'Walking with a friend in the dark is better than working alone in the light.' - Helen Keller.

The above quote by Helen Keller was the opening nugget in one of the tasks for the week in the ALX Software Engineering program. I will come back to that in a bit. Right now, I want to give you an update about my first week of training as a Software Engineer.

The past few days have been loaded with a lot of learning and relationship building. The week was tagged 'Onboarding' for the reason that it was the week when we, the new participants, were onboarded onto the program. We were introduced to the program curriculum, tools of learning, learning environment, fellow participants and the program structure. We were generally made to familiarize ourselves with the basic concepts and the rules of engagement regarding the program for the next 12 months. I had to install the needed software and apps on my laptop and phone.

We were introduced to concepts, apps and tools such as:

The Intranet:

The ALX Intranet is our environment of learning. It can be referred to as the virtual classroom. it is where all the learning materials, concepts and interactions kick-off. As such, it is the home of all our learning with ALX.

The Sandbox:

This is the command line interface (CLI) we are expected to learn coding on. The CLI is the environment where programmers write codes before transmitting them to the cloud. The Sandbox is a CLI with which Software developers test programming codes.

I installed Ubuntu (it sounded like Greek the first time I heard it), which is an open-source operating system (OS) based on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution. I had to install it on my windows laptop because it has a CLI that is great for software development which does not come with Windows OS. I connect the Sandbox to Ubuntu for the training tasks to get hands-on experience of the terminal.

Shell and Text Editors:

I learnt how to navigate into a UNIX system with Shell commands. Shell is a computer program that presents a CLI which allows for the controlling of a computer using commands entered with a keyboard instead of controlling graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with a mouse or keyboard or touchscreen combination.

We were introduced to Emacs and Vim text editors which will be our editors for the program. These text editors are software programs that allow users to create or manipulate plain text computer files. Vim comes preinstalled on Ubuntu so there was no need to install it. I tried installing Emacs with the commands sudo apt install emacs, sudo snap install emacs --classics and sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kelleyk/emacs, but each command returned an error. I plan on getting around the installation this weekend.

Slack:

Slack is a secured messaging app for organizations, it is a not-so-new way for teams to communicate. It is the official connecting space for peers on the program.

Before now, I saw Slack as an app to be avoided because of its complex interface. But with its inclusion in the ALX concepts of study, I have a better understanding of the platform's usage and navigation.

All these may seem inconsequential or basic to someone with the know-how but to a JJC like me, it feels so surreal being able to use the tools and software.

Peer Learning Days:

Peer Learning Days (PLDs) are mandatory days when we collaborate with assigned peers in a group. PLDs are when we ensure that every one of our peers understands concepts and that everyone is collectively growing in technical, soft, and professional skills.

Asides from learning the concept and being able to study together via virtual meeting apps, the peer learning system has helped me build relationships and bonds with some amazing people. I'm getting to know people beyond the surface within such a short period.

The Tasks:

Every concept and study material released on the intranet is followed by projects and tasks. These reinforce the learning process as there is no way to get around the tasks without studying the materials and even going beyond at times. With the tasks, I am building hands-on knowledge and skills daily.

Generally, this first week has been filled with learning new tools and concepts back-to-back. It has been challenging and extremely time-consuming but very exciting.

Whaoooh!

Come to think of it, I am beginning to sound techy right? I tried so much not to but this article is filled with what I used to consider technical jargon; someone welcome me onboard 😄.

Now let's get 'untechnical'😎, let's take a look at my opening quote -

'working with a friend in the dark is better than working alone in the light' by Helen Keller.

It was the opening nugget on Jasper, a Slack task for the week. I have my reservations about the quote. I do not think walking in the dark with a friend is better than walking alone in the light. Walking in the dark with a friend means we may both stumble and fall; but walking in the light alone means I see my path clearly so it's less likely I fall. Therefore, I would rather walk in the light alone than walk in the dark with a friend - my thought, to each his own.

Till I come your way in a week, share this article with your contacts and anyone you know who is considering or in the process of changing careers.

Remember -

'energy and persistence conquer all things' - Benjamin Franklin.