Week 12. Last week of module 4. Atmosphere: people are rather negative, frustrated, angry. Reason: our lead instructor was fired. And the timing is the worst. He was supposed to coach us through dreaded Redux, a topic that has been a challenge for our previous cohort.
Despite this negative vibe my week felt pretty good. We finished our module 4 project on Tuesday and presented it. And then Wednesday through Friday we were learning Redux - back on labs again. I had dreaded the day we would start Redux because my concentration and energy have taken a major dip in the past two weeks. But miraculously, on Wednesday I was all focused again! I flew through the Redux lectures. Heureka! I thought I'd never find it again so I am feeling relieved and happy that I am getting back on track. Especially now in our finishing weeks.
Then came Friday and we all realized:
OMFG. It is here! On Monday we are starting the FINAL PROJECT!
We will have 3 weeks to complete it. And this time, it is solo. No group project. Module 5 is the module that matters most - this project will be the one and first to go into our portfolio! We will present, explain, defend it in our job interviews. While this is alot of pressure, this module is also supposed to be the funnest. We can get creative, build whatever we want, learn new technologies. And yet again, this is SCARY! What if I cannot finish my project, what if my idea sucks, what if my APP sucks, what if... ???
Calm down. Breathe.
This is an awesome opportunity to test yourself out. Learn in a collaborative environment. Get stuck, but with tons of people around you to support you. I will probably never have this open-minded, helpful environment again. So take advantage of it!
And it is becoming reality. In my first 12 weeks at Flatiron School, day by day, I used to walk past the classroom called "Hopper". While I was working in the main area with 60 other students, it can become very noisy, a bit crowded and busy at times. But Hopper is different. It is quiet. It is spaced out. Everybody has their own monitor and desk. They are the people working on their final projects. They graduated from the main floor to the premium enclosed Hopper room. They are adults now.
And now guess what. I am in that room now!
We officially graduated to THE room
This is HOPPER
Only those who got through the 12 weeks successfully will spend their last three weeks here to build their first portfolio project.
Will I ever leave the room? Will I go home to take a shower? Who knows...
This is where I will spend most of my time in the next three weeks
And the winner goes to: Poke Bowl from Kome Waza in FiDi
Category: Prettiest, Yummiest, and Healthiest
Ingredients: Raw yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, avo, nori, masago, pickled onion, watercress, cucumber, furikake
Look at that view on Manhattan!
Rooftop Barbecue in Crown Heights
Long Lost Friend I: Pistachios
When you have not eaten something in a long time (like 5 months), be it the simplest thing, it is like a mini explosion on your tastebuds
Long Lost Friend II: Kale, Quinoa, and Lentils
I never realized that I have missed that so much
Long Lost Friend III: Tofu
One bite and childhood memories are flooding my mind
My parents will pass out when they read this: $3 from Chinatown
Homemade: Sesame Noodles
It gets better with every day that it sits in the fridge
Many Biking Tourists in Front of A Building: Must Be Interesting
The label says: United States Court House
Separation of Concerns
Mix dry and wet only on the spoon - I love my cereal as crunchy as possible!
