Bootcamp Experience

Being a first-timer at Andela’s Bootcamp, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had a friend who had attended Bootcamp before, and she advised me to try as much as I can to study the resources provided by Andela during the application process, in order to be prepared before Day 1 at Bootcamp. So as the days got closer to the start of Bootcamp, I kept reading through the various resources, trying to get up-to-date with the new tools and technologies we were required to learn while doing the Andela Developer Challenge, in the hopes that I would be ready for whatever tasks we would be requested to do.

So far, I have found out that Bootcamp is an interesting opportunity to meet friendly, helpful people with similar interests in technology. I have enjoyed getting to know members from my team, as well as the facilitators from Andela. I like the way that collaboration is encouraged because it allows someone to ask for help without any worries, and also gives an opportunity for others to offer help if they see someone is stuck. I believe this mentality is good for teamwork and really helps first-timers or those still behind pace to have a chance to move with everyone else.

I’ve also liked how supportive the Learning Facilitators are. From my personal experience, I found that the facilitators are very friendly and will always make time to check in on their team, even remotely. On that point, one of the things I like the most about Bootcamp must be how we are given freedom of movement and time. I know many developers, like me, want to have less restriction on where and when they should work. Because, it doesn’t matter if you’re working remotely or if you’re working late at night, as long as you have good habits and are motivated and dedicated, you will deliver output within the timeframe required. I think this is because Andela is results-oriented, and they expect you to put in the work required to achieve the desired results, despite your location.

One more thing, I like a company that embraces technology for its everyday processes. I have worked at many organisations that could not even set aside a day for training in a new tool/technology that would make work easier. So I feel that Andela is a great model for a forward-thinking technology that I would enjoy to be a part of. This I realised from my experience at Bootcamp.

On the flip side though, I have realised that Bootcamp is quite an intense session for first-timers. You need to be ready to learn at a very fast pace so that you can catch up with other Andelans who already have some experience from previous Bootcamp sessions. It has led to a few sleepless nights on my part. I’m not saying this to complain, but it’s just something I wish I had known before I started Bootcamp so that I could be more prepared.