Practice makes permanent. That’s the mantra I’ve used my whole life, even when initially told that practice would make things perfect. There is no such thing as perfect. There are only iterations that gain greater detail and functionality as they are developed. That’s my understanding of coding thus far. It is an iterative process that takes patience, time, and practice. That practice will eventually make things stick, and from that knowledge will come confidence, passion, and happiness.
Frustration is a natural by-product of learning something new. It takes us out of our comfort zones and allows us to evaluate our skills in unfamiliar territory. Cascading style sheets and BootStrap exercises have revealed to me that I may not be as clever as I think. I can build upon that frustration, however, and transform my frustration into a foundation to excel. Everyone in this class has brought a unique perspective and unique skills. Things they have practiced long and hard and are proud of.
After just one week, the flimsy grasp I had on front-end style elements has turned into a comfortable grip. I remind myself, however, that no matter how many things I believed I’ve learned, there is always more. Seven weeks more, to be exact. While it may seem daunting, it is also tremendously exciting to imagine how much I will take out of the next seven weeks and apply to changing my life, my career, and my circumstances.
We have an incredible opportunity to meet and learn from experts. While we paid for the opportunity, it is an advantage we hold to take the time we are given and make the very most of it in class. My goal is to make sure that I have to raise my hand less and less in class, and maybe even provide instruction and guidance in a situation that at the moment may confuse me. I hope to retain the knowledge that will allow me to help others if they have a problem the way that our instructors help us.
Within each of us lies the ability to take the knowledge we are given and run with it. We only need the patience and guidance of our instructors to take that knowledge and turn it into something tangible. The creative muse lies in the code. How we allow her to affect our thinking is our decision, in the end. Let’s make something beautiful.
