Are there any other type B coders out there and do you have any input how or if you had to find different ways to learn coding. I find most of the platforms and boot camps are sort of geared towards more type A minds. I had to reverse engineer most of the tutorials I have found in order to learn. What are your experiences ?
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Top comments (6)
I think this post speaks to a lot of folks. More often than not there are entirely mediocre or less than competent folks who are still able to contribute and get jobs in tech (case in point, me). It takes me much longer to learn and apply mathematical or logical principles but I have the tendency of trying over and over until something works or enjoy just about knowing every little thing enough to keep doing this. I have a habit of watching tons of "explain like im 5" style videos and creating my own tiny projects to learn.
Yes! My process is just doing it over and over and building project until I naturally get it. My mind must understand the CONTEXT. The hardest thing is when these platforms try to teach you it's design for one type of mind and you get ZERO context. Just tell me point blank, what the parts are,why and what something is. Adding one thing at a time without saying why is confusing. I'm learning Middleman now and ERB. It's hard because nothing is complete to show you how and why. BUT a huge plus is that you are problemly able to see the connections of all these things. I just wish more space is made for type B thinkers.
Also I don't think your wrong so much focus is on speed how can one really learn all they need in 16 weeks? You can't many people wash out because their brains are simply not prepared for the work and the fact your setting down for 8 hours and fixing code. Most will not be making big big things but smaller parts. I think it takes at least 2 years to learn the basics and tools also I believe learners should souly focus on making projects. There should be ways for people to learn the basics BUT not promise a job and also not focus on speed. I have to ask why do we learn coding? Is it to get a job at FANG or is it to grow and learn a new skill?
I'm not a proponent of the bootcamp model though I'm don't think there's anything wrong with going to one if they provide a fair amount of career support, realistic expectations, and guidance after. It's hard to tell what any camp's culture is like... and the one I went to was clear from the start they wouldn't be offering any support.
I went through one and it wasn't the first time I coded, and more like a survey of the Javascript ecosystem that was trendy at the time. If I knew what I did now, I would have focused on JS fundamentals and problem-solving skills ahead of trying to learn a bit of every part of the software dev lifecycle.
Since then I've had 3 jobs in tech and two of them didn't involve performing dev tasks full time and I was constantly waiting for company approval. I didn't believe I was good/mediocre enough, and therefore didn't reach higher. When I did make the job and realized I wasn't good enough, I also knew I had to work triple hard to create projects and keep applying to other places with the idea that I would learn more, and faster amongst a team instead of staying home and beating myself down.
imo the hardest part is to find the strength to keep enjoying instead of letting occupational trauma ruin it all.
The schools of thought I've been exposed to at previous workplaces were varied, and it could be said some were too strict for not being anywhere near a FANG company. Without the kind of context for solution and pattern recognition that a CS degree offered, it was very easy to sway me into thinking the best way to do something or whomever was qualified was whatever the tech lead thought.
I can only say the strange satisfaction of making a dumb idea work and also having a community online is what keeps me going ... there's definitely a handful of people who looked at me like I'm stupid for continuing while between jobs. I'm trying to get to a better place mentally and not let being a "dev" or worker become my identity.
Hi Joshua!
I don't have certificate to confirm I'm type B :) Though I believe this is about me too.
But see, I started programming more than 20 years ago, while in school. There were no boot camps, no online courses, no internet even :) It was just luck to get some decent book from friends of friends or in school library.
So it allowed to progress in "my own pace". I felt joy creating some another piece of garbage, some trivial console game etc. By and by I got through several languages and after being kicked out of university, spending two years in army, then being kicked out of next university (but after longer period), I started looking for job.
Surely first jobs were not brilliant, but it's ok. IT industry nowadays has dozens of branches for very different people. For example QAs and programmers are almost polar. So usually one finds some job, provided some persistence.
When one gets to company, one gets some "self-approval" about the chosen way and it helps further progress. Or one may found it is not to his/her liking. But generally, again, there are so different opportunities, so everyone can find suitable place.
However, it is important not to mistake with being just completely lazy. All programmers should be lazy in some manner (that motivates them to automate things!) - but being completely lazy and lacking slightest passion for coding - this usually hints that, probably, it is better to search for another life style :)
Awesome thanks!! right now I'm learning Ruby and Lua..It's been about a year in.