My greatest strength is my ability to work well in groups as the “group expert. Based on the results (and personal experience) I’m able to understand the structure and motivations of a group. I can get tasks done in a straightforward way and also in a more subtle way depending on the group’s dynamic. The results describe me as responsible, optimistic, and a lover of wisdom. All of these characteristics help me be a good team player because I try to keep the group on track but also want to learn new things from the people and environment around me.
I work best when there is a clear goal to achieve and when I’m able to keep learning. I can work well either in a group or by myself as long as a goal is specified. I need to feel like I’m working toward something and that whatever I’m working on matters. I also prefer to not have too many rules or constraints on how I achieve my goal. I can be nonconforming, so I do best when I can be creative with my problem solving.
My greatest area of improvement is emotional intelligence/awareness. I can be too logical and too direct at times, so it comes off as insensitive. I have a high blaze driver, so while I can lead with clarity and motivation, I can also come off as intense and threatening. Due to being overly logical and organized at times, I can have issues with ambiguity and not being able to think through every possible angle. I hope during my time at Turing, I can learn from the people who are the complete opposite of me because I know I need to be a little more impulsive and more flexible with the unknown.
I hope to maximize my ability to work well in groups by going into every group project with a positive attitude and ready to learn from my peers. I enjoy working in groups and constantly learning new skills, so I hope to get better at actually programming with others and working on the same project to achieve a certain goal. I’m really excited to get to learn from others who are also new to coding since most of us solve complex coding issues in different ways. I like seeing how other people think. I know pair-programming is a really important aspect of the industry, and I’m looking forward to using my “group expert” skills to tackle those issues.
It will help me be honest with myself when choosing roles and asking questions during the interview process. If an interviewer talks about how there aren’t clear goals for the team or how everyone soley works by themselves, then I know that role would be a nightmare for me. It will also help when interacting with coworkers. If I know that I can sometimes be too direct and I’m talking to someone who’s more subtle, I can be self-aware enough to adjust how I communicate with that person.
What efforts do you make to manage your learning process? Are these efforts successful? What challenges have inhibited your ability to manage your learning process effectively?
The biggest effort I make in my learning process is practicing with some definition memorizing. My efforts are mostly successful because I learn by doing and also learn how the topic I’m studying fits into the bigger picture. If I can’t understand how something fits into the grand scheme of things, my brain will just deem it unimportant, and then I don’t retain it which is definitely a challenge. I can also be bad about not limiting my distractions, so my brain is constantly switching from one thing to another
I relate to Sierra’s point of “High quality and very high quantity”. I think that can be really hard to find on the internet especially as a beginner since so many examples/practice problems are too simple or just not relevant to the point I’m trying to learn. I also liked the point of “practice makes permanent”. I think this is why I had so much trouble learning from free online sources. I never felt like I was learning the correct or most efficient way to solve a coding problem, and I hated that feeling. I definitely fall into the “half-assed” category at times, which can be discouraging. The discouraged feeling then leads to feelings of despair just like Coate’s article mentioned.
What role does your emotional state of mind play in your learning? How do your successes and failures at learning affect your emotional state?
Your emotional state can be a make or break on whether you continue learning something and retain that information. If you feel overwhelmed or hopeless constantly when learning something new then quitting is not far around the corner. However, when you grasp a new concept and feel confident in your ability to learn, it fuels you to want to keep learning. I liked how Coate’s article was a huge reminder that the lows and struggles are the norm. Celebrate the victories when you can and keep pushing through to get to the next feeling of “winning”.
I plan to follow the “3 sessions for 45-90 minutes” process. It can make topics seem less overwhelming. If I’m not retaining the information, I know I need to breakdown the subject even further. Also, if I’m not sure that I’m doing something according to best practices, then I won’t be afraid to ask about it. Since “practice makes permanent” I want to make sure I’m practicing the best method. Lastly (and probably the most difficult for me), I’ll remind myself that it’s okay to feel like I’m not the best because everyone else is feeling the same way. I’ll try my best to not be too hard on myself and to celebrate the little victories.
