Andy Hopla

Well February has been an interesting month in that, at last I have made some decisions. Firstly, I have decided against a bootcamp, paid or unpaid, not because I think they’re is not a place for them but I suspect they are padded out with lots of information that, at this point I simply do not need. I am focussing on the basics using the pareto principle, which states that 80% of results come from 20% of causes. It’s a statistical observation that can be applied to many areas of life. So the next question was how? That was fairly simple, just find some free resources on YouTube and cover off those basics concepts. It is much easier saying it than doing it I must say!. I have found myself really getting bogged down in understanding these concepts but what I realised fairly early on was to simply try and understand them and then start putting into practice those principles by building projects. I found a really useful post on YouTube that covers off this journey so this link maybe useful Fastest Way to Learn ANY Programming Language: 80-20 rule

So currently I am trying to build my first project, which I suspect will take me sometime but this is a marathon not a sprint and I suspect the more I write code the better I will get. The old saying practice makes perfect is so true!

I didn’t make any New years resolutions this year and particularly not in regard to improving my developer skills….I have been so inconsistent it’s embarrassing! After saying that it is all a learning process and this itch is not going away, I just need to find the most appropriate way forward, the right teaching/learning platform and apply some consistent activity, easily said harder to implement and lastly focus on the why!

I have been considering a web development bootcamp, usually a 12-16 week which you can get free via the government skills programme or pay for the same course, at least I believe that it is the same course. If you pay it is anything between £7500-£10000, which for me is significant and I just don’t have the confidence, let alone the spare cash to commit to that approach. So right know I am still in stasis not moving forward and by default moving backwards. I suspect I will continue using Udemy courses for the time being and try and build on some of the skills I have already built

Dec – 24

I have to say Udemy is a rather enticing marketplace of all things educational. It didn’t take me long to get my credit card out and start purchasing, don’t we all! Within a few minutes I have signed up to a Python and front-end development course which included CSS, HTML and JavaScript. Do you know that people who enrol on average on complete 30% of the course and 70% don’t even start. what a waste of money. Well, I fell directly into the same trap, and it wasn’t long before I has a lovely Udemy dashboard full of uncompleted courses. Peek…  

I managed to get very enthused with signing up to different technologies very quickly. I suspect that this is very common noting the numbers I mentioned above but this was not getting me closer to developing healthcare-based applications that I felt could assist perhaps patients and administrators. As I had an NHS background, I felt I could see opportunities to use technology to make processes and management more efficient and perhaps save some money.

Nov -24

As some of you are maybe aware I aspire to develop my programming skills and perhaps create some useful web applications. This interest was born out of a recent personal experience where a close familiar member suffered a severe stroke leaving them without speech and right-side paralysis. Luckily, she survived, 47% of people do not according to the World Stroke Organisation. During her extensive rehabilitation, mainly via Speech & Language and Occupational therapists it struck me that technology maybe table to assist, particularly with speech improvements. That was the spark for me but what did that mean in practical terms…I had no idea. An app perhaps? How do I create one? Where do I start? These were the questions buzzing around my head and that was the start, just simple curiosity. The journey commences….