A new CodeClan cohort started today.
I’ve written before that I feel, on this coding path, as if we’re climbing a mountain, and everyone is ahead of me, and I can’t see anyone behind, and the simple feeling of being behind is completely and utterly demoralizing. Maybe I didn’t make that clear before: learning to code can be completely and utterly demoralizing.
But with this new cohort of students came a new breath of life about the building. It’s like a whole group of climbers just appeared in the foothills below, and are scrambling to try to climb up to reach us, but I know they won’t – not as long as we’re here on the mountain. We suddenly have perspective – clear, compelling perspective – on how far we’ve come.
At the same time, we’re also no longer the “new kids” in CodeClan. It feels like we have some small degree of seniority. CodeClan is set up, though, in a very collegial way, so it’s not like we’re above them – just further along the path. And as their seniors, we have the obligation, really, to help them navigate their trail – to be friendly, to reach out, to embrace them in this journey and encourage them along.
I know they’re going to get frustrated in the next few weeks; we were all there, too, and, to some extent we still are in their shoes. But for now, I can see how far we’ve come, and it makes me very, very glad.
Now, back to cursing Java.
Souvenirs 