Why did you apply for the scholarship?
With my long-term goal to create solutions for the social issues experienced by former refugees and newly arrived migrants in Australia, I knew I had to get the right tech skills to get there. I had been toying with the idea of taking time off work to study web development for a while, so when I found out about the scholarship, it was like all the stars were aligned and I felt I had to give it a try.
Being awarded for the web development scholarship by Vest, Blackbird and GA has been one of the MOST life-changing moments of my life! The course has equipped me with the right tools to one day create well-thought-out solutions to social problems and issues faced by our world today. I’m not quite there yet, but it’s exciting to know that I’m well on my way!
Was it what you were expecting?
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. On one hand, I knew I’d enjoy it but I didn’t expect to love it this much! I loved the course from the very beginning. The first couple of weeks was particularly challenging as I struggled and adjusted with the highs and lows of learning. I literally felt my brain stretch with the influx of new knowledge and concepts. But the challenge, along with my amazing classmates and instructors kept me going.
I literally felt my brain stretch with the influx of new knowledge and concepts.
Did you just have a blast?
My time at GA was awesome! Learning how to code has quenched my thirst to learn and problem-solve, and develop creative solutions to help people. I was surrounded by like-minded and curious classmates, a fun campus atmosphere and a supportive GA community. Whilst the past 12 weeks were intense, it was also full of laughs and fun.
Did you have any dev experience prior to the scholarship?
Not really. I did a one-day HTML and CSS bootcamp last year and was hooked. I was completely fascinated by the potential and possibilities of web development. Having worked in digital marketing before and working closely with developers, it’s fantastic to finally understand what’s happening “under the hood” of a website and the internet.
It’s fantastic to finally understand what’s happening “under the hood” of a website and the internet.
What three things did you learn?
The course taught me some key lessons (in both web dev and life):
1. Don’t be afraid to fail – they’re the best learning opportunities.
2. Consider the big picture. While you may have fixed a bug in a small part of the code, it may have a knock-on effect on the rest of the program.
3. The learning never stops.
What are you going to do now that you’ve completed the course?
I’d love to continue to learn and build on my skills. My next step is looking to join an awesome tech team to grow and learn as a junior web developer. I’ll also continue to work on my side projects as I work towards my long-term plan.
I’d love to continue to learn and build on my skills.
Do you have any advice for anyone taking a course at General Assembly?
General Assembly offers really practical and useful courses with a fun atmosphere and knowledgeable teaching staff. I’ve done a number of different courses at GA and enjoyed all of them. Plus, the GA community is amazingly supportive.
If you’re going to do the WDi course that I did, don’t forget about the immersive part of it. It’s only three months and the time will fly by, but I’ve definitely found that the more time you dedicate to learning and practising, the better.
What advice do you have for those thinking about studying web development?
Go for it! It’s fun and you learn so much about yourself along the way. Studying in an immersive course where you learn and practice new skills daily is a great way to consolidate your knowledge. It’s similar to learning a foreign language, the more you can practice and apply it, the better.
It’s similar to learning a foreign language, the more you can practice and apply it the better.
Anything we don’t know?
A big thank you to Vest, Blackbird and GA for giving me this wonderful opportunity! I’ve loved every minute of it. Feeling empowered with these new skills, I can’t wait to learn and build more projects.