What I&#d do differently in Bootcamp. (spoiler: Everything)

So, now with the end in sight for my bootcamp journey I get to reflect on what I've learned (so much), how far I've come (pretty far), and what's left to learn (pretty much everything). More than that I get to look back on my progress, all my accomplishments and say "Wow, I did that COMPLETELY wrong. It's literally amazing my house didn't burn down."

So, number one:

Biggest thing I can say is, just start coding. Every lab seems Machiavellian and every app seems like an impossible task for anything other than Androids. Just start with one thing you can do. Whatever the bare minimum is. Write a function. Import something you know you'll need. Even if its just writing pseudo code for something that you have no idea how to do. Write it. Code it. Get the clickety clack of the keys going in some way shape or form. It doesnt matter whether you're right or it works. What matters is you're coding. Inevitably, a great deal of coding is actually just staring at a screen in bewilderment. Bewilderment is fine, but procrastination is not. Too much time is spent wondering how to do something instead of trying to do it, even if the result is abject failure (which will become a close friend).

Number two:
Good lord, dont hesitate to ask for help. Especially from people who are making their living being there to help you. I promise you, you're not going to ask a question they havent heard or asked themselves. No amount of trouble you're having will make them think you're stupid and shouldn't be here. Accept that being wrong, failing, and not understanding a concept is all NORMAL. It is actually quite necessary. No matter who you are, there will be issues you cannot solve on your own. More than you can count. Give yourself time to struggle, but you dont want to lose progress getting over one hill. Everything you learn will be connected to something else. The more you learn, the more other things that are seemingly unrelated will make sense. This includes hearing people that are more knowledgeable than you talk about things and you have no idea what they're saying. Give it your best try. Try again. One more time. After that point its ok to ask for help.

Number 3:
Take a break. Not too many, but an 8 hour crunch is going to be exponentially less effective the longer you go without stepping away for a bit. Take a refresher now and then. Dont let it get too long, but make sure you dont skip it either. Taking 15 or 20 minutes to charge will work wonders in the following hour or two.

Number 4:
Somewhat related to number 2, but dont let criticism get you down. The best instructors will not hesitate to tell you exactly what you did wrong and, just like efficient code, they wont waste any time or mince any words. Make sure not to take it personally, no matter how badly it seems like they're eviscerating your idea, your pitch or the logic of your code. They're probably right. Take it in and whatever you're working on will be in a better spot because of it.

Number 5:
You deserve to be here. By whatever metrics such a thing can be judged, you meet them. You earned the spot. All the success in the world is available to you, but no one will hand it to you. Work on bettering yourself as much as getting your code. This is an opportunity that you've earned. Make the most of it.

The above is the detailed content of What I&#d do differently in Bootcamp. (spoiler: Everything). For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!