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How you can be sure you're on the right path:

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How you can be sure you're on the right path:

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You're here now: I'll be candid with you; In the upcoming weeks you will most likely face challenges that you may have never contemplated before. But! That's okay, because you already did the most difficult part. You have entered a totally new arena, which I applaud you for. Settle in, trust the process, and you'll come out on top.

You're curious: This will be what defines your success in anything you undertake. You may find yourself getting burned out when you hit the wall (we all do). When that happens, tend to your curiosity. Build something. Break something. Tinker. Keep in mind that you and your trainers are not here for grades. You're here with people that want to see you become a successful developer, and it all starts with your curiosity.

If you've ever played Civilization: You're used to tedious tasks, googling strategies, and being frustrated for 6+ hours for a big payoff at the end. That's going to be what a lot of your time will be like as a developer (as long as you're properly challenging yourself). It's all about that W and feeling like a genius in the end, comrade.

TL,DR: If you're reading this you have already made a significant step forward. Trust the process, show up for yourself and your newfound peers, and you will succeed in becoming a more skilled, more refined version of yourself. The Universal code is written in excitement and intent, and responding to it's call will reward you in kind.

Signed,
Michael Klingenberg
Your future colleague.

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You're your own worst critic, seriously. I know you can do this! The first steps were always the hardest for me and it froze me up every time I stared at a new project. But look around you, reach out, talk to your cohort and communicate with your coaches. Everyone wants you to succeed and you 100% will if you remember this.

Also, google will be your best friend.

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I had 0 experience in the tech field and I made it through this program, so can you!

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I had 0 experience in the tech field and I made it through this program, so can you!

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Do not be afraid to admit that there are concepts you're struggling with, asking questions will lead to deeper understanding. This stuff is CONFUSING and HARD. Make sure to find a support system within your cohort to bounce ideas off of, share resources with, and occasionally (okay pretty often) commiserate with. Don't forget to get away from the screen and look at the sky every once in a while. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!

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Merit's program can be intense at times, but the schedule they will have you on is more than flexible and the plethora of resources they provide is a boon to your success. Please do not feel like any questions you have are stupid or a waste of time. The amount of support I have received from representatives of Merit, and fellow learners has been invaluable, and I hope to stay connected with them in the future. Make the best of this program and always remember to be patient with yourself and to be humble. Success is always within your grasp.

-Lucas Lombardi

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Merit America gives you the general idea of what needs to be learned. However, ALWAYS use outside sources. If you don't understand something GOOGLE it. You're not the first or last person who doesn't understand or is lost. Also go on discord, other learners are eager to help, don't be afraid to ask for help when needed

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Embarking on this journey is no small task. You have made one of the best decisions you could ever make to create that spark in becoming a software engineer! There will times where you stumble but just remember that with every failure you experience brings a lesson to build upon your ultimate pyramid of success. Keep your head held high, develop strong relationships with your peers and NEVER give up!

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You Can't Do Everything (At Least Not Yet)

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You Can't Do Everything (At Least Not Yet)

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You will be learning an immense amount of knowledge in this course.  Some of it will be so easy it is almost alarming.  Some material will be a challenge that you overcome with moderate effort.  There will also be content that simply refuses to be absorbed into your brain and even after it seeps in you find that it is a struggle to put it to use the way you would like to.

All of these things are okay!

Remember that as soon as you have learned something it is still brand new to your brain and you have not had any significant time to practice, implement and familiarize yourself with it.  It takes a lot of time to get "comfortable" with any technical skills you have added to your repertoire.

Keep practicing and give that skill time to take shape for you.  A high level of comfort and familiarity is not likely to come to you during this course.

Let yourself be "new" to things for as long as it takes.

