This year I’m learning new skills AND putting them into practice. I’m learning to code. A part of the process is that we’re supposed to document and post on twitter about it and since I owe my blog a new post, here it is.
What’s it like?
I’m going into week 3 of the class and it’s good but it’s hard. It is a free 30-week course hosted by Leon Noel. I’m new to apps like Discord and Twitch so it’s cool to be a part of course using these, what I would consider non-traditional learning platforms.
Each class, we’re assigned homework, things to read, watch and do and classes are twice per week, 3 hours each…really like a regular course if it were in person. You’re encouraged to make flash cards using Anki and really commit to spending time in the work daily.
Thoughts
It’s definitely a challenge because I’m not familiar with this html stuff at all and it’s forcing me to be in a space of discomfort, being completely new to this content and the amount of time it will take.
The first week went okay. I was able to get through a whole 4-week Coursera course in 4 days and finish the other homework in time for class. Week 2’s homework to complete Learn Shay Howe…Yeah, let’s just say the struggle is really real.
It was 2 hours before class and I was sitting in my chair being hit with waves of panic because I knew I would not have neither the assigned reading done nor the website done before class. I had to sit in that discomfort and frustration, looking at my shabby html code.
Thankfully, we can continue in the course even if we’re behind. We can submit homework late without penalty. It is a free course after all and the point is to learn and develop the skills. So it’s a slow mind shift for me that, just because I’m behind doesn’t mean that I’m failing, which is often the case (or how it feels) in a regular paid-for class.
This is a test in my discipline for sure and to do well, I’m going to have to stop procrastinating, thinking that if I just cram, I’ll be fine.
I’m learning how to learn again and for someone who has excelled in traditional academic models, this is actual work for me. Unlearning bad study habits and building new ones.
But it will certainly be worth it in the end. Time passes whether we do the things we think will take too long or not, so why not just do it?
As I post this begins Class #5. As I go back to listen to the videos on my own, I begin to understand things. It’s a journey and it’s important to remember that everyone is in their own lane so as long as I keep going, whether I finish it in 30 weeks or 50 weeks, I’ll get it done.
Life of Neu 