Foundations reflections
What are three new things you have learnt about yourself and your ego due to the core learning?
- I need to stop being so stubborn by sticking to solutions that aren’t working or are taking too long to implement. I need to remember the sunk cost fallacy.
- I find it quite difficult to write in detail about certain things that I just consider common sense, which leads me to frustration.
- I’m more determined and patient than I used to be. I would have given up a lot sooner when I was younger.
What are the role of values, empathy, and self-awareness in learning and programming?
I’m not too sure how to answer this question. Empathy and self-awareness are important for being a well-rounded individual. Having high levels of empathy and self-awareness will make you more likeable, and easier to work and learn with. If you can recognize what values your peers hold you can better understand them.
What has surprised you the most about the core learning?
Talking about my values and where they come from was surprisingly enlightening.
What were the most challenging aspects of the core learning?
I find it quite difficult to write in detail about certain things that I just consider common sense. Trying to explain why emotional intelligence, empathy, etc are important is in my opinion kind of like trying to explain why hurting others is bad. I’m not saying it’s not important to understand these things, it absolutely is. I just find it difficult to put into words things that I mostly just innately feel.
Why do you think we, a programming school, are spending so much time focusing on core learning in a web development Bootcamp course?
There are a few reasons I can think of. I imagine you’re teaching this to us to prepare us for the intensity of in-class work, which will probably be an emotional time. You’re trying to give us tools we can use to keep out mental health in check while we navigate changing careers and the challenges that come with that.
I’ve been working in tech for around 7 years so I know what it’s like to some extent.
Separately from the above, not having the sorts of values we’ve been talking about doesn’t necessarily make you a bad programmer, but it does make the industry itself worse. You don’t want to create another self aggrandizing software engineer with a god complex. There’s enough sexism, racism, elitism, and arrogance in the tech industry already. Making sure graduates have an understanding of empathy, emotional intelligence, self-awareness etc will hopefully help curb that.
Does the time you spent studying core learning here feel like a waste of time? Should you have just used that time to practise programming instead? Justify your answer.
I think certain aspects of it were not super helpful for me personally (Mindfulness isn’t for everyone). I wouldn’t say it was a waste of time though. At the very least it’s always good to take time out for introspection, and programming the whole time would have quickly lead to burn out.