MY TIIDELAB EXPERIENCE 2.0 (MONTH TWO).

TiideLab Logo.

Sabi gists don land o! It’s my month two at TiideLab!! How time flies, though. Incase you missed the first one, you can find it here.

Sabi gists too plenty! Where do I even start from?

Do I talk about the safe landing into UI/UX at the beginning of the second month where I learned the rudiments of UI/UX and product design including combining colours and elements of design alike and bringing the two-week session to a close with a design of an attendance-taking app called auto track? An experience that was interesting because of how the instructors demystified the course?

Autotrack final UI by Team Euvola.

Or Do I talk about how my team members (Team Euvola) and I welcomed our fellowship project — an insurance sales management tool — we call INSure, which is meant to manage sales and track leads, of which we undergone two project sprints — where we briefed the TiideLab council of elders on our progress so far? An experience where we had to come up with a team name, prepare our features document (SRS and FRS) and practically design our page of which is still in progress?

Or how fellow TiideLab colleagues and I were introduced into the beautiful world of JavaScript, coordinated by our very experienced Mr. Kenny, who since it’s first day, have introduced us to JavaScript data types, loops, functions, hacks of writing a good and clean code,etc which have been closely followed by advice to beginners to constantly keep an open mind, and keen practical applications in form of assignments and live class projects? Mr. Kenny who will go over and over again explaining complex concepts without minding, with the only wish for you to understand better?

Or should I talk about the Alumni fireside chats where we had two alumni (Mr. Abonyi Francis & Miss Oyinlade Ojesanmi; for the first and Miss Dammy Oladimeji & Mr. Chris Madufor for the 2nd edition) share their experiences on their current jobs, how they coped immediately after TiideLab, how they managed to secure a job and best practices to excel at TiideLab as well as their work places? The fun-filled, relatable fireside chats where the alumni entertained our questions, answering it with finesse and intention — the golden experiences that if one does not get could make one spent longer years in breaking-even in tech?

2nd Fireside chat

1st Fireside Chat.

Or do I talk about the stress from having to combine classes and INSure’s project development, day after day, an event which leaves us drained but has and will also help us develop a thick skin to working under pressure, multi-tasking and stretch ourselves behind our limits?

Oh! How could I forget, the unveiling of both our project mentors as well as our personal mentors, two of which will guide us in producing a world class product as project and make sure we make considerable amount of progress as a software developer, making sure we excel in our career path?

Mentors Unveiling.

The past one month has bore a constellation of mixed moments, moments both of breaking and making, moments of highs and lows, but, nevertheless, I have kept my head up in determination. These moments consisted of fragments of various lessons I’ve learned from its activities which, in no particular order, are as follows:

• learnt the importance of applying any new concepts taught immediately at point of learning. This is one thing I admire about TiideLab — practicability. This made me discover my loopholes in any concept I learn/learned especially as regards html and CSS
• the idea that creativity no dey finish. Where you think it’s the end of one’s creativity, is actually beginning of another’s.
• the amazing result produced by vanilla JavaScript when I applied them to real life projects like ussd banking and atm automation process based on the concepts being taught in class (You can find it here.)
• I was able to improve on my knowledge of Figma as a result of working on designs of the attendance taking app — AutoTrack and InSure — my official team project.
• I am intentionally beginning to learn the act of making decisions based on several opinions especially when one is coordinating a meeting. This is inspired by our our programs coordinator, Mr. Shams, who shows his credible skill of drawing conclusions from different opinions during some morning standups — a skill that is rarity.
• that a good presentation should comprise a captivating slide made up of fewer words, a good presenter. who’s able to speak to the slide (“eat the slide”, as Mr. Shams will say) as well as articulate words properly and manage time.

Made a Presentation on Loops

• learnt the act of making smart decisions which involves using the PROACT (Problem, Objectives, Alternative, Consequences, Trade-Offs & Optimisation) Tools and the process of ethical decision making, taught on one of the Friday professional development class.

The PrOACT Tool

• Problem framing — which is a structured approach to solving problems — its techniques and it’s methods (Deming’s cycle, A3 Model and DMAIC methods) also taught on one of the Friday professional development class.

Problem Framing Methods.

• writing a good Structural Requirement Specifications (SRS) document which will contain both the functional requirements (what the software should basically do) and the non-functional requirements (other additional features), well handled by our able Mr. Kenny.

I bet there are many more things I learnt that I cannot recall at the moment. TiideLab has so far, being a very supportive platform for budding software engineers like me. The way it fosters camaraderie among its fellows from different parts of the country as well as look out for its own, is topnotch. It always wants to see us succeed as long as we submit ourselves to the process.

Overall, the past one month ushered us into the bedrock of coding. The normal flow routines of TiideLab continued with just a tinge of more activities brought about by our official projects and coding. I am beginning to relate better with my team members as well as other other fellows. It has been a great experience so far. We had another fellow get a new job. The final results of the last coding challenge finally came in the winner and the 1st runner up came from my team — Euvola. It’s a pride to behold. I couldn’t partake in it ’cause during the first stage, I got logged out due to network disruption.

So far, I look at the progress I’m making and I’m really liking it especially with the challenges. I hope to look back in a month’s time and wiggle my head in satisfaction that I’ve improved a great deal from here. Special thanks to the cabinet members of TiideLab for this opportunity.

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Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll bring you more juicy contents and gists. Bye!