I found it a bit difficult to write this blog, as it brought about a tapestry of emotions. But, it was a yearlong odyssey, courtesy of my consistency in Software Engineering, in the ALX SE program.
I'm human, and being human means one thing: We feel. I felt the need to be consistent 365 days ago, especially after receiving that saddening email.
A year's gone by, and today, as I would say, is Day 365 (Dec. 31, 2023) of #365DaysOfSoftwareEngineering. Building myself, in public, has been of great help, and here's a highlight of my odyssey ✨:
#365DaysOfSoftwareEngineering
December 17, 2022: I received an email conveying a message that I would not continue in the Google Africa Developer Scholarship Program (after enrolling for the third time, in a row). It's all because did not meet the requirements to write the needed Android Associate Examination from an already written test**.** I was already enrolled in the ALX SE program and Cohort 9. Shuffling two scholarship programs, at the time, was mind-breaking, but I had faith that it was worth it. That email hit me so hard, but it led to something beautiful.
A bit motivated, I created a label for that email, and I named it “Motivation”. Later that evening, while counting sheep, I made up my mind: I'll be pushing to GitHub every day, for the next year, and now that year's come to an end.
A Time Jump — March 4, 2023, 2:00 PM WAT: I joined a random Twitter space — my first ever space, themed on “Consistency and Building In Public”, and I spoke there too 😅. I talked about what I had gained from pushing to GitHub consistently since the beginning of the year. Queen Arit, Ebenezer Don, and Babatunde shared powerful lessons on how important diligent and disciplined consistency was while building in public. Listening to that space was as beautiful as strings!
I then made a tweet, thanking them for what they shared, and that was it! The birth of my hashtag on Twitter (now known as X): #365DaysOfSoftwareEngineering.
Looking back, I've learned so much from this yearlong odyssey :). Now, Software Engineering is really wide. And each day, I did something related to it, while still, pushing to GitHub. Truthfully, it became more than addiction at some point! But I feel fulfilled that I did, and of course 😏, I'll keep pushing too.
Talking of reflections, I made mistakes, and I still let history repeat itself. I fell, I broke a few times, and I lived in my head so much. It wasn't easy at all, and it's not supposed to be. That's what makes it a journey, or better still — An Odyssey.
Here are some highlights of this yearlong odyssey:
Created #365DaysOfSoftwareEngineering
Fell in love with C programming.
Learned the Python programming language, understanding it to a depth.
Built an MVP for my portfolio project in C9: Learnopolia
Deferred from Cohort 9 to Cohort 12 of the ALX SE Program.
Founded Algorithmia SE 🌍, an ever-growing consortium of ALX SE students.
Made some virtual friends and prodigies inside and outside the #ALX_SE program. They were crucial to my not giving up.
Became overwhelmingly preoccupied mentally 🙂
Got hosted on X (formerly known as Twitter) Spaces, hosted some, and spoke at a few Twitter Spaces too.
Listened to a lot of Jon Bellion music, and other instrumentals.
Deferred from Cohort 12 to Cohort 17 of the ALX SE Program.
Became a Face of ALX SE 🌟
Built my technical writing skills, and wrote on team blogs.
Worked on Atom ⚛ but I did not complete this project.
Gained a lot of experience with the world of Open Source Collaboration on GitHub.
Version 0 of #365DaysOfSoftwareEngineering was a lovely one, one I do not regret.
Some lessons I'd share 📝
Open your heart wide, to people.
Think, as to become a problem-solver.
Work with a lot of people, and also, learn how to manage personalities too.
Accept correction and constructive criticism.
Resilience, Determination, Discipline, and Consistency.
Moving On 🚶♂️
Being consistent this year was awesome. I learned a lot of things, especially about Life. So, what's next, then? Well, who knows the future 🤷♂️?
If He wills, Version 1 of #365DaysOfSoftwareEngineering begins tomorrow.
The story of A Beautiful Mind continues...
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