So this is mostly for my own reference, a journal to look back at later and laugh at how silly/naive/eager/crazy I was going through Hack Reactor. But maybe it might help some other people out there as well! Perhaps you're getting ready to join your own cohort, or maybe you're only thinking about it. Maybe yours is already half way over and you're just wondering how other people's experiences compare to your own.
Well, in any case, it would be good to know what kind of background I'm coming from. I am not a programmer, at least not one in any way formally trained. I started out when I was 14, designing skins for play-by-post, forum based, roleplaying sites. I was strictly asthetics, knowing the ins and outs of css so well I could pull the (almost) perfect color hex code strictly from memory. But I was an avid Javascript hater, for no other reason than I didn't understand it. I was out there doing things with css that should be done in Jquery. Believe me, it was no small task to create dynamic websites, beautifully flowing pieces of artwork, working with something that was never intended to be used the way I used it.
So needless to say, I felt comfortable in my niche and had no intention of leaving it.
It wasn't until many years later that I suddenly realized how silly and childish I was being. I had skirted anything on Stack Overflow that had a Javascript tag on it like it had the freaking plague, and had gotten frustrated and annoyed with the peers around me who tried to help me out with tidbits of Javascript knowledge. And it was beyond stupid of me. I was ignoring a whole wide world of other wonderful languages, libraries, and APIs that were sitting at my fingertips, ready to be used, and only left neglected because I had some weird kind of coding racism.
So needless to say, I was a little lost when it came to Javascript. Granted, I had taken a class on C++ when I was in high school (and really enjoyed it, might I add), so I had some knowledge of how programming languages worked and the logic behind them. But stepping into the world of Javascript was like a man from the 1800's stepping into the world of sports cars and airplanes for the first time. I was lost and scared and frankly annoyed at all the loud noises around me.
My journey started with codeacedemy.com. I had flipped around the internet for a while, trying to find the best way to learn. I had gotten so many different suggestions from so many different people, it was hard for me to look at anything and say, "This is the right path for me." Luckily, I had my beautiful wife to help me out. When she saw my sudden dedication to learning new things (something that was only occasionally strong in me), she jumped right on board with me, doing research along side and trying to find the answer to all my problems.
Now I trust this woman implicitly. When she told me Hack Reactor was the best route out there, I didn't question. She is the research goddess, able to google like it's an olympic sport and she's a 6 time gold medalist. So suddenly I was prepared to throw my all into this new career, without any other knowledge besides it was going to be insanely hard and (if I made it through it) I could make crazy good money. Not a great start into this program, but that was my attitude at the start.
So I interviewed. And I failed. Of course. I had done a good 4 months of research on Code Academy before the interview and, despite how unsure I felt about some things, I'd figured there was no way I, who had been building websites for 8 years by this point, and who had never had any trouble passing tests in school, could possibly fail a simple interview into a school.
I learned very quick that this place wasn't what I thought it was.
When I got my email telling me I hadn't passed, my whole world kind of melted around me. That was it for that, apparently. It was time to continue my career in the retail world and keep playing around with skins on my off days for free. Ah well. I tried. But there was something in the email that kept me from leaving.
Well, in any case, it would be good to know what kind of background I'm coming from. I am not a programmer, at least not one in any way formally trained. I started out when I was 14, designing skins for play-by-post, forum based, roleplaying sites. I was strictly asthetics, knowing the ins and outs of css so well I could pull the (almost) perfect color hex code strictly from memory. But I was an avid Javascript hater, for no other reason than I didn't understand it. I was out there doing things with css that should be done in Jquery. Believe me, it was no small task to create dynamic websites, beautifully flowing pieces of artwork, working with something that was never intended to be used the way I used it.
So needless to say, I felt comfortable in my niche and had no intention of leaving it.
It wasn't until many years later that I suddenly realized how silly and childish I was being. I had skirted anything on Stack Overflow that had a Javascript tag on it like it had the freaking plague, and had gotten frustrated and annoyed with the peers around me who tried to help me out with tidbits of Javascript knowledge. And it was beyond stupid of me. I was ignoring a whole wide world of other wonderful languages, libraries, and APIs that were sitting at my fingertips, ready to be used, and only left neglected because I had some weird kind of coding racism.
So needless to say, I was a little lost when it came to Javascript. Granted, I had taken a class on C++ when I was in high school (and really enjoyed it, might I add), so I had some knowledge of how programming languages worked and the logic behind them. But stepping into the world of Javascript was like a man from the 1800's stepping into the world of sports cars and airplanes for the first time. I was lost and scared and frankly annoyed at all the loud noises around me.
My journey started with codeacedemy.com. I had flipped around the internet for a while, trying to find the best way to learn. I had gotten so many different suggestions from so many different people, it was hard for me to look at anything and say, "This is the right path for me." Luckily, I had my beautiful wife to help me out. When she saw my sudden dedication to learning new things (something that was only occasionally strong in me), she jumped right on board with me, doing research along side and trying to find the answer to all my problems.
Now I trust this woman implicitly. When she told me Hack Reactor was the best route out there, I didn't question. She is the research goddess, able to google like it's an olympic sport and she's a 6 time gold medalist. So suddenly I was prepared to throw my all into this new career, without any other knowledge besides it was going to be insanely hard and (if I made it through it) I could make crazy good money. Not a great start into this program, but that was my attitude at the start.
So I interviewed. And I failed. Of course. I had done a good 4 months of research on Code Academy before the interview and, despite how unsure I felt about some things, I'd figured there was no way I, who had been building websites for 8 years by this point, and who had never had any trouble passing tests in school, could possibly fail a simple interview into a school.
I learned very quick that this place wasn't what I thought it was.
When I got my email telling me I hadn't passed, my whole world kind of melted around me. That was it for that, apparently. It was time to continue my career in the retail world and keep playing around with skins on my off days for free. Ah well. I tried. But there was something in the email that kept me from leaving.
"Though you did not pass the technical interview, your interviewer found you to be a particularly promising candidate."
Well what the hell was that supposed to mean? I hadn't passed but you thought I could if I tried harder? Was this just some kind of money-grubbing scheme to force me to pay for more classes from you before you let me into the real class? Or were you genuinely interested in seeing me succeed? I stared at that email for a good 10 minutes, trying to figure out if it was worth it or not. But looking at that line, all I could think was "Challenge Accepted."
So I joined Hack Reactor Remote Prep #21. I did not feel great about it. I didn't even feel good about it. I was sure the class was going to be cut into two types of people - the ones who knew absolutely nothing and were terribly frustrated about it, and the ones that knew absolutely nothing and were blithely ignorant of it. And that just wasn't the setting I wanted to be in. I wanted to be somewhere where everyone knew a good bit already, and I knew just a little bit more than everyone else, so I would never look like a fool. This surely wasn't going to be that kind of setting. I was looking at it as something I had to do, not something I wanted to do. Honestly, how can I possibly have fun?
I have never been so wrong about something, or so happy to have been such. I would say that, to date, taking the Remote Prep class was the best decision I had ever made. Even joining Hack Reactor wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't taken this step. I know how I am. I would have gotten discouraged easily when I didn't immediately understand what was going on, and I would have quit, simply accepting that this wasn't for me.
I'm going to have to do a post all about my experience with Remote Prep. I could talk for days about everything there, I there's no need for me to go on and on here. But suffice to say, before HRRP, I had very little experience in the programming world, and before HRRB, I was just comfortable enough to go through the course, but certainly not enough to fly through it. I can tell right now, this is going to be one hell of a journey. And as of right now, I'm super psyched to take it.
~Ryo
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