Day 1- Coding Bootcamp

 So today I finally pulled the trigger and put money down on the coding program that I've been thinking about, ruminating about, dreaming about, researching about, planning for, putting off, for several years. It's expensive. I'm nervous, but not like "there's a hungry lion in front of me" nervous, but "there's a lion in front of me who might want to enter my house, put cameras all around, and microphones, and bug my computer, to gain intel on me in order to blackmail me in 10 months" nervous. Like, it's coming, it's some ways off, and I can make it, I can succeed, but it will take a lot of work.

Actually what has helped me a lot today going through the "How to do this certificate" lesson. They are very clear, this program is not for the faint of heart, and it will be hard, and it will take a lot of work from me, not them. My success is in my pocket, and I must be an active participant. I must ask questions, take notes, and study and practice. Just knowing that they know how hard the program will be is making me feel better. They're thought about this and want to be honest and straightforward. That is actually quite comforting. The concept of encountering "desirable difficulties" is not terribly new, but that specific term is, and will help me keep in context the issues I'll encounter in coming months.

Things I should expect: feeling the "imposter syndrome", feeling helpless, feeling supported, feeling accomplished.

Things I can do to increase my chances of success: take a break from hard problems, see frustration as a sign for taking a pause; view comfort, complacency, and a belief that I'm right with suspicion, and test myself to make sure that I actually am right, or actually do understand something; test myself if I think I understand some concept; try practice problems before reading the material; be involved with other participants; seek out help; write about, or summarize to others, what I've learned.

Day 1- the beginning.