Week 5 begins; Feelings Friday; On the Necessity of Exercise
It's Monday morning...latte in hand, V-Modas on ears. Week 4 was hard...Javascript/jQuery/AJAX. It's impossible to learn Javascript in a week (obviously). I dabbled in a little bit of it (just on Codecademy) before & during my coding class at the Stride Center, but didn't have a whole lot of time to devote to it...and wrapping my brain around it pretty much literally made it hurt.
I guess this is a good time to mention that our "Feelings Friday" (the time at the end of the day on Fridays) was excellent last week. Our cohort is really starting to bond, so we were able to open up a lot to each other and talk more personally about where we're at beyond just what was easy/difficult/what we learned in the past week. For me, as someone who feels a strong inclination towards front-end development (as my background and mindset involves so much creativity)--I enjoy creating a visually pleasing, fun, and slick experience for someone using an app/program. Aesthetic is everything to me--I carefully craft so many aspects of my life to adhere to a specific look & feel. Programming is no different. Anyways, I digress. As this relates to Feelings Friday, I shared with my cohort that the past week had been very frustrating for me, because as someone with a penchant for front-end design, Javascript will be my bread & butter--and it's impossible to learn it in a week. It was a very crucial week for me, and I said that, for those reasons, it was especially difficult for me to know that I don't usually comprehend the material quite as quickly as a lot of the other fellows. In our study hall Friday, I started out in the review group, then realized halfway through that I'd be better off in fundamentals. Sasha commented that I'm very hard on myself, which is absolutely true. I need to accept that it's ok if I don't "get it" as quickly as others, and that there's no shame in attending the fundamentals study hall. It's there for a reason, and if that's going to benefit me the most, then that's where I need to be. One blog entry I read from a former Hackbright fellow, on the top things she wished she'd known going into the fellowship, the first piece of advice was "don't compare yourself to your cohort members." Everyone is coming from a different place, and has varying levels of experience in programming coming into the fellowship. This is incredibly important for me to remember often. After Sasha's comment, and other ladies affirming that they too had had difficulty with the material last week, Ysobelle gave me a piece of feedback that instantly lifted my mood, and sent me into the weekend on a very positive note. She said (and I paraphrase) that most days, by the time we hit 5:00 in lab, everyone's wiped out and pretty much mentally done for the day, but that the time she paired with me, it was her observation that even when we hit 5:00, I'm still focused and on point until the end of lab. I can't express how much that comment meant to me. Believe me, when we hit the 5:00 hour, I'm mentally taxed too (5:30 is absolute brain drain). But I do try to stay as on task as I can, and make the most of every minute.
Again--learning Javascript won't happen in a week. Or two. Or three. And so on. But I'll get there...and there will always be further to go! I just need to be patient with myself, and do my best not to be too hard on myself. (I'll get into my tendency for perfectionism another time.)
***Class in half an hour...finishing up this post at lunch.***
(Turkey sandwich for lunch today...taking the risk of a tryptophan coma for post-lunch lecture, lol.)
And now, on the subject of exercise...
I've only made it to the gym a handful of times since the fellowship started. Time is a precious commodity, as is sleep. But it's driving me crazy not being there on the regular--my physical and metal health is being adversely affected by it. Here's a great article that came across my Twitter feed last week:
Why I Exercise, Especially When I am Way Too Busy to Exercise
^^^ ALL OF THIS. I feel so much better, mind and body, when I am at the gym regularly. Lifting (& cardio) is physical and mental therapy for me. I used to abhor the idea of going to a gym. Now, I abhor the idea of NOT going. As such, this week I am committed to going my standard 5 days, even if I don't really have the time to do so. Ultimately, I'll be in a much better place doing so. I went yesterday for chest day...tonight will be back, Tuesday legs, Wednesday shoulders, and Thursday arms. Cardio & abs daily. (This is my standard gym rotation.) Normally I'd go Monday-Friday, but as there are usually school events of some sort on Fridays after class is out, I'm shifting to Sunday-Thursday. It's gonna be a stretch...but I need to make this happen, for me. I'll let you know how this goes...and sleep is a decided luxury during this fellowship. I'll get what I can during the week (and will sleep much better after going to the gym!), and catch up on weekends.
