The Expand Your Bandwidth pattern gives advice that makes suggestions based on how the title sounds, broaden your horizons.
In learning how to traverse the field of software development there are many tools one must learn to become a successful developer. One type of solution will not work for every problem that a developer faces and that’s why it’s important to never stop learning. The problems will never stop changing and that means that sometimes the application in dealing with or recognizing the problem might change too. The authors mention that an apprentice “must develop the discipline and techniques necessary to efficiently absorb new information, as well as to understand it, retain it, and apply it.” Ways to start applying this pattern include signing up for software development newsletters, following “software luminaries” on Twitter, and even taking free courses online.
I aspire to be a better developer everyday and sometimes finding the energy to become better doesn’t exist. These moments are the most crucial in terms of my own development. I remember being a part of a mailing group where you would pledge to setting aside a dedicated 15 minutes to learning something new in the software development field or use the time trying to write a part of a program. During those 15 minutes your attention should be undivided, and you should be hyper focused on the thing that you are working on.
I agree with the sentiments of this pattern. Being able to “to be able” in this field comes with a lot of knowledge that needs to be drawn upon. Even if you are not knowledgeable about something you should be able to have the skills to know where to look to find information related to problems you are trying to solve. Once the fountain of information has been located, being able to consume it and properly nourish one’s mind is also a skill that one must obtain. Just knowing where to look is not enough. One thing the authors do mention that I may have overlooked is knowing when to stop expanding your bandwidth. This is really important because if you spend all your time trying to learn everything it will actually have a negative impact on your everyday life, in terms of work and possibly even family. This is why I think the 15 minutes a day example is a good starting point to figure out what kind of balance you need to “stay frosty”.
From the blog CS@Worcester – You have reached the upper bound by cloudtech360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.