Pre-revision time!!

Well, the assignment is packed up and on it's merry digital way.  So now it's onward, ever onward towards the exam.  But first I am allowing myself a week of 'just play', to take in all the learning on our project placements, get that straight in my head and to be allowed just to pick up a computer and get creative, playing nice with coding rather than being on a computer 'because I have to be'.

Hopefully that sounded less waffly on the virtual 'paper' than it did in my head cos my brains are addled I think.

There's been SO much information to take in this week, around how the Agile development environment is structured, how a real life project would work, and even new bits of languages creeping in there to mix it all up.

This time next week - start the revision plan and work out how all of that will fit together with my life once I get back into the training room.  Basically losing 2 days of 'daytime revision' a week to our training.  I think I need to keep reiterating the old mantra - 'good enough is good enough...'.  I just need to pass, how good a pass is almost irrelevant (only a matter of pride really).  As long as I feel as though I could get a good 40% out of the exam, then I will be happy.  I don't usually lose too many marks on the assignments so I feel fairly confident in that, despite the lack of enthusiasm and energy I've had to put towards this one.

And then.....eek!!  Almost time to sign up for the final course, the final piece of the BSc Hons jigsaw.  And beyond that - a graduation ceremony next October!!

OK enough waffle, I'll leave you to read any extras over on page 2!!

And today I get to play...

Only after a lot of hard work catching up on my assignment.  But today I got to play nice with bloggy stuff, and to fit in an extra bit of 'work' learning something called AngularJS.

Experimented with layouts of images and background stuff etc on my blog here, the purple is very much an experimental thing, not entirely convinced it will stay the course, that and the changes to layout.  But as a trainee IT Ninja Monkey, I need to be brave and experimental, and the purple was changed by directly accessing the source code of the page rather than clicking on pretty buttons, so it fits the criteria of 'learning' too.

Hoping that the real life IT stuff still allows a little 'playtime' as I think I cram in more learning when I play than I do sitting in a classroom situation.

Trying hard not to think yet about the OU exam which looms ever closer, or how I will need to structure life to fit in revision after the assignment is over.  I'm enjoying the real life stuff so much that it's getting increasingly hard to focus on the theory, however much I know it will benefit my journey in the long run.

Over the hills

..and far away!

Yes we have climbed to the top of Mount Project, and come back safely down the other side.  Feeling a good buzz at having finished it, combined with a hefty dose of 'argh now I have to get on with the OU again'.  OU assignment is due in 16 days, it's the final TMA so no extensions allowed, and I think I'm behind on not just the assignment but the work to catch up to it.

So it will be the old 'read what I need for the assignment and come back to the rest' workaround, I need to make a good plan for what to do and when to do it, make promises to myself about both achievements and rewards - and then stick to the plans and promises.

Next 'hill' to climb - we are shortly off to the big wide world of live development work.  How much we will get our hands on, how much of an Agile environment it will actually be, what do we put together for our 'show and tell' presentation afterwards?  There are a few of us going to the same team, so I know that I won't be alone, which is nice.  It's another of those 'unknowns' I guess - with as many questions as we have answers at the moment.  Looking forward to putting on my climbing boots and navigating the hill though, if it's been as much fun as the developer journey so far, it will be worth the climb....

A matter of timing

Feeling very arghy today - all my deadlines are approaching all at the same time and I am tired tired tired.

OU pre-assignment panic meeting up with Software Developer project week panic meeting up with 'why the heck do we have to complete annual reviews anyway they're c**p', how do I fit it all in and still even manage personal hygiene let alone a 'life'

Don't get me wrong I am loving every moment of the developer journey but it all feels like too many deadlines together today.  And meanwhile my friends and family get what's left of me....which to be honest isn't a lot at the minute.  (So I feel guilty about that too...go figure...).

Right that was a quicky to keep my blog up to date - go check out page 2 for an albeit brief update on the developer journey so far...