Techniques I’ve Learned Along The Way To Get By
Managing Time
I’ve always found it hard to manage my time, even before starting this bootcamp. Before I started this bootcamp I thought that I’d never have anytime to myself, and that I was going to being at my computer working 24/7. But being in a structured environment like ours, forces me to plan out my day like I never have before. By planning out my day I’ve realized how much more work I can get done and how much more time I can save for myself, which also coincides with managing stress.
Managing Stress
If anyone is experiencing what I’m experiencing during this bootcamp, then this is the most stressful time of your life. Similar to managing time, managing stress is just as important. Managing stress can be completely different for each individual, but the core process is the same: make time for yourself, find something you love to do outside of coding, and spend time with loved ones. For me, stress management includes playing tennis or playing video games. I try to spend as much time as possible outdoors due to being cooped indoors because of the pandemic and now the virtual element of this class. When I’m not outdoors, I love playing video games. For me, video games are less about playing the games themselves, but connecting with friends from all over, which the pandemic has made nearly impossible.
Learning Techniques that Worked for Me
One of the troubles I came across, while becoming a born-again student, is how to process all the new information in such a short amount of time. When I was a full-time student, I used to take plenty of notes, but I never found it completely effective. I quickly learned that my old ways of studying were not going to allow me to achieve the best results in this course. While note taking during lectures and re-reading them might work for others in the class, I have learned that re-watching lectures is the most effective way for me to memorize material. On top of re-watching lectures I also redo as many labs as I can. For many, the way to absorb the most amount of material in the shortest amount of time, is to physically do the processes over and over again rather than simply write about them.
Of course not all of these techniques that work for me, will work for you. It’s always important to find out how to maximize your learning capacity, and free time so that you can grow as a learner and continue to do the things that you love to do.
