My Journey To Tech And The Flatiron School
Last May, Software Engineering was a dream that I had tried to hide away in my mind. I was graduating college and I no longer had time to think of the what-ifs. My decision to pursue a degree in Environmental Science was now set in stone with a piece of paper. Deep down I was heart broken. I had spent most of my life behind a computer screen in small town Alabama. As a kid, I was the person much of my family would come to for a computer related issue, or tech related issue in general. I was good with computers and I had known that my whole life.
Being in small town Alabama, I wasn’t surrounded by tech. None of my family were “techy” which I thought, at the time, really held me back in what I should know when it came to tech. It also played a big part in what I “thought” I could do. One thing that stuck with me throughout my life was music. I loved music. I remember always wanting to be a huge rockstar, however, I could never play an instrument and had never really tried. It wasn’t until college that I decided to learn to play guitar. I was months and months of practice, videos, books, etc. When it clicked, it clicked. Teaching myself to play guitar to the point where I am actually good will always be the most rewarding thing I have ever done. As I got older, my love of music never faded, only strengthened.
While in college, I had thought about pursuing a CS degree or even transferring to a school that offered Software Engineering. Convincing myself proved to be a dead end task. Fortunately and unfortunately, HBO was still making its comedy series on the tech world, “Silicon Valley”. The show only fueled my love for tech. Which really hurt. At the same time, it’s one of the funniest shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of binging(three times). In a weird way, it almost helped to open a path to where my story goes from here. In the end, it left a hole in my soul that I would always regret(or so I thought).
The Pandemic
As 2020 rolled around, I still had a fresh college degree in hand and no job prospects. Life was pretty bland to say the least! Much of my free time was spent browsing the internet endlessly for jobs. Any jobs.
Queue the Pandemic…
In February 2020, the Covid-19 Pandemic rocked our country and took with it our daily lives, routines, families, friends and so much more. For me, the future was bleak. I decided to pack my bags and move in with my father in Colorado in hopes of saving money and coming up with some kind of plan…any plan(also just to quarantine with family). I had to make the most of a time where opportunity was low and the future was and still is not clear.
In March 2020, a close friend who knew how much I envied Software Engineers and knew of my “long lost dreams”, began to talk to me about Coding Bootcamps. What else was I gonna do? Talk to my wall some more?? I began to research Bootcamps. I came up with a top 3: Flatiron School, Hack Reactor and General Assembly. The more I read, the closer I got to pursuing a dream. I knew that I needed WAY more knowledge than what I had to get started. So, I did enough research to produce my top 2 favorite “learn to code” platforms on the web: The Oden Project and FreeCodeCamp.com
I began my journey on the Oden Project, going through their structured curriculum day after day. I took notes, watched videos, practiced and forged key learning skills. I went a step further as to start reading more in depth material on computational theory. I wanted to know as much as possible.
Applying
Upon my completion of the Oden Project platform. I decided it was time to apply and get this show on the road. I went through a two-day process of researching the schools one last time, going over tiny details and even scoring the schools. Location played a HUGE role in this decision as I had decided to move to the location that I chose. If I was gonna do this, I was gonna do it the best possible way.
Flatiron from day 1…
Choosing Flatiron was an obvious choice for me. They had the curriculum I wanted, they had the community I needed, and they had the track record to prove it. Along with that, Flatiron had a location in San Francisco. A place that encompasses not only my music taste and the history to go with it, but the entire epicenter of Technology. I set my sights on Silicon Valley.
My first initial contact call with Flatiron Admissions went very well. It was a standard Q&A type call. I happily answered all of the questions with straight and honest answers, being very transparent on where I stood within this new field. My impressions from the short call were very good. Admissions were very detailed and genuine. They truly wanted to get to know you, which was an amazing feeling.
After the call, It was go time. I was sent a link to the flatiron admissions work through their portal to go through and complete the pre-work and what would eventually be the admissions test…
Admissions
Almost a month went by before I felt ready enough to schedule the big interview. Admissions, again, were AMAZING when answering questions. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I was stressed beyond belief. Sleep was no longer a thing. I wanted so badly to be able to see this dream have a chance that it consumed me. Just for good measure, I went through the modules on FreeCodeCamp.com
Interview Scheduled. I got this…. I think
The day was finally here. I get a chance to prove that I am ready to join this program and pursue a dream. I was nervous but excited. I knew I was ready. I had blown the admissions challenge code work out of the water and knew it from back to front. I could explain the ins-and-outs and what every line of code was doing.
I join the zoom call with my interviewer. She simply says “Explain your code”. I explain my code and even give it some over kill explanations just to be sure. The interviewer helps me refactor a couple of lines of code, tells me I did a great job, ask me for questions, and ends the call. Straightforward. Done.
The Day
I literally waited for a callback/email/answer for what seems like 80 years. It was torture. “Did I do ok? Did I mess something up? Let me check that code again…ugh!”. I was a nervous wreck. Pacing around my house all day, checking emails. It was miserable to say the least.
Then, my phone began to ring. It was Admissions. This was it. I answered the phone, exchanged pleasantries and then in an instant, all the months of hard work I had put forth had paid off. I would be apart of a program that will allow me to learn the tools that I need to be successful in this industry. I was filled with unbelievable joy! Planning my future starts…
…Now
I moved from Alabama to Colorado, from Colorado, to Silicon Valley(Palo Alto, California). I could not be more happy with the choice. To me, this area is a dream come true. I’m surrounded by some of the biggest tech companies in the world. The scenery is unbelievable. A quick 45 minute drive and I’m in San Francisco, a breathtaking site. Being here has fueled my drive to work day and night to become a great Software Engineer. I am beyond grateful for these opportunities and I hope to stick around a while.
Where I stand now depends on where you look at it. Right now, I have just completed a hellish Phase 1 in Flatiron School, now moving through Phase 2 with Ruby on Rails(basically magic). You may see it from where I stood a few months ago. Where thinking of the students taking the program right now was almost like a freshman looking up to a senior. Maybe imposter syndrome is setting in as you inch closer to an admissions interview or your first day. Being a Flatiron student now, I can tell you that all of those feelings are real. However, I am looking forward to the future ahead, the next phases of the program, the knowledge I will gain through the school and own my during this process. It is a daunting thing be in class each day, learning what seems to be a literal scramble of letters and numbers at first. Yet, when you conceptualize and practice daily the fundamentals of this amazing industry, you’ll find that it is the most rewarding experience.
Whether you are on the fence for attending a Bootcamp or getting ready for your first day of Bootcamp, know that you made the right decision to follow a tough, but rewarding path to join a wonderfully robust and diverse community of people with a common goal. To build something for the future.
No matter your background, Welcome.
**I truly welcome any questions regarding Software Engineering Bootcamps of any kind, code, tech or opinions for future pieces.
