Attending a Coding Bootcamp During a Global Pandemic

I attended a coding bootcamp during the coronavirus pandemic. This is my story.

As I mentioned in my first ever blog post, I graduated from Actualize Coding Bootcamp back in May of 2020. This is one of Chicago’s longest-running web development bootcamps. I first learned about this bootcamp thanks to Course Report.

Like anyone with a skeptic mind, I was hesitant at first to give them a shot. By the time I came across Actualize, I had already narrowed down my search to two options: Fullstack Academy and Flatiron School. Little did I know that choosing Actualize would quickly become the best decision I made during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Actualize is founded, designed, and taught by expert educators. Every lead instructor has years of experience in both tech and education. This became apparent to me when I was invited to observe one of their lectures. There, I was greeted by the Dean of Instruction, Peter Jang, who would later become my Lead Instructor. He was exuberant, knowledgeable, and the students were engaged throughout the lecture because of this supportive environment they had built together around this teaching philosophy: that anyone can learn to code.

I did my due diligence and messaged Actualize grads on LinkedIn to get a comprehensive look at what this program offers. What I gathered was that this was a coding bootcamp with a highly supportive staff that teaches you the fundamentals of software engineering and works with you beyond the bootcamp through career support to land a job in the tech industry.

They did not offer a deferred tuition program, but they did offer scholarships. They also offered a daytime course as well as a nights-and-weekends course so you’re not pressured to quit your day job in order to attend. In addition to that, you could choose between a fully remote or in-person option. I went with the nights-and-weekends in-person course because that worked best with my schedule and learning style.

Things were looking up, and I enjoyed the first several weeks of my cohort. Then, the coronavirus pandemic emerged…

I was so afraid at first. But everyone at Actualize remained resilient. Peter worked quickly to ensure that every student in my cohort had access to all the equipment necessary to transition to a fully remote format. Lisa Tucker, Career and Mental Health Counselor at Actualize at the time, made herself available to any students in need of counseling. I never felt so supported in my entire life like I did back then. Their tenacity and compassion led me to believe that I could thrive even in this environment and I did.

Everything happens for a reason. This was only the beginning of my journey towards a career in tech, but I was assigned this first mountain to show others it can be moved. I went on to design and build projects on my own and with tech mentors. In less than 6 months after completing the coding bootcamp, I was hired! I carry the skills and growth mindset I picked up at Actualize to this day. I am beyond excited to continue honing and advancing my skills.

4 Habits That Are Helping Me Right Now as a Software Engineer

What healthy habits are helping you right now? For months I did not address this question with the honest introspection it deserved. I was waking up every day with one goal in mind: land an entry level role as a software engineer. Driven by my insatiable thirst for software engineering, I committed code to GitHub, engaged in Codewars, connected with software engineers and technical recruiters, applied to jobs, read up on data structures and algorithms, listened to tech podcasts, pair programmed, and even met with tech mentors on a regular basis. Something was missing, though, something integral to the process. In this blog post, I outline 4 healthy habits that transformed my life and continue to help me right now as a software engineer. I am not a health expert, I am merely sharing my personal experience.

  1. Adequate Sleep

This one is fundamental, but why is it so hard for me? Because I lie to myself about how much I need and find excuses to stay up longer than recommended. I cannot tell you how many YouTube videos, Netflix shows, and social media platforms I prefer to engage in over sleep.

On average, 8 hours of sleep does wonders for me. I feel more rested, focused, and productive after a good night’s sleep.

2. Exercise

Finding the time for this habit does not come easy to me. Like many people, I have a ton of other responsibilities outside of coding, and I described some of those earlier. So I started making time and stopped making excuses. Even a 10-minute stretch and deep breathing exercise can be so revitalizing while listening to an episode of the CodeNewbie podcast.

This daily habit protects me against those aches and pains that come from time spent on my laptop (it happens to the best of us) that can lead to serious long-term complications if left unmitigated. It also restores me and alters my mood in a positive way, equipping me with a better mindset to go about my day.

Another activity I find helpful is going to the park or going on long walks. During this global pandemic, it is especially important for me to make time for my body and find open spaces to move around freely.

What exercises or physical activity do you find useful?

3. Creativity

This one is my favorite. When I’m not coding, I love to write songs, play guitar, and sing. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding something that takes me away from my screen. My generation spends so much time in front of screens that finding creative outlets of expression that remove us from screens is so beneficial to our overall health. If you can manage to integrate Habits 2 and 3 (e.g. by picking up dancing or playing soccer), then by all means go for it. I love efficiency!

4. Gratitude

Compassion, empathy, self-reflection. Being able to connect with people inspires gratitude in me. Trusting in the process knowing that I have done enough at the end of a productive or restful day is important. Without this habit, one can quickly become overwhelmed and lose sight of what matters. Left unattended, this can quickly become an infinite loop of negative self-talk. What helps is to recognize that there are so many things outside of my control, but I am the agent of everything inside of my control. This is fundamental to developing a growth mindset.

In Conclusion

As a software engineer, and as a professional in general, it is vital to find habits that propel your work and overall wellbeing. I hope you find these daily habits useful to your journey as a software engineer. Let me know your thoughts below. What habits work for you? What habits will you consider changing to make room for healthier ones?

Hello, World!

My name is Ernesto and this is my first coding blog. I am excited to dive deep into the fundamentals of software engineering. Welcome to my journey through the good, the bad, and the infinite loops!

I recently graduated from Actualize Coding Bootcamp in Chicago. I signed up for the in-person cohort but due to Covid-19, we were left with no choice but to transition to a fully remote format halfway through the coding bootcamp. Stay tuned for a future post where I will share my full experience at Actualize.

I welcome every opportunity to advance my skills. My daily routine includes hacking away at coding challenges, designing and building projects, and reading about data structures and algorithms. Currently, I am reading two books:

  1. A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition by Jay Wengrow
  2. Cracking the Coding Interview: 150 Programming Interview Questions and Solutions by Gayle Laakmann McDowell

In My Spare Time

When I’m not coding, I’m investing quality time to playing guitar, songwriting, playing soccer, and listening to audiobooks using the Libby app. I look forward to growing as a software engineer, a creative problem solver, and as an effective communicator. Stay tuned for the next post!

Do you have an opportunity you’d like to share? Wanna talk about code, soccer, or audiobooks? I encourage you to reach out!