My name is Mason Ellwood, and I’m currently working on Flatiron School’s Online Full Stack Web Development Program. Each week, I’ll be writing about my experience, what I’m learning, and tips on learning to code.
So I have been a little disheartened with how long it has been taking me to get through Object Oriented Ruby. I have ran through the material and ran through it again, and everything just has not been sticking. It was like I was stuck. Every lesson seemed like it was just a new problem, that would compound on all the other confusion of the previous labs. This caused me to be stuck on Object Oriented Ruby for a really long time. A long enough time that I was concerned.
After running through Procedural and Object Oriented Ruby roughly five times apiece I moved to the final projects at the end of Objects Oriented Ruby course curriculum. This was the fifth time I have approached these final projects. Months of reworking material till finally, trying my shot at the final projects one more time.
Finally, after working through the material enough times, I was able to approach the projects confidently and able to complete them. Each project has taken me roughly four days. This is after retaking the course material for Ruby roughly 5 times. But apparently, this is normal…
While I was completing the first object-oriented main project, Music Library CLI. If you have taken the course or know someone who has, ask them about this lab. It is hell. It’s confusing and hard, and really is the peak of your learning and understanding in Ruby up to this point.
I was talking though a test with a learning expert with the Music Library CLI and we got sidetracked and started talking about his experience with the school. He reassured me that the lab I was currently working on is “THAT LAB” and things get a little more manageable past this point.
He told me when he was taking the school, he was working as a lawyer and decided to change directions. So why not try code. He said when he started his journey to learn to love code with The Flatiron School he took the OO Ruby course roughly seven to ten times. On one of the last attempts at the Music Library CLI, he was actually talking to a professor at the school about quitting. But the professor told him, just as this learn expert told me, that it just takes time and slowly you will be just as good as me.
He said my frustrations with the school are completely normal and justified at this point in the school.
So it was awesome to hear from this coach that was in the same position as me a few years ago a little reassurance and confidence that I’m at a good place and right on the tipping point of connecting all the dots.
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