Sprint Challenge 1: Labs at Lambda School
I have been chasing after this cute, furry, and deceivingly simple-looking creature all morning. Figuratively speaking that is. For the final day of our first week in labs (and for every other Friday during this two-month labs period) we are required to complete a sprint challenge. This sprint challenge is quite different from the fast and furious sprint challenges I have experienced for the past four months of initial instruction. It is not so much a test but rather a journal entry where I reflect on all that I have done this past week. Easy, right?
Easy, it turns out, was not the right word. Less stressful? Definitely! Gone is the frantic preparation, pouring over code I have learned over the week, and then the big sprint where the clock strikes 8 am Pacific Standard time and we have three hours to complete our assignment. In fact, for labs we were able to start working on our sprint assignment the evening before. How lovely is that!
However, if you measure “easy” as meaning less time, I would argue that the opposite is true. I have been working on my assignment since the wee hours of the dawn (the only time my house is quiet — i.e. kids not awake). As I began researching how to answer the two prompts, I found myself doing what I am so very good at….diving headfirst into rabbit holes.
The first prompt asked me to describe our product, features we plan to deliver, and the conversations I have had with my project manager that have changed how I view the product. This was fairly easy to answer, and was a great help to me, since it helped me verbalize (at least on paper) what our project is all about.
It was the second prompt that got me chasing that furry little devil. I was supposed to describe the technical or design discussions that shaped the long-term product vision. To be honest, our team has selected React.js, Redux, Express, and Node.js because that is what we have learned. For state management, we have also learned Context API, but since our previous team has started with Redux, it made sense to stick with what is working.
Although I had briefly looked into the whys concerning our technical design, it was not until now that I had really taken time to look at other options. To be honest, during my time at Lambda, I feel like I have been holding on as tightly as I can to a high-speed roller coaster that threatens to launch me into outer space with each twist and turn. Now that I am embarking on a two-month project with a development team, it is time to really ask those “whys”, and not just accept things at face value.
Well, sort of. I am still quite early in the learning process. I have yet to learn Python, Java, and all that fun stuff that comes after labs. Yes, I do have choices (especially when it comes to styling libraries!). But I also need to learn that while chasing rabbit holes, trying to understand the minutia of every detail that goes into programming, may feel satisfying, it is not always the best use of my time. I need to remember that if I am persistent and diligent in my programming pursuits, that knowledge will come. Sometimes the most intelligent choice is the choice not to jump into another rabbit hole, but keeping your eyes on the immediate goal set before you.
