Could it be that I am a database junkie? Is there a mysterious connection between my twisted enjoyment of DB queries and my weird fascination with regex?
We are about 7 weeks into our bootcamp and today was our first day of learning SQL. And maybe it has something to do with using MYSQL but I quite enjoyed it. I think it has a lot to do with the instant gratification of a query that works. And if a query doesn't work, well there is a small window of code (not more than 10 lines) that needs to be tweaked somehow. Its the perfect kind of project to let my brain continue cooling off after a really hectic 2 weeks of React and Redux.
This experience seems like a good segue into another lesson of bootcamp. Don't be prejudiced against certain disciplines if they feel right to you. In my case I've always felt that I'd be a great front-end developer because I love art and design and I have attention to detail. So I entered the bootcamp believing that those feelings would just be confirmed. And to some degree that has been true. I've enjoyed every chance to practice CSS, Glamorous and whatever other styling techniques are available to me.
But what about things like regex or SQL that have no front-end appeal at all? Those are fun for me too. There is something satisfying about filtering through a mess of data and pulling out the one piece you need in an elegant way.
And our class has met with several firms in town that provide cybersecurity solutions and consulting. I've always been interested in it but never really thought it was a career option for me. But now I'm seriously considering it because I am fascinated by the work that these men and women do, having seen it in person.
So if you enter a bootcamp with the passion to be a Responsive Design specialist, go for it. But if someone introduces you to a database and you really feel like that's something you'd like to learn more about, go for that then. Or if you like the idea of penetration testing and making sure someone else's code is strong enough to survive in the wild, then go for that. The only wrong answer in life is following a path for the wrong reasons. Life is very short and we don't have time to learn all of the things. But we do have time to learn the things that make us happy. So if your happiness is found in a SQL JOIN, or in writing a smart contract, then go for it!
