Victor Alvarez
I have had a fixed mindset about many things, including tech. I have talked myself out of doing so many things because they are not a part of my self identification, be it learning how to code, cook, work out, or even let myself get angry in a healthy way. However, when I feeling confident or motivated, the growth mindset comes out. When I started to go to the gym last year, I wanted to learn and take in information, even if my ego had to be bruised a little. I wanted to learn how to code, even if I had to check wikipedia every five words. I still feel a little Fixed when in a way that it is hard for me to take criticism. I have to mentally prepare myself and even then, it’s tough. I get upset with how smug or overly confident someone with criticism can be. I project these thoughts and emotions on to the person.
I predict I will encounter difficulties with staying focused. I have trouble with that because I want to do a million things at once. I am not diagnosed with ADD but I act like I have it. The other thing is I have never been a situation like this before. To me, this course is a turning point in my life. I see my time at the Iron Yard as a way to usher in a new era of when I can have a real career. I am no stranger to working hard. I am also no stranger to failure. However, I am not overly aquatinted with being around a group of people all using their brains. The last time I was, it was high school(college was more about music and relationship, less about being cerebral). I would be lying if I didn’t say I was intimidated. There is a decent amount on the line as well; money, time, my future, my reputation, the wain faith of friends and family. All these aspects matter. The only way I can react to any situation in the course is going through the brick wall because there is no way I can go back. That’s not just a cliche. If this doesn’t work, my relationship, my career path, my purpose, will be lost. That’s quite a fire to have under you.
In the “What is Code” article, I was excited by how the writer described the cultures of code, started to break down how the whole thing works. How different codes are based on others and how it all relates to each other. I was surprised to see that Pac Man was written in Assembly Language. That must have taken forever! I was surprised to read about the humble beginnings of JavaScript but not surprised by the reports of frustration over PHP. When I went through the tutorial on CodeAcademy, it kicked my butt pretty well. I found the article to be funny, engaging, and definitely something that will require multiple readings. He was able to describe programming in a way that was new to me, yet brilliant. Code and programming were laid out as a way to fully understand the computer. That was something for me. The secrets of the computer being revealed to you over compelled me, gave me a sense of excitement. Also, I enjoyed the Cloud Atlas reference where the author used the phrase “Code Atlas”. I laughed out loud!
I believe in the choice I have made to attend the Iron Yard because it is a ticket to a larger world. It’s time to get to work.