It’s been a couple of weeks since I started coding bootcamp now, and in just a few short weeks I have learned enough to plan, design and set up a whole website - and there is lots more learning ahead as we have just commenced learning JavaScript, with even more technologies in store. It’s incredible really, that as someone with virtually no experience of coding can learn so much in just a few weeks - a testament to the great teachers at DevelopMe_ who truly are experts in their fields.
Changing careers is a pretty big deal at any point in life, but leaving a safe job that I had been in for years to go back to studying and entering a whole new industry has been a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. From the nervous anticipation of the first day of “school”, to the elation of discovering I’m absolutely loving it, to the joy of befriending all the wonderful people in my cohort and being taught by amazing teachers - it’s been a fresh breath of air in my life.
The first two weeks of the bootcamp were all about the basics; HTML and CSS specifically. From the beginning we have learned at an incredible pace - when they said it was an intensive course they really meant it - it’s been hard work, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding. By the end of week one we could set up a basic website, and by the end of week two we could create a multi page website and style it using SASS.
The challenge, create a photographer’s portfolio. The website is responsive and adjusts to three different device sizes using media queries, has a sticky navigation bar that turns into a drop down menu for smaller screens, and has social media icons with links in the footer on each page. The website also includes a blog page, and a contact form.
The website was created from an existing design provided by the teacher. We then had roughly a week to complete it and get it as close to the original design as possible, while also being functional and responsive.
The amazing thing is that the work didn’t feel like work at all. It was fun, and interesting, and I found myself still thinking about my website and tinkering with it in the evenings after class, playing around with flexbox and grids and testing how everything could be improved.
It can be hard to switch off in the evenings when you are really enjoying and invested in what you are doing during the day. As we move on to more heavy materials - JavaScript! - I know I need to get better at having some downtime as well. After all, rest is a vital part of the learning process.
Until next time, happy coding!