Codeup Student Check In: Month 3

Codeup welcomed the Wrangell cohort on July 23. With the start of this cohort, we launched a new blog series: the Codeup Student Check In. We’ll interview a student over the course of their time with us to see how things are progressing from first impressions all the way to graduation. Thus, welcome to the Codeup Student Check In: Month 3!

Check out Month 1 and Month 2.Codeup: How has your experience been at Codeup so far? Wrangell Student: I’ve had a great experience so far. Everything has been what I imagined and more. I have learned things in a short amount of time that otherwise would’ve taken me months upon months to learn. The people here are some of the kindest and most supportive people that I’ve met in a long time, and I’m happy to have this experience in my life. C: Describe what you’re learning right now. Is it hard/fun/challenging? S: We’ve just started our capstone project which is the final hurrah of our Codeup experience. We are in the planning stages and it’s honestly a little overwhelming due to the sheer amount of information we’re communicating to our teammates and because of the volume of work that’s going to be done over this next week or two. Nonetheless, I am excited by the challenge and I know that our final project is going to be something that I will be really proud of and really happy to have been a part of. I’m excited to see how it will all pan out. C: How has the learning process/information gathering been?S: I love doing research and the focus of my research has shifted from solely academic to a balance between academic and professional. I am still researching new technologies as well as doing further research into the current curriculum but now I am also doing research into potential companies I’d like to work with. I’m interested in their mission and if their goals align with mine, both short and long term.C:What has been the most memorable part of this month?S:The most memorable part of this month has been actually shopping for new interview outfits, looking at myself in the mirror, and seeing a young professional. This has been one of my long-term goals and it’s a great experience seeing it come to fruition.C:How do you feel your skill level compares to last month? S: I think my skill levels are increasing each month. Now that we are going into full stack applications I can finally see the cumulative success of my time here.C: How have the instructors and staff been helpful? Have you started working with the placement side of Codeup? If so, can you elaborate on that? S: I am grateful for the mock interview process with the instructors. It’s really helpful to have your instructors grade you on your performance and prep you for real world interviews. These instructors all have some sort of practical experience and firsthand knowledge of the professional world. Their experience and advice is invaluable.C: Did you learn anything new at Codeup that you weren’t expecting? S: I wasn’t expecting to learn as many people skills as I did. I thought this was strictly a technical school and this really came as a surprise. I have really learned how to network and how to talk to people that I otherwise would have been scared to talk to. I’ve learned that people are people, just humans, and improving conversational skills to talk with them is valuable. Learning the value of a human connection in the professional world is a very exciting thing.C: Have you been interviewing for jobs? What has that been like? If not, do you know what type of role you are looking for? (Ie. Developer, Q/A, Tech sales, Tech Ed, etc)S: I’ve had a few interviews this weekend and they have been very exciting and stressful. Having interviews back to back is both a blessing and a curse. It’s important to destress at home and really be aware of your emotions and reactions to stress. Time management is another big challenge. How much time do I put into studying versus interview prep? How much time can I dedicate to other life roles and be a good girlfriend, good daughter, and good pet owner while still fulfilling my role as a student and job seeker? These challenges are tough to overcome, and this is where emotional awareness can really help.C: If you can give one piece of advice to any prospective students, what would it be? S: Really do your research. Know what you’re getting into. You can’t go into anything blind! Get as much knowledge as you can so you can thoroughly prepare for and enjoy this journey. A great plan will save you a lot of suffering in the long run.