counts as "action" or working towards an end goal. I often don’t count planning as action so I would just jump straight in and make it up as I go along. I am learning to slow down and take smaller steps, which includes planning and just thinking (they too count as action). The second would be a need for things (or my knowledge about something) to be perfect. I would often times review, refactor, review, redo, review, reread… it can be stressful and prevent me from moving on and doing / learning other things. As discussed further below I am learning to be ok with "good enough".

"Delivering good software today is often better than perfect software tomorrow." - the pragmatic programmer

Development of Non-technical human skills

I have been curious for a long time on how software developers plan and build an app together. In that regard I am curious to learn how to do it and work effectively as a team. Through that I learn how to give and receive feedback, practice active listening, discover gaps in my emotional intelligence that needs improving, as well as sharpening my communication skills. Those aspects is what I want to learn in the human skills component of the course.

Managing workload

The key to my success on this learning journey would hang on my ability and commitment to look after myself and setting daily goals.

In respect of looking after myself: getting adequate sleep is the best nootropic there is and that is something I vow not to sacrifice. It has been proven over and over that the best way to learn, focus, be productive, to recharge, regulate emotion etc. is to get adequate sleep. Of course, at times, I would need to put in some extra work but on the whole I will make sure to get int he sleep and rest I need.

Secondly, I will ensure that I eat healthy, meditate regularly and that I keep on going for a run three times a week at minimum. Looking after myself will help me stay in a good emotional mindset. That will ultimately assist with managing my workload because I will be more effective and productive as a result. There is nothing worse than having to repeat things over and over due to a foggy and unfocused mind.

Then in respect of goals: I will set daily goals so that I know what I am working on and to track how my progress is going by reflecting on whether I'm on track or not. Adaptability in this regard is also important. I might be derailed due to new information, changing circumstance or a fresh issue; being flexible and not dogmatic will be important to completing my tasks.

If things are building up I will take stock of where I am and what I need to do. This will involve prioritising the most important tasks and being ok with “good enough”. I will also be sure to ask questions of my facilitator and/or fellow students for help if I am completely blocked and can’t progress. If things are getting to me I often find that going for a walk, a run, or meditating helps me regain my focus and clarity.

Seeking help (in a timely manner)

Depending on the issue that I am facing I will always search for the solution myself first. If I am still blocked I will ask my cohort on Slack, or in person for assistance. If I still can’t find a solution I will go to my facilitator for guidance. The timing for asking for assistance would depend on my tasks and goals for that day. I hope to have a general idea of how long I will take to accomplish something. That way I will be able to ask for help in a timely manner before I run out of it and derail my progress.

Expectations of facilitation team

I expect the facilitation team to help guide me through challenges and problems. I would want to be shown possible avenues for solutions (but of course not the solution) and also to be challenged on what I have come up with (maybe there is abetter way?). I would expect honest feedback that would help me better uncover my blind spots (be they technical or human skills). Finally I trust that they will have empathy for me and respond appropriately to my questions and where I am at.

Block-out times during bootcamp

At this stage those closest to me fully understand my time commitment to this journey and what to expect of it and of me. They respect my decision and time and I already have their full support. As such there is no major external commitments that would take a significant amount of my time during foundations or bootcamp.