I learn how to do things by doing and practicing. I forget things easily, so I take notes for myself. Sometimes, I am a shy person and I am afraid to ask questions or keep my thoughts to myself. I don't have the confidence to share my thoughts or advice with anyone as I worry that I will make mistakes and give wrong information to others. However, I realize that my thoughts or ideas are sometimes right and I need to try to speak up and not be afraid to make mistakes, as I can learn from them. Every time, I can come back to my notes and reread them. It took time for me to be confident enough to talk to other people. I learn by observing how other people do things, asking for their advice, and understanding how they did it so I can improve and use it in my daily life. This helps me learn how to be more confident and believe in myself more.
I have gained confidence in talking to other people and have learned how to give feedback in a polite and constructive manner. In the past, I tended to be straightforward with feedback and only focused on areas that needed improvement. Now, I make sure to acknowledge what people have done well so far and provide suggestions for growth. To improve my social skills, I need to start conversations and learn how to greet everyone. Although I am shy, I am working on being more outgoing. I want to get along with everyone in the bootcamp and in my future workplace, so I try to empathize with others and listen carefully to ensure that I understand them correctly. It's important not to interrupt people while they are speaking, even if I have a question. I can wait until they finish speaking and then ask my question. When working in a team, I am not worried because I work well with others. I will use my skills in giving feedback to help my team improve without hurting anyone's feelings. Human skills are important for me to care for myself and others, check on each other before starting group projects, and to be kind to everyone. Sometimes, it's the small things that make a big difference and I need to remember to do them.
I need to believe in myself that I can do it, then practice regularly. I believe in the process and hard work I have put in. I used to be afraid and worry so much when I saw other people doing things faster than me. I often looked down on myself for not being able to keep up. But then I changed my mindset and asked myself, 'Why am I here? Did I know how to code from the first day I started? How about now, has anything changed or improved?' I found the answer: 'Yes,' I have learned a lot and improved my coding skills, even though they are not perfect yet. I learned not to compare myself to others but to compare myself to where I started and see the progress I have made. This way, I do not push myself down and instead motivate myself to keep trying. I realized that success is not far away if I do not stop trying.