Summary:
Retreat into competence is a pattern that involves taking a break from a challenging task to work on something you are more comfortable or confident in. This helps a developer reflect on how far they have come and can keep them motivated to move forward. Patterns may emerge that show how you got proficient in that task. These patterns can then be used to advance your current tasks. Motivation can also be a problem if someone is constantly getting stuck on a task, or just not being able to progress a project forward. Being able to step back and complete a more familiar task can help keep up the drive during the long road.
Reflection:
This pattern really popped out at me originally for the “Context” and “Problem” sections, as I have felt very overwhelmed many times finishing up my college degree. There have been countless times that I have questioned if I have learned enough for my degree. Each semester felt like it only introduced me to a whole new branch of computer science that I didn’t know. Even the classes that had focused on more advanced topics still felt like it was only just the tip of the iceberg.
There have been a few times this semester that I have been stuck on an issue and just could not figure out where to start looking for a solution. It can be really demotivating when you are unable to complete a task that other people are relying on you to complete. Taking the time to work on another issue helped me in both ways mentioned above. Solving an issue that I was confident I could do made me realize what steps I needed to follow to work on the other issue. Not only this, but being able to actually complete an issue kept my motivation up as I felt like I was contributing to the team.
When I first read through this pattern I originally thought mostly about the motivation and satisfaction aspects of being able to complete a task that is familiar to you. However, as I read through it and began to understand more about what you could learn from working on more approachable projects. Paying attention to and understanding the patterns and steps one takes to solve familiar problems can be used to solve new or challenging issues.
From the blog CS@Worcester – CS Learning by kbourassa18 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.