Regarding sleep:
(Yes, I know it's important to get enough sleep. But losing 2 hours during weeknights is a worthwhile tradeoff for the benefits of regularity at the gym.)
And with that, it's time to finish my lunch, because eating well (and regularly) is important too.
I guess this is a good time to mention that our "Feelings Friday" (the time at the end of the day on Fridays) was excellent last week. Our cohort is really starting to bond, so we were able to open up a lot to each other and talk more personally about where we're at beyond just what was easy/difficult/what we learned in the past week. For me, as someone who feels a strong inclination towards front-end development (as my background and mindset involves so much creativity)--I enjoy creating a visually pleasing, fun, and slick experience for someone using an app/program. Aesthetic is everything to me--I carefully craft so many aspects of my life to adhere to a specific look & feel. Programming is no different. Anyways, I digress. As this relates to Feelings Friday, I shared with my cohort that the past week had been very frustrating for me, because as someone with a penchant for front-end design, Javascript will be my bread & butter--and it's impossible to learn it in a week. It was a very crucial week for me, and I said that, for those reasons, it was especially difficult for me to know that I don't usually comprehend the material quite as quickly as a lot of the other fellows. In our study hall Friday, I started out in the review group, then realized halfway through that I'd be better off in fundamentals. Sasha commented that I'm very hard on myself, which is absolutely true. I need to accept that it's ok if I don't "get it" as quickly as others, and that there's no shame in attending the fundamentals study hall. It's there for a reason, and if that's going to benefit me the most, then that's where I need to be. One blog entry I read from a former Hackbright fellow, on the top things she wished she'd known going into the fellowship, the first piece of advice was "don't compare yourself to your cohort members." Everyone is coming from a different place, and has varying levels of experience in programming coming into the fellowship. This is incredibly important for me to remember often. After Sasha's comment, and other ladies affirming that they too had had difficulty with the material last week, Ysobelle gave me a piece of feedback that instantly lifted my mood, and sent me into the weekend on a very positive note. She said (and I paraphrase) that most days, by the time we hit 5:00 in lab, everyone's wiped out and pretty much mentally done for the day, but that the time she paired with me, it was her observation that even when we hit 5:00, I'm still focused and on point until the end of lab. I can't express how much that comment meant to me. Believe me, when we hit the 5:00 hour, I'm mentally taxed too (5:30 is absolute brain drain). But I do try to stay as on task as I can, and make the most of every minute.
Again--learning Javascript won't happen in a week. Or two. Or three. And so on. But I'll get there...and there will always be further to go! I just need to be patient with myself, and do my best not to be too hard on myself. (I'll get into my tendency for perfectionism another time.)
***Class in half an hour...finishing up this post at lunch.***
(Turkey sandwich for lunch today...taking the risk of a tryptophan coma for post-lunch lecture, lol.)
And now, on the subject of exercise...
I've only made it to the gym a handful of times since the fellowship started. Time is a precious commodity, as is sleep. But it's driving me crazy not being there on the regular--my physical and metal health is being adversely affected by it. Here's a great article that came across my Twitter feed last week:
Why I Exercise, Especially When I am Way Too Busy to Exercise
^^^ ALL OF THIS. I feel so much better, mind and body, when I am at the gym regularly. Lifting (& cardio) is physical and mental therapy for me. I used to abhor the idea of going to a gym. Now, I abhor the idea of NOT going. As such, this week I am committed to going my standard 5 days, even if I don't really have the time to do so. Ultimately, I'll be in a much better place doing so. I went yesterday for chest day...tonight will be back, Tuesday legs, Wednesday shoulders, and Thursday arms. Cardio & abs daily. (This is my standard gym rotation.) Normally I'd go Monday-Friday, but as there are usually school events of some sort on Fridays after class is out, I'm shifting to Sunday-Thursday. It's gonna be a stretch...but I need to make this happen, for me. I'll let you know how this goes...and sleep is a decided luxury during this fellowship. I'll get what I can during the week (and will sleep much better after going to the gym!), and catch up on weekends.
Regarding sleep:
(Yes, I know it's important to get enough sleep. But losing 2 hours during weeknights is a worthwhile tradeoff for the benefits of regularity at the gym.)
And with that, it's time to finish my lunch, because eating well (and regularly) is important too.
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