Piscine - How To Prepare? A Reflection And The Golden Ticket

This post is a continuation and the last post of my personal experiences during the 42 Piscine. I will write about my reflection and how I prepared for the Piscine. Do you want to know more about the 42 School and their piscine program? Read my previous two posts.

A Blink Of The Final Weeks

My last post ended with a reflection on the second week of the Piscine and my experience with failure. The third and fourth weeks (the final week) were very exhausting for me. During the middle of the third week, I felt tired, energy-wise. The projects became more complex, and my brain felt slower in terms of functionality. I was not alone in this feeling; everyone felt similarly, and we motivated each other to keep swimming. We were in this together.

That being said, the learning continued. We learned to create funky functions like atoi, Fibonacci, and putnbr. New concepts like recursion were on my learning list. I also completed a community service. Community service is a volunteering program where students can sign up for various tasks (e.g., cleaning equipment). In return, students receive virtual coins, which can be used to buy merch, drinks, etc.

In the final week, peer evaluations were hard to get. Everyone wanted to advance in their level and get their projects reviewed and validated. It became a hunt for points and peer review slots. Unfortunately, I also got sick during the last week and was knocked out for a few days. However, two days before the final exam, I was able to attend school again, and it felt like a final fight with my own willpower. The end was so near that it was almost sad, as it meant the month full of fast-paced learning was coming to an end.

As for the exams, I failed the third one but passed the final one. The relief after the final exam was unreal. I was happy, relieved, but also soooooo tired. And still a bit sick. Some students organized a party as a celebration. We partied—or rather, my peers partied. Unfortunately, I had to go back to bed to fully recover from my sick days.

And that was it. Four weeks of learning, failing, and growing came to an end. I was sad and happy.

Kudos to one of our peers who baked this cake for our celebration party ?

A Final Round Reflection

The Piscine was a roller coaster of emotions for me. It was a month full of humbling interactions and experiences with my peers, full of ups and downs. It wasn’t just about learning C; it was much more about reaching my limits, stepping out of my comfort zone, and becoming a team with 150 strangers. I struggled with failure, overcame it, and continued learning. I had to accept when I couldn't push further and needed to prioritize my health. Besides the daily interactions on campus with my peers, I couldn’t have many other social interactions with my friends. I left in the morning, headed to campus, and came back in the evening—tired, but somehow filled with a sense of power and an overwhelming curiosity to repeat the same schedule the next day.

Within two weeks after the final exam, I was waiting to hear whether I had been accepted to enroll in the core program. And guess what? I still can’t believe it—I got the Golden Ticket. I was accepted. I passed the Piscine. May the 42 School story continue.

The Factors That Helped Me Prepare And Pass The Piscine

I honestly believe that it is impossible to be actually prepared for the Piscine. Also, it’s a known fact that no one knows exactly what it takes to be accepted. I doubt that it’s about reaching a super high level in your projects or passing all the exams. I got as far as C06 and passed two out of four exams. I believe it’s more about the individual learning journey and progress throughout the month and how you engage with and support your peers and the community.

That being said, I nailed it down to three factors that I reflected on and which supported me get closer to the golden ticket.

Learn C Basic [Before]

• Courses: Crash course C w3school, Havardx
• Books: How computers really work

Relax [Before]

• Get a good rest and fill your energy bars beforehand (if you can). Also if possible, try to fully be free of other duties for the Piscine. The Piscine is an intense month. I probably used the word "intense" very often in my last posts. But this is what it was.

Be kind to Yourself and Other. Your aren't Alone in this. Grow together, Fail together. [During]

• Remember to be kind to yourself and others, it is an intense month full of learning. There are students from various backgrounds starting the Piscine at different levels.
• Try not to compare yourself against your peers, instead be a supportive shoulder for each other and grow from each other.

This is a wrap about my experience going through the Piscine at the Berliner campus. I want to express my gratitude to my support system: my closed ones and my mentor, my fellow Pisciners and soon-to-be 42 student peers (YAY), the staff of 42 Berlin, and the Grizzlies.

? Original post on my own blog

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