Sarah's Spiels

A journey of learning

Learning plan - revisited

My long term goal

My goal going into bootcamp remains the same. I want to come out the other side of this course with a new skillset and the ability to grow and develop this further out in the 'real world'. By the end of this course I would also like to have of an idea about my path going forward.

My strengths and limitations

After completing foundations and looking again at my strengths and weaknesses I don't feel there have been any significant changes. I've always been pretty good at picking up new things and learning, but coming into foundations I was worried that since having a baby I had lost my potential to learn, and that I no longer function as well as I used to. I was pleased to realise that despite this concern I'm actually doing ok.

My biggest non-technical challenge

I think balancing my family life will definitely be a challenge over the next few weeks. Despite having a number of things in place the mum guilt is real!

Non-technical skills to develop

Definitely my communication! I'm not always good at articulating what I want to say, especially on the spot.

What are your expectations from the Bootcamp team?

An inclusive learning environment. I would like to be supported in my own discovery of solutions to problems but with explanations and feedback on how to improve along the way.

What are your expectations of yourself on Bootcamp

To manage my time well. Remaining commited to seeking understanding over answers. And to continue to work on developing myself in the areas I am lacking.

Learning plan - foundations

I enrolled at Dev Academy wanting to change my career path. My main goal for my career is to achieve a good work-life balance. I want to gain enough skill to be able to work flexibly – opening up opportunities to work remotely and around my family life.

I've always loved learning, and it is exciting for me to explore new topics and ideas. I'm a logical, methodical person, which can be useful for learning new concepts. On the flip-side though I can be rigid, and inflexible. These traits both help and hinder my learning. When there is a clear path to follow I do well. But I sometimes begin to flonder with setting a new direction and being decisive.

I'm definitely a jack-of-all-trades type of person and if I'm totally honest some of this definitely comes from indecisiveness.

One of my limitations is definitely my interpersonal skills. I work well with others but I tend to be focused on the task rather than the people and sometimes can come across blunt in my interactions. I'm a quiet person, and struggle with building connections that aren't based just on the current task at hand.

I can see already that this course is going to be challenging! It'll be really important to stay on track with the workload so I don't get left behind. There are a few key ways for me to manage this. I will need to:

Schedule my time and front-load the day.While I used to be a night owl, I actually work better in the mornings now. Especially now that I have a young child and my evenings and nights can be sporatic and exhausting. I know I feel much more comfortable if I have at least got a good start on things at the start of the day.

Manage my breaks. One behaviour I'm aware of is my tendancy to get more distracted as the day goes on as I begin to get tired or overwhelmed. Sometimes a small break to refresh can turn into 20 trips to the kitchen for a snack. I will need to be more intentional with how I am taking breaks. It's important that a break is a positive and refreshing, not an excuse to procrastinate.

Put the big stones in first. This is a mindfulness technique I learnt years ago. The lesson goes like this: If you are trying to fill a jar with stones, but you put all the small stones in first, by the time you get to putting in the big stones it will be hard to make them fit. But if you put the big stones in first, the smaller stones can be fit in around them. This can be applied in so many ways: As a reminder to break down tasks into the most important elements, to prioritise the important things and not get caught in the details too early, and also, as a way to manage your time.

When the work is piling up and I am getting overwhelmed I need to remind myself to take those intentional breaks, change my perspective if I can, and reach out for support.

I tend to take the initiative to try and solve problems on my own or google for answers when I get stuck. But sometimes this can turn into stubborness, or finding a solution that doesn't quite solve the problem. During this course I need to stay aware of this habit, and get better at asking for help. If I can't find a solution in 20 minutes of searching or I suspect there may be a better option I will make use of the discord channels to seek help from the amazing students on this course. After that, I'll seek out the knowledgeable facilitators to point me in the right direction.

It's been a while since I studied, so I'd really appreciate feedback from the facilitation team if they flag anything I need to improve on.

I have a few regular commitments I will need to allow when scheduling my time. This includes taking my son to his weekly swimming lesson on Saturday mornings. I'll also need to swing out for the occasional daycare pick up and drop off, and will need to factor in some time for important whanau appointments that are coming up over the next couple weeks. So far I know I need to block out: