After trying out several avenues of learning Software Development, I finally got the chance to join The Moringa School Access Program Scholarship in February 2021. This has been a skill and mind amplification journey, and here are some of the highlights of my experience as an online student at Moringa School.

Self discovery

To begin with, it has been a journey of self-discovery. The virtual learning program at Moringa School gave me ample space to gain an in-depth understanding of myself. I figured out my most productive time of the day (Morning person? Night owl?). I discovered my best modes and methods of learning and spent enough time with myself to see how I manage my time, manage pressure, and grow. I got enough time to learn the fundamentals and underlying computer programming concepts and consider myself very comfortable wading through errors and bugs moving forward. In Moringa School, we are given Independent projects that we are expected to build up from scratch, guided by the specific modules and the week's learning objectives. This is different from most learning resources I had come across, where there is a lot of hand-holding in the project's phase, which does not really reveal the students' skill level.

At your own pace.

Even though we move together as a class, the online learning program acknowledges that everyone learns at their own speed. I learned how to use the pressure from other students who were moving a bit faster, to keep me in check, while I took time to explore the content at my own pace, getting to absorb, digest, understand and put them into practice. This significantly improved my confidence in my skill level.

the online learning program acknowledges that everyone learns at their own speed.

Code error - an opportunity to grow.

In the online model of learning, whenever I got stuck, I took it as a challenge- before reaching out to my colleagues or my technical mentor - to go the extra mile in trying to figure out the error in my code. Every error in my code presented an opportunity to get deeper insights on the underlying concepts, a way of learning how to learn. Most of these expeditions led me to discover a lot, which resulted in me guiding my fellow students who would find themselves stuck at the same point. This cemented my knowledge in the foundational concepts and lead me to polish areas I had identified to have gaps in, taking my confidence an extra mile.

Fun with digital tools.

Interacting with people from different backgrounds, fields, experiences, and skill levels led to significant knowledge exchange as I learned different ways of solving a single problem, different thought processes when solving problems, and different social and people management skills. Most importantly, the fact that we were interacting virtually provided an opportunity to try out and explore tools that are built to enhance collaborations among teams working together while working on projects and group assignments. Using tools like GitHub, CI/CD automation servers like Jenkins brought us close to the real-world experience of a typical software development process. In an event that an individual was stuck, "share your screen" did the magic. This came as an advantage since most of us were on slack up to late hours in the night, suggesting that help was always a slack call away, making pair programming, group works, and discussions seamless.

A solid community of software developers.

The fun my introverted self has had learning online does not negate the fact that we have missed the physical intimacy and the warmth of being around each other to solidify the social bonds. I have however become part of a community of Software Developers, and hope to significantly exploit the potentials of this network.

Conclusion.

The online learning program comes with a lot of adventure and exposures that encouraged me to stretch and grow beyond my usual. It provided me with the space that allowed me to be me, to look at my strengths and skill gaps with brutal honesty, and well-curated content - to fill in the skill gaps. Simple things like taking breaks during burnouts, having a support system that includes a mental health specialist, a technical mentor, and a pair partner, make the experience even more fulfilling, because there are times that things get tough, and nothing makes sense, and you find yourself really needing that support. All in all, I take this as a one-time fortuity that will result in career, financial, and professional uplifting.

I have been able to escalate my professional and career development, making me better placed in the collaborative force that is moving Kenya toward a digital economy, in line with our economic development blueprint, The Kenya Vision 2030.