Long-term goal

Keep practicing until I have the skills to contribute as an entry level web developer.

What do you think your biggest strengths and limitations will be in Bootcamp?

My original strengths and limitations remain, but I have discovered another limitation which is to slow down with frustration, and grind to a halt when stuck. I need to remind myself of quick fixes to break out of the pit and re-set (take a break, call a friend, stretch…)

What do you think your biggest non-technical challenge at Bootcamp will be?

Balancing time with my kids, their activities and home life.

What non-technical skills - human skills - would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?

• Improving my reflective skills and habits.
• Creating habits of taking breaks when getting bogged down.

What are your expectations from the Bootcamp team?

• Clear expectation of time commitment, timetable etc.
• Some flexibility for special events for children
• Support when needed (after other problem-solving techniques and peer support used) - within a reasonable timeframe.

What are your expectations of yourself on Bootcamp

I will commit to:

• Walk and from bootcamp (30min exercise built-in).
• Be focused and present in bootcamp hours.
• Learn about all opportunities to seek help / feedback /advice from the facilitators.
• Take advantage of the above.
• Make connections with other learners and offer support as well as asking for help.
• Make use of opportunities to meet industry/community representatives.
• Prioritise my kids outside bootcamp hours.
• Get to sleep by 10pm.

Long-term goal

Entry-level web development role in a company with a mission which inspires me, and some parent-friendly work schedule flexibility.

Strengths and limitations

Strengths: Quick reader, good memory.

Limitations: Introversion, lack of confidence, shyness.

Which strengths might help you and how do they intersect with learning obstacles

Embracing my dominant read-write learning style, I can make good notes and retain information by reviewing them.

A learning obstacle of ‘getting distracted’ can be avoided by focusing on creating notes which will serve as a journal and reference later.

Share an example of trying to work productively with others, but there was resistance or tension

Sometimes I experience frustration in group work due to my introversion. Either I feel unable to get my ideas heard (as I find it hard to interrupt more confident people), or I sometimes feel unsure of how the project will be organised/delegated and don’t know how to clarify.

Strategies I used are to try to pin down what ‘my’ secion of the project is and work alone on that. Now, I would try to suggest another communication method for the group like Discord or Slack that would be easier to use to continue communication.

What skills (non-technical - human skills) would you like to see developed in yourself while at Dev Academy?

• Team & leadership skills
• Self-discipline
• Resilience
• Communication skills

Workload management commitment

I will commit to:

• Being focused and present in foundations/bootcamp hours.
• Arranging help with other responsibilities (e.g. school pickup, children’s activities)
• Having a daily and weekly schedule
• Sharing this schedule with my family
• Blockout time for workouts, walks, meditation and household chores
• Getting enough sleep
• Eating well & managing caffeine intake
• Writing clear and visually appealing notes, print cheatsheets and keep everything organised.

When things build up and get overwhelming I will...

• Take a break.
• Take a walk.
• Reach out to my homegroup.
• Message my facilitator to make a time to discuss.

A description of what you expect from the facilitation team:

• Weekly homegroup check-in.
• Timely response to any message if feeling overwhelmed.