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You belong here. You deserve a future where you can thrive and bring your amazing talents to the table. Don't compare yourself to anyone else and try to release some of the impossible standards you've held yourself to. Take extra care of honoring your limits when it comes to time/energy. Burnout is very real, especially for us. You're among friends... this field is full of people like us (and people who want to support us) and that is the best part! Communicate your needs, as best you can, with people you trust. Practice, practice, and take breaks often. You belong here. ❤️

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Hi Friends!

You are about to embark on one of the hardest things you will do, the Java program is tough.

My biggest advice is to form your community early. Get together as a group, start a Discord server, and have a gathering place where you can connect with each other - live.

These are your people. You need each other through this program, having this support system in place early will prove invaluable as the program goes on.

Work TOGETHER. Everyone has different strengths, and helping each other reinforces concepts for the helper just as much as the person receiving help.

Advocate for yourself, and for each other.  Ask your coaches and trainers for what you need. If something is blocking you from having ideal access to the information, talk to someone about it.

Support each other.  This program is a long time, and inevitably "life" things will happen. Being able to be candid with your fellow learners and receive support will be a huge benefit.

No one else in your world will be able to truly understand what you're going through, like your community does.  Be there for each other.

You are strong, you can do this!  Feel free to reach out and email me if you need some additional moral support. <3
(alipanderson@gmail.com)

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It's okay to struggle with specific subjects. it's okay to need help. It doesn't mean you're bad, or you won't make it, it means you're learning. You will get better, and you will end up understanding. Ask for help! From friends you may make or others, they will help you learn and grow!

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Your going to get frustrated and its not going to be the easiest thing you've done, but just know that you will thank yourself for keeping with it and always remember that you are capable. You can do this! The network for help is here and they are more than willing to do whatever they can to help you succeed!

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Everyone in the cohort has times when they're struggling and besides the coaches your fellow learners also want each other to succeed because that's another contact in the industry you'll both have. So asking for help is always met with positive energy. Grow and learn together and you'll do fine.

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Pushing yourself to this point to your career was and will be the most difficult part of your journey. Everything else is downhill from here. Just keep your momentum no matter what.

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You may think you dont understand anything and nothing makes sense as you go along, and that's okay! Just keep on going and beating up that wall and before you know it, you'll be a mile further than you were before! Heck, I did a hackathon thinking "oh no, I know nothing, I'm gonna hold our team back" but I ended up actually knowing way more than I thought I did, and we actually succeeded in shipping a final product!

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Imposter syndrome will set in almost immediately, and the cohort keeps marching forward very quickly. If you put your head down, keep practice, practice, practicing, and rely on your fellow learners and coaches, you will look back in 5, 10, 20 weeks and be amazed at how far you actually have come!

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You may not understand the material right away. You may fall behind on assignments. You may start to feel down on your skills and yourself.  You may lack confidence in your professional skills.

And all of that is okay. You aren't the first one or the only one. What's important is voicing where you're at. Talk to Amanda, get resources from the tech trainers, reach out to your peers in the program, lean on the community. Know that you can ask for help, you don't have to silently drown.

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Just be focused. I agree it will be not an easy ride, but practice and determination can do it. So never lose momentum and don't be hesitate to reach out the trainers and coaches--they are super helpful.

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Try to stay ahead as much as possible, it will make time for when something trips you up. Your classmates are going through a lot of what you're going through. Make friends. If you find a resource that helps you understand a tough subject, share it. If you have a bad day, reach out.  This program can be tough. Mutual support and pacing are key to completing this program.

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It's inevitable; you will find it eventually. The important thing to keep in mind when you do: you are not alone. You have an entire community of peers and mentors to reach out to for support, even if it's just to talk about how much you hate being forced to constantly input boilerplate code.

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There will be days when you will question if you are capable of this. I can say from experience that if you keep trying, you WILL get it. Read everything, dive down those rabbit holes, utilize your community. It's a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

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Practice early and practice often. Don't wait until Sunday to do the work. Lean on your cohort for support - they're in the trenches with you and can be a great source of information and emotional support.