It’s 9am, Friday 9th May 2014. 12 weeks of intensive learning is drawing to a close. The 20 minute tube journey this morning was one of complete self-absorption as I thought back over the last twelve weeks at Makers Academy. I may have caught some second glances by other passengers in response to my zombified state, coupled with the conjunctivitis that seems to have developed in my left eye. (I need to go and get some drops after writing this post).

Looking back, I started out knowing pretty much nothing about software development. Today I feel like I am leaving Makers armed with a software development survival kit of sorts. I don’t know everything there is to know about software development. But that’s ok and I am comfortable with that. What I do have is a strong foundation on which to build on. I know the fundamentals of software development. Coding is no longer alien to me. I can see patterns and commanilities across a number of languages. I know where to go for help and guidance. I feel like I am part of a community. And above all, I am really excited about continuing to learn software development after Makers. And that’s all because I have learnt how to learn. This afternoon each team will be presenting their final projects at the graduation ceremony (slash booze-up). My team’s app Chartist is already online - if you are interested you can see the code and tech specs on Github. Fingers crossed, it will stay bug-free for the time being, or at least until our presentation is over! Until then, we only have to worry about some final snagging and how many pixels to the left or right certain elements should be on the page. It’s a relief that we are not under a huge amount of stress right up to the last minute.

What next?

I think this may be my last post for a few days. I am looking forward to getting a couple days’ rest and spending time with my very pregnant partner (our baby boy arrives in only four weeks!). Then, come Monday the learning will continue.If anyone reading this is thinking about joining Makers and has questions, then do post them below or feel free to drop me a line.

Speak soon!