This post is inspired by Asia Sharif & Nicole Young’s Notion planner.
How it all began…
Hiiii! I’m Raven. An INFJ & Magickal Girl. I’m a STEAM student with interests in Front End Web Development and Web Design. I don’t necessarily come from a non technical background as I’ve been tinkering with computers all of my life and I started coding when I was 9 years old on NeoPets and MatMice. My love for code stems from being able to manifest my thoughts and ideas for websites and apps by way of my finger tips.
My plans for the future…
My tech interests include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, MERN, and possibly Python later on.
I’m currently studying Front End Web Development through Udacity. I’m also partaking in Leon Noel’s #100Devs 30 Week Software Engineering Bootcamp. In school I’m studying Graphic Design with a minor in Web Communications/UX.
I recently changed my major from Computer Science to Graphic Design because I realized a Computer Science degree wasn’t necessarily going to prepare me for the career I desire in Web Design.
Obstacles I faced…
I didn’t do well when I started college. I never had freedom before in my life so when my feet touched the soil at the great Southern University A&M college in Baton Rouge, LA I went BUCK WILD. So buck wild that I flunked out of college two years in a row.
Me flunking college resulted into me spending my early 20’s in a horrible loop of working to survive and surviving to work. I was usually working two menial jobs at any given time and I often worked so many hours, I would end up in the hospital for chest pains. The chest pains came from the stress on my body and the mental stress from not making enough money to pay rent.
I remember in 2017 wanting to learn how to code and wanting so desperately to burn the midnight oil after work but it just wasn’t happening. At multiple points, I waited tables at restaurants that were open from 10AM to 2AM, getting off after 4AM and then having to turn around and do it again the next day. Coding after work was nearly impossible.
The following year, I continued to struggle every single month to make rent. The months I did make it, I have no idea how. Unfortunately, I hit rock bottom and was evicted from my apartment. Fortunately, my parents allowed me to move back in with them while I pursued school and obtained my Associates Degree.
Cultivating a new mindset…
I love Asia’s idea of shifting her mindset by way of self development and reading books. I curated a curriculum for myself to aid in reminding me of why I’m doing this. Leon Noel has a gift and is incredibly amazing for what he is doing with this community. I don’t think I’ve ever been more fired up about anything in my life that requires self motivation and I plan to maintain that fire.
I plan to shift my mindset by reading:
- Atomic Habits – James Clear
- Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One – Dr. Joe Dispenza
- The Mountain is You – Brianna Weist
- Start With Why – Simon Sinek
- The One Thing – Gary Keller
- The Compound Effect – Darren Hardy
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You – Cal Newport
A few movies I’ll be watching:
- Hidden Figures
- On the Basis of Sex
- The Imitation Game
- Just Mercy
As well as a number of Ted Talks including:
- Simon Sinek – How Great Leaders Inspire Action
- Elizabeth Gilbert – Your Elusive Creative Genius
- Brene’ Brown – Why Your Critics Aren’t the One’s Who Count
- Peter Sage – How to Eliminate Self Doubt Forever & The Power of Your Unconscious Mind
- Sam Gerrits – On Losing Your Mind and Finding it Again
How I plan to get to where I want to be…
I will be utilizing Nicole.Young’s Notion Planner to plan out my course work and studies.
My course work will include Udacity’s Front End Developer Nanodegree, #100Devs 30 Week Software Engineering Bootcamp, FreeCodeCamp’s Responsive Web Design cert, the Colt Steele Web Developer Bootcamp, a few certificates by Aquent The Gymnasium and I might do Scrimba’s free 7 hour JavaScript course.
So far I have already…
I’ve gotten through the basics of HTML & CSS on Udacity, I have earned a certificate from Aquent – The Gymnasium‘s course called Coding for Designers and I’m on Lesson 2 of Shay Howe. I still have to make my Anki cards but on we move!
Thank you for reading and I hope my story serves as a boost for anyone interested in transitioning into tech! I plan to post about my coding journey, self development and reviews about the books and movies I mentioned earlier.
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