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- What was helpful during Onboarding working remotely?
- What hindered your progress during Onboarding?
- How did you overcome challenges during Onboarding?
Without hesitation I would say the Slack setup has been the most helpful element of remote work. The number of channels was initially somewhat overwhelming but the instructors did a commendable job explaining which channels were to be used for what content. It feels as though we already have a pretty solid sense of comradery as we head into the in-person section of the camp.
Along those same lines I appreciated the smaller team element as well. It was certainly helpful forging closer relationships with others starting this same journey.
Finally, from a technical/'tools' standpoint, Gitpod has been an excellent platform. There was a learning curve to be certain, but the effort paid dividends in that we didn't have to worry about local machine issues in addition to all the other variables that come into play during remote work.
I am what you would probably best call an 'old school' (literally in both words) student, used to sitting at a desk with my hardcover book and my notepad, taking longhand notes with my pen. So, a 'virtual classroom' definitely took some adjusting.
Luckily (?) we all undobutedly got some experience with these tools during the Covid-related shutdowns. I certainly did helping my daughters with their school work. So the tools, at least, were not entirely new to me. Still though it was undeniably a challenge to me trying to stay on top of all of the assigned readings and problems and generally juggling time management while continuing my full-time day job (which ended 9/15/22).
I think my personal strategy for overcoming challenges consisted of an odd mix of independence and dependence.
The '30 minute rule' for using the help channel on Slack was an excellent aid for this.
There have been several times throughout the past for weeks when I would find myself stuck on a logic issue and having to edit and otherwise refine my pseudocode to try and get a better grasp of the problem. Fortunately there are many excellent resources available and I was often able to indulge my independent streak and 'figure it out' on my own.
Likewise, there were a few instances where the 30 minute mark came and went and I realized I was no closer to a solution than when I began. (With several Gitpod issues, I was undoubtedly farther off course). In those times I felt free to reach out on the help channel and without fail someone, student or instructor, was able to help me out of the weeds.