An Alumni’s Experience @ LEARN
After a year of countless online web development tutorials and courses, I began to feel like I was spinning my wheels. I knew I was learning things but felt like I go going nowhere. There were so many different languages, frameworks, libraries, and technologies and I struggled with knowing where to start or being able to see the big picture. Already having a degree in Biology, another excruciating four years at a university wasn’t an option for me. I began to feel lost and defeated; doomed to serve tables forever. That is until I heard of the new web development bootcamp opening in San Diego.
It almost seemed too good to be true and as anyone would be, I was a little skeptical and cautious at first. What if web development isn’t really for me? What if I’m horrible at it? What if I can’t find a job? All of these “what ifs” and doubts were running through my head. After all, it was a huge investment, but deep down I knew I enjoyed coding and that this was what I was meant to do. So I took a leap of faith and it ended up being the best decision I’ve ever made.
During the first day of the bootcamp, it was pounded into our heads that it was going to be one of the hardest things we had ever done, that at times we were going to feel like we were drowning, not keeping up, or that we didn’t know anything at all. And all of that was true at times, but what I wasn’t expecting was the constant gratification I felt after solving a tough problem I had struggled with all day, finally being able to see the big picture, or building my first functioning web application.
In short, attending a web development bootcamp is a daunting feat, but totally worth it in the end. And with the help and support of the amazing staff and fellow students, it really isn’t so bad after all. Not only did attending LEARN academy give me the direction, focus, and skills I needed to be successful in the real world, but it allowed me to meet many great friends and mentors along the way.
Immediately after graduating, I got a job doing contract work. I was ecstatic, my first job! It was a front-end position using a framework I had no experience with. Once again, I felt as if I was thrown into the deep end, but this time I decided to embrace this feeling of being uncomfortable (it really never does go away) and give it my all. It ended up being a amazing experience; I learned a lot of valuable new skills, met a some really awesome people, and found that I actually really love working on the front-end.
It has been one year since I made the decision to take my future into my own hands and pursue my dream career. Today, I am currently working as a Front End Developer at an amazing company. I love my job and that I get to create, problem solve, troubleshoot, and learn something new everyday. I know, without a doubt that I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not taken that leap of faith twelve months ago.