14 Oct 2015
I was thinking of that old saying when making the title - every man must plant a tree, build a house, father a son. (Sexist, I know, but that’s how I remember hearing it… )
Why, in the name of a good cup of oolong tea, am I talking about trees and houses?!
Well, Treehouse.
In case you are not familiar, here is the scoop. Treehouse has been around for several years now and people often compare the idea behind the premise as similar to that of Lynda.com. Both business models are centered around a database of training videos. You pay monthly membership and receive access to the entire catalog of those videos. Lynda has always been known in the area of art and design, though it has grown beyond that area of expertise. Treehouse, on the other hand, is meant to teach you how to code. There is a bit of an overlap between the two, actually, since Lynda dips its toes into many subjects , but enough difference for each to find a niche. and profit.
For the longest time I scoffed at Treehouse, mostly, to be honest, after getting a few video courses on Udemy. Not that they were bad exactly, but the teaching model did not suit my personality or needs. Udemy is fantastic for specific subjects and intermediate-expert levels. I really would not discourage anyone from exploring their very vast store of courses. If interested, do look for course bundles, as they tend to pop up on various sites as promotions, just like StackSocial.
Treehouse has impressed me though. The videos are high quality, there are wonderful animations and a great structure of teaching. Videos are short and on point, and there are quizzes and coding challenges to ensure you’re paying attention. Gamification is at play, as you receive points for completion of any work, including watching a video. Basically - it is fun and you learn things, the best that life can offer.
Here is my referral link if you want to get an account, or, if you are not inclined to support your favourite programming noob - here is a link to Treehouse without any referral attached.
28 Sep 2015
These days when I give people an update on my life, the conversation tends to be a template script I go through:
“So, I am actually back in school now. Taking software development at SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology)! It is pretty great!”
“What about engineering?”
“I thought I would try something else…”
The question, whether I get asked it or not, is why in the world would I give up a career in electrical engineering, after spending four years getting my degree, and then spending three years in the industry and being just a year away from getting my professional designation in Alberta. Well, this is my answer to that.
Different things have different worth to different people. There are people out there who would give up their entire net worth to go to space, while, personally, I would think for a month before getting payed to leave Earth. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. (Though, I have to admit, finding liquid water on Mars, gains it a lot of points as real estate…)
I have always viewed time as the most precious resource, since you are only given so much of it. And how I spend my time becomes highly important to me. Yes, I could spend more years in my previous career, but I want the fastest track to where I want to end up. The goal right now is to learn programming, and to get the job that would be interesting, fulfilling and enjoyable.
I don’t think people need to fear changing tracks. If your train is heading somewhere you suddenly don’t want to get to, then why not get off at the next station and hop on another one? After all, there is a certain trial and error method to life, and it cannot be replaced by any procedure guaranteeing your success and happiness. Sometimes you try something, and it is like magic - you find your place in the world. And sometimes that just doesn’t happen. Or maybe the magic wears off. Or maybe having that one thing is no longer enough. So, to conclude these messy chaotic musings - life just needs to be lived, and you have to try new things and see how it pans out. I am trying this right now - programming, developing, building apps, and I am pretty excited. :)
