The summer is coming to a close.
What have you done with your summer? What did you learn?
This summer was mostly spent learning about the Spring Framework. I read Spring Start Here, and am currently completing Creating Spring Boot Microservices on LinkedIn Learning. Further reading includes Spring in Action, Spring Security in Action, Microservices in Spring Boot and Spring Cloud. Further courses include Java Persistence with Spring JPA and Spring Data on LinkedIn Learning.
I also joined Java Brains IO as a means to continue to strengthen my skills as a Java developer. The series of courses work through fundamental, core, and advanced Java topics, while also included courses on Spring, SQL, and other technologies. The main learning path is a Java Bootcamp, but there are additional courses that are intriguing (Java Lambda Basics, Code With Me Projects). Note: ignore any course with Essential in the title → in-depth courses of the same topics are offered.
A notable milestone of the summer was the acceptance of my 400th LeetCode solution. Algorithms do not come to me naturally, and I have worked hard to reach this achievement. I have learned the value of solution patterns, how to recognize them, and how to reason about an implementation. Yet, it remains a constant struggle. With the injection of a Reddit post into my life, I have repositioned my goals and outlook pertaining to the time I spend on DSA. The tl;dr of the article is this: don’t spend a lot of your time preparing for interviews until you have the resume and skill-set to LAND AN INTERVIEW!! For me, this reshapes my goal to a daily LC solution. Furthermore, if I don’t have a direction for my solution within 30 minutes, it’s better to turn to Algo Monster or other resources to learn about the solution. The expectation that I will be spawning shortest-path or dynamic programming solutions from my brain is not logical. Spending more time on the above topics and similar will increase my chances of one day landing interviews.
Lastly, I am eager to work. I long for a purpose and a paycheck. I have decided to schedule the Comptia A+ exams in the near future, and devise a plan to land a help desk job. The added work should be manageable, and the free time I have in November/December is the perfect opportunity. Using Professor Messer and other resources, I can train for the exam. It is also worth considering finishing a certification at CCC with the credits I have acquired there. This way, I can work and support myself while I continue with above.
There is still much to consider, and a lot of work to do. That being said, it’s time to sign off 😉
