I recently started an online coding bootcamp. Before the course began, I was bombarded with people telling me how intense and overwhelming it would be.
They were not wrong.
After a week of information overload, I sat down to try and reflect on what had just happened. My tired brain came up with a list of things that I was grateful to have, find, and learn during that first week.
As a one-week survivor of coding bootcamp, I feel qualified enough to share seven of those things that really "saved my sanity".
1. Multiple Monitors
I cannot overstate the importance of having multiple monitors. I have more than ten tabs open at once (in different windows) during a bootcamp school day. And that's on top of Zoom, Discord, VSCode, Terminal, and Spotify. (That last one is not required for a bootcamp, but lofi covers are what get me through those independent study sessions.)
Multiple monitors can maximize efficiency and increase your productivity. More screen space = more content you can display. Want four applications open and visible at the same time? No problem! Want to feel like a hacker from one of those spy movies? Easy. All you need is multiple monitors.
2. Testing Site
If you have ever taken a coding class or course, you will know how highly encouraged it is to code daily. One of those, "the-more-you-do-it-the-better-you-will-be" kind of things. Don't try and resist it. That really is how you get better.
I started with Replit.
It was recommended during the prep work for my program. For a true JavaScript beginner, it was perfect. I could experiment with code from the lessons and come up with my own examples.
After the bootcamp had started, a fellow student recommended CodePen.
It was another great site to test out code I had written and automatically see the results.
Regardless of the site you choose, I strongly suggest finding a place to practice as you learn.
3. Comfy Chair
Most likely, you will be sitting at your desk for 8 hours each day (probably more!). Your body will tell you how comfortable your desk chair is after that first day. If your brain ever switches from thinking about coding to thinking about how uncomfortable you are, it's time for a new chair.
Personally, I need a chair that can swivel, is wide enough for me to sit criss-cross, and has arms and a headrest. Online shopping is amazing, but if you can test out the chair you want before buying it, do it. Try all of your normal "sitting positions" and make sure it works for you.
4. Visualizer
I found this one on the Friday afternoon of my first week while trying to understand recursion. (Recursion is this fun process where a function calls itself over and over again. If you forget to tell it when to stop, it will literally continue calling itself forever.)
For a visual learner, such as myself, coding can sometimes be too abstract to understand. I need to see what is happening while my code is running. This is where a visualizer comes in.
As I was working through a freeCodeCamp exercise involving recursion, I found a sweet soul in the comments who had posted a link to a site called Python Tutor. It will analyze the code you enter and visualize the execution of it for you. You can then take all the time you need clicking back and forth through the steps of the execution to understand what is truly happening.
(I also found another site called Bubbl.es that visualizes the JavaScript scope chain. It keeps me from getting too frustrated after receiving my third error in ten minutes telling me that the variable I am trying to call a function on is undefined.)
5. Organization Station
I meant what I said earlier about being overloaded with information during my first week of bootcamp. After a frantic first day of trying to write notes, locate assignments, manage multiple windows, participate in discussions, and halfway understand what was being said, I realized that I would not survive the rest of the week without some sort of organization system.
Now, your brain probably works differently than mine. Just like with your desk chair, find what works for you. I consolidated my notes into a structured (and color-coded) Google Doc, bookmarked every page I might ever need, and tested out different configurations until I figured out what size and location I liked for each open application.
Spend some time outside of class creating your perfect "organization station". It is worth it in the long run.
6. Exercise
Honestly, I was slightly annoyed when I noticed how much exercise helped me. I've been told again and again that regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. I stopped fighting it when I noticed the benefits.
Not only have I seen physical improvements, but mental and emotional as well. If I go into a workout frustrated with an assignment, I come out ready to try again. Sometimes my brain will come up with the answer to my code problem in the middle of squat jumps. Taking some time to exercise will give you the energy, endorphins, and stress relief you need to continue learning and growing.
7. Support System
My thoughts while learning to code have ranged from "I am a genius! Starting a bootcamp was the greatest idea." to "@#$%&!, this is so stupid. I quit!". For me, talking through what I am thinking and feeling has been the most important "sanity saver". (Bonus points if someone in your support system knows how to code and can help you work through your problem.)
You will get stuck at least once during your coding bootcamp journey. Finding your support system, whether it be family, friends, or fellow students, could save you from giving up on yourself.
And there you have it! Seven sanity savers to get you through your first week of coding bootcamp. Good luck and happy coding!
(Bonus sanity saver: Look at coding memes. Some of them have literally made me laugh out loud.)