CODING IS A SUPERPOWER!
Nicholas Leask
Although I agree with and believe the following phrase, I rarely say it. Coding is a superpower! It's something that has been mentioned to me many times while coding or learning how to code. In this article I'll discuss a couple of the most important abilities that bootcamp students should be learning and applying within a coding bootcamp.
The first is the tech stack. For those of you who don't know much about coding, a stack is the set of technologies used to complete tasks or a project. A companies stack may be: 'MERN', MongoDB as a database, Express.js as a server, React.js as a front-end library, & Node.js to both execute JavaScript code outside of a browser & help ensure scalability. A bootcamp will choose one of many existing stacks and teach it. Some examples include PERN, MEAN, MEVN, LAMP, and the aforementioned MERN stack. Learning a full stack means that one can act on ones ideas and develop applications that can impact people on a global scale.
These applications can range from some simple 'portfolio builders' like a calculator project or a game of Tic-Tac-Toe to creating something (originally) unique like Uber. Simply put Uber compares a users geolocation with other users geolocations & has them meet at a common location exchange goods and services. On paper this idea may not sell, but being able to create an application that demonstrates the way it works is what really opens up a world of opportunities. Imagine an architect being able to build a building at little to no cost. Imagine being able to build a jet and demonstrate the way it works without ever taking the risk of leaving the ground. These are a couple of the reasons that development is considered a superpower and why having a strong understanding of all aspects of your tech stack is so important.
Quick sidebar here; I'm speaking to the 'risks' of creation in three different instances. The risks of development at a small scale are VERY small. When learning how to code you may lose a file here or there, accidentally push your entire desktop to the internet, or maybe have to reset your computer. These issues are uncommon & incomparable to monetary or physical risk. In my opinion the biggest investment in development is time.
The following takeaway from a bootcamp is the ability to learn. Nowadays everything is changing at a very rapid pace. A tech stack is no exception. On a single full-stack web development project a developer may use CSS, HTML, JavaScript, React, Express.js, AWS RDS, PSQL, Bootstrap, AWS EC2, AWS Amplify, AWS Route53, AWS Certificate Manager, AWS CloudFront, Git, GitHub, and more! The point here is not to scare you but point out that by the time this project is done odds are ONE of these technologies has been updated and there are new things to learn about it. The way developers deal with this is by becoming life-long learners.
As a developer my relationship with learning has changed immensely. In school & university I didn’t appreciate learning because I didn’t see any near-immediate application of the information other than tests, and tests didn’t count, and ultimately don't count towards anything of significance. I do remember that the 'mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell', but I've yet to apply this information in a critical way. I dreaded reading, I dreaded assignments, I dreaded learning. This all changed when I started to learn to code. Instead of using a computer I was controlling it. I now had a renewed desire to learn. I wanted to understand why my code was running slower than other peoples. I wanted to create games to visualize how data is controlled, I still want to keep expanding my understanding of computers & languages so that I can maintain control of my career & my life.
A good bootcamp WILL teach students how to research issues, updates, and information. Although you may learn a very specific set of technologies a graduate from a GOOD bootcamp will be comfortable saying, 'I can do that', no matter the task at hand. This is incredibly important as the market is divided on technologies and you will never be a perfect, 100% fit for a role based on your technologies. However with your newfound ability to learn you may know React.js but you could learn Next.js within a matter of hours, or Vue.js within a matter of days. You know JavaScript but you could pickup Python rapidly or learn C++. THIS IS A SUPERPOWER.
Ultimately, learning to code can change your mindset & your world. Immersing yourself in a bootcamp can change your mindset & your career trajectory. And learning every day can change your mindset & your ability to impact the world. So, say it with me! CODING IS A SUPERPOWER!
