Insurance platform made using arrays, objects, conditions and loops. All coded with HTML, CSS and Javascript.
Game made using arrays, array manipulation, array ranking, loops, IF statements and DOM manipulation. All coded with HTML, CSS and Javascript.
I tried coding in 2016, 2017 and 2019 and I quit shortly afterwards on all occasions. I had a desire to code but found the learning process overwhelming and technically challenging. I followed tutorials to make a website clone and always got stuck somewhere so following a tutorial in real time was always a long-drawn task – I often had to rewind the video to redo a section and sometimes the mistake wasn’t immediately apparent and on occasions it couldn’t be discovered. This resulted with the learning becoming very strenuous, I became frustrated as I was unable to progress, and it dissuaded me from putting more effort into coding; making me feel it was unlikely lead to anywhere. There were many programming languages and I tried to find the easier language to pick up. At the time I believed Python would be straight-forward and I made efforts to learn it but failed with my attempts as I couldn’t get my head around the language itself, accept it for what it was, and I failed to associate what I was learning with the type of programming I wanted to learn and what I wanted to achieve.
In 2017, I begun learning Mandarin and Korean and in 2020 I had an ambition to become a Paraplanner and spent a lot of time studying. Having completed half of the modules needed to qualify as a Paraplanner, I gave up all hope of becoming a Paraplanner once I found it too difficult getting an entry level job in the industry.
In 2021, I came across a video on programming where the hosts also computer programmers mentioned they begun learning real world languages and since I had been learning languages before and viewing coding as a language and having successfully picked up Mandarin; I decided to make another effort to learn coding once again.
I started learning JavaScript and I cannot remember why I choose this language. I do recall learning to code was incredibly difficult particularly working alone, but I didn’t give up and I reached further than I ever had. There were more resources available than previously – with the rise of code academies and online courses were more widespread. I checked out different resources in the hope of finding something suitable and easy to understand. I finally learnt to code using the freeCodeCamp platform and Scrimba (another coding platform). I repeated tutorials and exercises until I understood what was being taught. Frequently, I had to research concepts by reading articles online and watching YouTube videos – again in the hope of finding someone to explain a concept differently and to find as many ways as possible in which the concept could be described. Also, I would look at other people’s solutions to problems I faced which was always reassuring knowing a solution was available. This approach helped to fill the gaps in my knowledge and had strengthened my understanding of subjects. Still learning coding wasn’t and still isn’t easy and requires a lot of intelligence, logical reasoning, and ability to follow code; therefore, it has taken a long time to learn web development and it wasn’t until 2 years later before I started building projects.
I never had the intention of working in the tech industry when I started coding. Coding appeals to me still as it allows me to turn ideas into digital solutions – all from a blank canvas. I’m a member of some coding meetup groups and coding is a great past time for me that I have found mentally stimulating. I chose to specialise in web development so my creations can be easily accessible to everyone with ease. Now that I am a coder, I can’t see myself ever stopping – I consider myself to be a beginner still and feel there is a great deal to learn, plus there are other languages to explore. I want to learn as much of the techniques as I can, to allow me to be in a strong position to build a solution for people. My ambition is to make products that address a need or attempts to digitise a practice. I enjoy learning now more than I was in the school system and to cement my learning, I’ve always broken down a concept separating each part and finding out how their role integrates within the overall process. Only then would I feel comfortable I had a true understanding of something – often turning to my peers for help to fill knowledge gaps. As I got better at coding, I’ve become better at recognising the number of parts required to make something work. My motivation to learn more about coding and finding different approaches can exist for a solution is so I can become better at recognising all the parts needed and their order early on showing me the possibilities and allow me to overcome any obstacles I face in future as a developer. Taking all this into account, I now know what is fuelling my enthusiasm and found a new identity; it would be fitting if I could continue this journey working as a software developer.