FAB REVIEW (March Dump!)

Dear Awesome Reader,

Yes, you!

It has been a while since you heard from me, and for that I am sorry.

Did you miss me? Think about me a little? No? Yes? Maybe?

Don’t worry, I’ve been fine. A little too overwhelmed, maybe, but fine.

Alright, straight to business!

Lemme start from our last discourse:

My friend loved the cake.

😂 still makes me laugh anytime I see it.

Anyhoo, March had me mostly solving (or at least trying to solve) Leetcode challenges.

My FAB review for week #4 would have been:

1. Me trying to solve a particular binary search problem. This one: https://leetcode.com/problems/first-bad-version. I obviously still have work to do, but it helped me understand the actual application of binary search beyond theory. Binary Search, in essence, is dividing an array or lists into two, checking both sides for which is more likely to have the element we’re looking for. Cancel out the other half that we don’t need, then repeat the process again until we find our element.
2. I got interested in the open-source community. Some of my friends are actively involved in it, and since I’m looking for what to boost my knowledge/resume while working at my own pace, I figured I should try it out. Interestingly, I haven’t actually started contributing, mostly because their core language isn’t what I write, but I’m looking to contribute in other ways, like documentation. March was busy, so I’m definitely going back to issues I like to try and solve.
3. Generally, I was tired. I had to give in so much at work that it was exhausting. But I was fine.

FAB Review Week #5:

1. This week, I went back to Cracking The Coding Interview to try if the advice of solving at least two questions from each topic would help. It did, to an extent. I’m definitely going back to it again.
2. While learning up on Algorithms, I was also tackling Alx and contemplating dropping out.
3. I was so overworked both at my PPA and having to tackle all the extra learning was draining.😭😭

FAB Review Week #6:

This week in particular, hmmmm (and this is coming from someone who hates hmmmm’s), was very interesting.

1. I got excited at the possibility of going to #Oscafest22 — I should probably write an article on this experience, and then link it. We’d see. Anyhoo, Oscafest stands for Open Source Community Africa. It’s an annual event that aims to sensitize people about open source and then help techies network with each other + other side attractions. Okay, def writing on this! I was supposed to travel by road, but my friends chipped in and made the tfare enough for a round trip flight ticket🥺. When I get money, I’d spoil the fam; I promise. Ps: it was also my first time going to Lagos, so I just took the opportunity when it came.
2. My proudest moment was when I solved this problem quickly and I got it correctly on the first try. I was so hyped, see a sneak peek of the feeling below, lmao.

Abum Odogwu! Cheeee🚀🚀🚀

Of course, there’s always space for optimization, but I loved that I could get a brute Force solution that was correct that quickly.

In other news, I think I figured out that these algorithm solutions follow a pattern, sort of like a formula. And now I’m focusing on trying to understand/memorise that formula, so it’s easy to know the pattern a particular problem would follow.

3. I was still so stressed at work 😭, it was exam week and I was in charge of making sure all classes had their subjects typed and printed out before time, and since I wanted to have the next week off to travel for Oscafest, I had to work double. It was exhausting.

Adulthood is so tiring. But I have a bunch of things to be grateful for, so I think that’s what helps tide me over.

4. I dropped out of Alx. Has to be the first learning institution I’d drop out of, lol. But yeah, priorities. I had AltSchool starting the next month and juggling them both including other things would have been hectic + a waste of time cos I might have ended up benefitting from neither.

FAB Review Week #7 aka OSCAFEST WEEEEEKKKKKKK🚀🚀🚀🚀

1. I was still staying late at work until Tuesday, but at the same time packing up. I was both nervous (because thinking about travelling usually gets me that way + meeting new people), and a little excited cos I was going to be seeing my friends soon. It’d been a while.
2. Travelled on Wednesday. So, this part has a story. I didn’t know you needed some form of ID to travel on local flights, but by God’s grace (I’m adding God because I almost didn’t carry my nysc ID card), I carried the nysc card. So when Sophia the Zeroth, said “hope you’re with your card” when she called to ask if I’d checked in, I panicked 😭. Had to call home to please send my nin number so I’d download the nimc app and use the virtual card. I was already at the counter then😢. Anyway, they accepted my nysc card-yay!- and just saved the number they later sent (when I was already at the terminal 😂) for later. Didn’t know if the people in Lagos would be as nice if I wanted to check in with my nysc card. So yeah, there’s that experience.
3. Lagos was nice (we have this story of moving around the streets of Lagos at 1–3 am looking for what to eat😂), and the conference was amazing. So many inspiring stories and people to meet. And then had the privilege to understand the opportunities in open source + meet/see the tech Twitter celebrities in real life. It was super cool you know? Makes you know the people you look up to are human beings too and if they can achieve these amazing milestones, you can too. Also made you see there was a tonnnn of money to be made. A ton of it. In this tech? Your baby girl will make her mark. You’ll see. And I know it won’t be long now 🙂, In Jesus' name, Amen!
4. In Lagos, my outreachy application got approved on the 25th😂. It’s good news. Outreachy is an open-source community that lets approved candidates pick a project they’re interested in and contribute to it with the chances of being accepted as an intern and being paid. The internship runs for three months. I’m currently in the contribution phase now and so far it’s been a bit tricky finding my feet.
5. After the conference, while in Lagos, we went out. It was like a mini-vacation, I loved it- I think more because I was with the family (they all feel like family now), it was amazing. I feel tempted to share pictures 😂.
6. Most of us all left by Monday though (28th of March).

FAB Review Week #8:

Okay, this article is long😂 or at least the longest I’ve written.

1. Experienced turbulence on my return flight, it was a little scary, but I had this peace and assurance during it that it’d be fine and we were! I still have flashes sometimes these days, but I’m fine.
2. The school (my PPA) closed. I have more time the whole of April than I’ve had the whole year, so I have to put in more work and make the most of it.
3. Got ready for Q2. It’s going to be me more focused. AltSchool starts on Monday, they’ve sent out links to join the slack workspace for school and our timetable. It’s starting from the basics. The first two months are one semester.
4. I have to have a strict schedule for my pramp/interview preparation. I did pramp yesterday. I have communication + knowing how to convert theory in my head to actual code. Continuous practice will fix this. We go again today.
5. In Outreachy, I’ve been asking a lot of questions and for guidance, I raised my first two issues on documentation yesterday (1st of April), we’d see how it goes. I want this to work. I really do. I’d try my best. It will work. $7k when it works out is a lot of money.
6. Also realised I should learn to say no to free work cos in trying to “gain experience”. I’m currently in a sticky situation now where I have to finish a project in record time and I’m stuck at an error😢. God has to help me, cos I just want to get it over and done with. Going forward, I’d learn to add 'no' to my vocabulary for things that I know I can’t handle at the time, regardless of how patient or nice or kind I am.
7. I’m in a “meh” phase right now. I think finding reasons to be grateful and trying to connect with/talk to God is what’s helping keep me sane. Aside from that, I’m trying so hard to not get sad or lose my mind. The interesting thing is, I’m not sure why I feel that way. Or is it cos I’m moneyless (I refuse to call myself the dreaded “b” word)😂?

In summary, Q1 was interesting. I’m expectant to know what good and beautiful things/experiences Q2 has. I’m happy about the people I’ve met, the experience I’ve gained, and the inspiring stories I’ve heard. There is a God and He's responsible for me, and I have a future that’s beautiful and sweet and bright. And I won’t be the one to ruin it.

So help me God, Amen!😌

Vocabulary:

Abum = I am

Odogwu = A chief or a highly titled person in Igbo land.