I've always loved computers.
As a young boy, I played around with Mavis Beacon on my dad's Windows 95 PC. I helped my dad type documents and work with sheets. I installed games and apps that I was curious about and loved to use. However, up until 2018, I did not have much knowledge of software development, apart from the general knowledge everyone knew from watching cool hacking movies.

Getting started - StartNG & HNGi6

Towards the end of 2018, I met a group of friends that were learning how to code. They were learning web development in a new tech hub that had just opened up in my area at the time. It looked cool so I joined them. I didn't really give much thought to it as I was just doing it to hang out with my friends.
Later in 2019, they started talking about StartNG and how it was providing a structured way to learn how to code. I registered with them and got my first taste of remote internships. It didn't last very long, but I applied for HNGi6 when it was time for it. I didn't last long there either. It was painful. I was really hoping to make it to stage 10 and get a job, but I didn't even make it to stage 3 😅

Twice to understand - HNGi7

In 2020, I got more intentional about developing my coding skills. The lockdown provided a good opportunity and I learned as much as I could and applied for HNGi7. It didn't work out well either because I still had a whole lot to learn, and I didn't have a solid plan on how to go about it. I also wanted to learn a lot of things at once and it was a really big load to handle. I had gotten better at web development though, and I was starting to be aware of what I wanted for myself. I applied to a couple of jobs and got them, and I had my fair share of wins and losses.

Third time's the charm - HNGi8

8 weeks of intensive coding, networking, cruise, and PTSD 😂
Coming to this internship with the kind of experience I've had over two years, my main goal is to finish the internship. Make it stage 10. I want to grow more as a developer. I want to know how much I've gotten used to handling pressure and delivering good results. I want stimulating challenges in a fast-paced environment with decent feedback and reviews (without the pressure of salary cuts and unclear project requirements). I want to "go through the fire" and come out as gold 😅. I want to network, make good friends and build meaningful relationships. I'm hoping there would be a physical meetup at some point during the internship. I would really love to attend. I want a HNG T-shirt 😎

I'm Divine Orji, and I'm in HNGi8's Frontend Track.

Closing words

In the beginning, I wasn't fully motivated to learn software development. I just wanted to hang out with my friends. I didn't have access to proper information on how to go about it, I didn't have a roadmap. I got discouraged a lot of times, and I even left the whole thing for months at a time. Looking back now, here are a few resources I would have suggested to myself to help me get started properly:

• Developer Roadmaps: This website provides step by step guides on how to learn different technologies and parts of software development. It has roadmaps for Frontend, Backend, DevOps, Android etc.
• Git & GitHub: This YouTube playlist by Free Code Camp explains basic things in Git and GitHub to get you started. I like it because it has short, concise videos that are easy to understand. You can check out their entire YouTube channel if you're more curious.
• HTML Crash Course: This YouTube video by Brad Traversy gives you a nice overview of HTML5. This way you won't have many challenges when it comes to structuring your websites or apps because your foundation is strong.
• Figma UI Design Tutorial: This YouTube video by AJ&Smart walks you through the basics of Figma and helps you design a simple fun project while learning it.
• 5 JavaScript concepts you need to know: I'm an advocate of having a concise overview of a concept/tool/framework before diving into it fully, and JavaScript is my programming language of choice (for now 😊). This video explains 5 very important concepts you should be aware of while learning JavaScript. I'd also suggest you read through the comments to see other people's contributions to the video's advice.
• JavaScript Tutorial for Beginners: This 1-hour video by Mosh Hamedani explains the basics of JavaScript and gives you links to more in-depth videos.
• JavaScript Game Walkthroughs: This YouTube playlist from Ania Kubow has a lot of fun games you can build with JavaScript. The videos are 1 hour long on average, so they might take you about 2 hours or more to follow through step by step. You can challenge yourself to build with one tutorial each week, and you'll see your skills grow.
• JavaScript Pro Tips: This YouTube video by Fireship gives you tips on how to write better, more efficient, JavaScript code. Go through the comments to see more suggestions from the community too.
• Beginner JavaScript Notes: This website provides links to short notes on JavaScript concepts. If you don't have time to go through a video, this could be an excellent option for you to try.

Thanks for reading. I'd be sure to give updates on how my HNGi8 experience has been so far. For now, take care 🤗

Update:

Didn't make it to the end of the internship 😭. Something happened and I got really depressed and I couldn't keep up.

I'm in a better place mentally now, so I think I'll try again this year (2022).

In the meantime, I've been steadily building my software engineering skills, and actively participating in my community. GDSC MOUAU 🎉