9 Skills that will make you get the most value from your Ironhack (or any bootcamp) experience

At the time I’m writing this, I have just graduated from an Ironhack bootcamp on Java Web Development that I participated in thanks to a scholarship offered by Santander Bank.

It was a very constructive and intense experience in which I learned a lot and that helped me have a better understanding of the direction I want to move on with my career.

I believe in the value of shared knowledge and peer learning. That is why I thought about writing this list of top 9 skills that will make you get the most value from your Ironhack (or any bootcamp) experience.

1) There is no "I" in Ironhacker!
Okay, actually there is an "I" there but that is not the point. The concept is that during the bootcamp you will perceive how everything is connected.
You will see how the different lessons, the labs you will be assigned or projects you will have to do, have been pre-thought. There is an organization behind it that wants you to succeed. Their success depends on it.
You see, you didn’t just sign up for a fast-paced course.
You are in for something bigger in which you will advance together with the staff, the teachers, and your colleagues.

2) Be ready to give your 100% and then a little more
If you are thinking of joining an Ironhack bootcamp you may already have perceived it.
It will be hard (like iron), it will be intense (bootcamp? have you seen full metal jacket?) but you will learn to hack it and grow while doing it. But to do it, you will need to put in the time, the motivation, and the effort. It will be worth it in the end.

3) Never give up
There will be moments in which you will be tempted to give up, to skim over or even skip the hard topics, to not complete a lab, or to avoid a particular requirement of a project.
Don’t fall for it.
Frustration, difficulty, and fear are normal stages while you are learning something new, especially when you are doing it in an intense and accelerated way.
Repeat to yourself that you will manage it, brew some tea and sit down again putting your 100% and you will find a solution.

4) Don’t be afraid to ask for support
As I said, the bootcamp is more complex than just a class.
It’s a collective experience in which you are not alone.
So if Google (or better DuckDuckGo) is not enough, if the material you have at your disposal is not helping you, ask your colleagues!
Ask your Teacher Assistants or your Teacher! They will be happy to help you find a solution.
To be a programmer is more often than not a community effort, and here you will be able to practice the basics of it

5) Be humble, stay hungry
During my bootcamp I was very motivated to get the most of it, I was determined to learn as much as possible! In order to do it, you will have to go in with a “humble but hungry” mindset. There will be topics that will seem trivial, others that will make you doubt your abilities.
You will have to stay focused and don’t get distracted or unmotivated.
Approach every topic with fresh eyes and always look for different angles.
This mindset will make the difference.

6) Work on fundamentals and build on it
In programming, like in many things, you start with some basic elements and then you build with them and on them till you achieve some pretty complex projects.
If you don’t construct a solid basis, your skill set will be flawed. Don’t be scared to ask if something is unclear, the course will start from some simpler topics and gradually but rapidly grow to more difficult ones.

7) Learn to manage your time
To be a programmer you will have to learn to manage your time.
And during the bootcamp this is an invaluable skill. You will have many deadlines, work can rapidly stack up if you don’t organize your schedule accordingly.
There are many techniques for it (I like to divide my time in fractions with checkpoints, sometimes using a Pomodoro timer) investigate them, and learn to use them.
It will be a very important factor, especially during the final projects.

8) Communication is key
Personally, I've learned a lot about it during my bootcamp. You will have to work in teams during weekly projects. And if learning a skill under pressure may seem hard, doing so while coordinating with others can become very entangled pretty fast.
Speak up, write down, use all the methods you can think of in order to ensure a good flow of communication and be able to give/receive help.
You will have to collaborate with different people and they may not always be an amazing match, but you will have to be able to work with what you are given, and at the end of it you will enjoy it!

9) Savor the full experience!
The last tip I want to give you is to enjoy your time during the bootcamp.
Ironhack is a great occasion to practice many aspects of your professional and personal formation.
Take time to be aware of it.
Build connections that will last and take notes of what made you thrive.
Those pieces of information will be very important after the bootcamp ends in order to have a better understanding of the things you might enjoy doing in your future career.

Ironhack is very intense, but remember you have to experience great challenges if you want to achieve greatness. And that is also Ironhack.