My long term goal is to have sufficient software development skills to work remotely. I want to be competitive enough to choose to work on my own terms, choosing good and meaningful work that aligns with my values.
At this point I don’t know if this will be in the new field of web development or in a field adjacent to my previous experience such as data science or medical technology.
My perfectionism is a double edged sword that serves as both a strength and a weakness.
I have a sharp attention to detail and am sometimes too focused on what I can’t do or haven’t done rather than what I can do or have achieved.
I’m good at structuring my time and work. Sometimes I set unrealistic goals or fail to set healthy boundaries for myself when it comes to learning.
I would like to develop my conflict resolution and my need to try and control things, especially in a high pressure environment.
I work well with others and enjoy being part of a team but I look forward to challenging this in the pressure cooker that is the Bootcamp environment.
I commit first and foremost to self-care, prioritising my mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing and knowing that this will enable me to do my best work, both during this course, and as I enter a new professional field at a junior level.
I commit to working in a steady and sustainable fashion. I know that bringing my best self to work every day will ensure that I can work productively and engage effectively and compassionately with both my peers and facilitators.
I commit to sharing any learnings I found helpful, in terms of both tech and core modules, with my peers.
I will set clear boundaries. I will make sure to take time each day for myself. I will ensure I get enough sleep, eat well and move my body every day.
I have let my partner, family and friends know that this course will be a huge priority for me over the coming months, and have communicated that my social engagements will be of quality rather than quantity over this time.
If things are building up and starting to affect me negatively, I will communicate this to my support network - I consider my support during this time to my partner, my close friends, my peers and my facilitators.
Depending on the situation it will sometimes be appropriate to speak to my personal connections, and at other times to my peers or facilitator.
I will take a step back, breathe and be patient with myself. If the overwhelm stems from expectations I have placed on myself, I will remember to review these. I will call on my partner to help me review these expectations.
If the overwhelm stems from an external source such as course content or group projects, I commit to communicating this to my teammates and/ or facilitator in a timely manner - timely meaning that I don’t impact my team mates work or timelines.
I expect the facilitation team to support me to learn, as opposed to ‘teaching’ me anything. I expect a weekly check-in for the purpose of progress reporting and answering any non-urgent questions I may have gathered from that week.
In the event that my course mates or partner can’t help me, I expect the support of my facilitators in the event that I am unable to work through a technical road - block, despite trying to the best of my ability.
I commit to communicating such issues clearly - demonstrating my comprehension of the problem, and the troubleshooting attempts I have made.
I acknowledge the priviledged position I am in to be able to prioritise this course over other commitments for the next few months.
My goal at the moment is non specific, as I don't yet know what aspect of web development will appeal to me most. I may also feel pulled to link in my previous career as a medical scientist and study a statistical language when I finish the course. Regardless, my reason for learning web developemnt is so I can possess a skill that enables me to choose work on my own terms. I want to be skilled enough so I can choose to work with ethical companies that align with my values and who's aim is to make a positive impact in the world. I want to have enough skill to choose work that I am passionate about. I want to be skilled enough so I can choose work that is flexible and affords me a work life balance and the space to pursue my side passions.
I think my strengths will be my people skills and the fact that I enjoy being part of a team working towards something together. I acknowledge that this understanding of myself will be challenged within the high pressure environment of bootcamp. My main weakness will be my technical ability and self doubt. I have a tendancy to give myself a mental block when learning something I find very challenging, although I have been working on this during foundations and realise that taking more frequent breaks helps a lot.
Some non techincal challenges I forsee include:
My expectations of the Bootcamp team are similiar to that of the foundations team - I expect the Bootcamp team to support me to learn. I expect a check-in at the end of each phase for the purpose of progress reporting and answering any non-urgent questions I may have, as well as delivering feedback. In the event of a more time dependant question or issue that I have been unable to solve by other means, I would expect some support upon asking a well framed question and showing my attempts up to that point.
My expectations are that I will give each challenge my best effort, and that if I am struggling, to reach out to my team/ wider cohort in a timely manner - that is in a manner that doesn't disrupt the workflow or deadlines of any of my team mates. My expectations of myself are that if I need to reach out to a teacher, that I do it in enough time that they can help me without having to scramble before a deadline.
I commit to putting in 60 hours of my best effort each week of Bootcamp. I commit to showing up well rested and on time each day of Bootcamp. I commit to bringing the best possible version of myself each day. I wish to show empathy and compassion when dealing with myself and others during this time. I commit to a routine of 10 hour days midweek with 5 - 6 hours of work on both Saturday and Sunday. I commit to eating well and getting 8 hours of sleep a night. I commit to exercising every day by walking to and from the EDA site( or if we are working remotely, by getting an hour in nature each day). I commit to the two yoga classes offered per week and one class a week at my regular studio. I commit to one night off per week to spend intentional time with my partner.
I commit to engaging with the human skills coordinator and reaching out if I need support. I commit to self awareness and awareness of how my energy and actions affects other students, teachers, and community representatives.