Online tools that have helped me self-improve as a software engineer

Brief Introduction:

One thing I really admire about the tech space is the ton of resources and tools available online for learning, I'm going to tell you about some of these tools that have really helped me to grow, but before that, a brief introduction about my tech journey.

I officially started my software engineering journey in February this year, I say this because prior to February I had only been watching some YouTube videos on the basics of web development but I never really took any progressive action.

What changed?

Towards the end of 2021, I saw two ads online about some software engineering programs. The first one was from ALX Africa https://www.alxafrica.com/software-engineering-2022 and it is 100% free, I registered, went through the grueling interview sessions and they finally accepted me into the program. The second was from AltSchool Africa https://www.altschoolafrica.com/, which is a paid program. They also accepted me for the second program and these were the game changers for me.

Tools and programs that have helped me:

- Alx Africa

ALX offers job-ready training in the tech fields employers need most. ALX, in partnership with The ROOM, is brought to you by the organization that leads African Leadership Academy, African Leadership University, and Anzisha Prize Foundation.

Alx is quite an intense program that demands 10 hours per day for 12months. If you do not meet the 80% criteria after the first month, they will drop you out of the program.

This program has really helped me grow and develop as a software engineer. Barely 7months into this program and I have added the following skill sets to my portfolio; C and Python languages, shell, Linux, bash, etc.

- Altschool Africa

AltSchool Africa differs from traditional institutions. It is a school for individuals looking to gain technical skills and kick-start a career in Software Engineering. AltSchool Africa takes a non-traditional approach to learning by teaching courses directly connected with the selected track the robust curriculum which combines theoretical knowledge with practical real-world applications is guaranteed to transform anyone into a top Software Engineer within one year.

Altschool also has an end-of-first-semester exam that eliminates those who do not make it. I passed the exam and I am currently enrolled for the second semester. So far I've learned and gained some level of expertise in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and I have even built some side projects like an e-commerce website.

- YouTube

Personally, YouTube is like a university to me. There's nothing you can't learn on there. And its rabbit hole can easily carry you away. Being a visual learner I almost always run to YouTube to understand the concepts I am been taught.

- Slack

Slack is a messaging app for businesses that connects people to the information they need. By bringing people together to work as one unified team, Slack transforms the way organizations communicate.

Coincidentally, both of the software engineering programs I am enrolled in use slack as their workspace and I could not be more grateful. Slack is a nice app that really helps to organize stuff and also makes one focus on priorities. With slack, I have networked with colleagues that have also helped me grow and developed myself.

At the onset, slack might seem difficult or complicated but if you stick around, you will soon get a hang of it.

- Stackoverflow Stack Overflow is a question-and-answer website for professional and enthusiast programmers. It is the flagship site of the Stack Exchange Network. Jeff Atwood and Joel Spolsky created it in 2008. It features questions and answers on a wide range of topics in computer programming.

I have not used much of it but it has really come in handy at some points of my learning journey.

- Codepen

CodePen is an online community for testing and showcasing user-created HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code snippets. It functions as an online code editor and open-source learning environment, where developers can create code snippets, called "pens," and test them.

Codepen is like vscode but it is online. it is super easy to use too with a friendly user interface.

Conclusion

This is not an exhaustive list as I hope to add more to the list.

Thanks for reading and please comment and like my post.

#4articles4weeks #week2