This week, I will be writing a reflection on the “Your First Language” pattern.  This pattern addresses those are seeking a job in software development but obtaining said job requires a proficiency in a specific language and/or developers who feel comfortable in one or two languages but are expected to maintain the same standard of quality as their teammates/coworkers.  I chose to reflect on this pattern because I am currently trying to obtain a software development internship and most, if not all, of them require proficiency in at least one or two languages.  I do feel as though I am proficient in Java and C, but I am unsure how my skills compare to those that I might work with in one of the internships I am applying for.  I found this pattern particularly helpful in my current situation.

To deal with this problem, Oshineye and Hoover recommend picking one language and becoming a master of it.  They advise developers to spend a few years solving problems in a single language while honing their abilities.  I found this to be useful because I have had the idea, for the past few years, that employers would look for a diverse skillset in novice developers, but Oshineye and Hoover believe that being a master of one language is more useful than being sufficient in many.

To help improve your experience while learning your first language, Oshineye and Hoover believe that it is incredibly helpful to have an actual problem to solve.  I was at this point last year, which is when I decided to join a website that offers free coding challenges that deal with both real world issues and the type of work you might do in school like programming functions in a specific data structure.  They go on to suggest that, in addition to spending a lot of your own time practicing a language, novice developers should find also experienced mentors to aid in their learning.

Oshineye and Hoover conclude the pattern by describing ways to create short feedback loops and use testing frameworks so that novice software developers can easily track their progress as they learn a language.  This pattern has inspired me to ‘master’ a language, find a mentor, and begin creating feedback loops (such as testing) to track my progress.  I think all of these things will give me a sturdier foundation when I enter the field.

From the blog CS@Worcester – by Ryan Marcelonis and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The problem addressed by this pattern is one that should be familiar to most: needing guidance in unfamiliar ground.  The authors propose that you find a “master craftsperson” to guide you, but recognize a flaw: it is difficult to find true masters in a craft that is still fairly young, and in which the tools evolve very quickly.  Most of all, they emphasize the importance of getting over the anxiety of reaching out, because the upside of success is so high.

This resonates with me and with my experiences.  I find that I am very successful when I have found a mentor of whom I can ask questions and bounce ideas without fear of ridicule or rejection.  Even if my mentor doesn’t respond right away or have the answer, the act of formulating my thoughts enough to send them as a question to someone else can help me find what I’m looking for.

The authors also recommend taking on a mentor role when you have the opportunity.  This is also something that I’ve found helps me learn.  It may be common wisdom at this point, but I’ve found that I don’t know how much I know (or what critical knowledge I lack) until I go to teach it to someone else.  My family members often find themselves in the (hopefully patient) position of listening to me test my knowledge by explaining things to them — doing that by teaching someone that is really invested  in learning the topic is even better!

I can also connect with the anxiety of reaching out, especially to someone with whom I do not have a previous connection.  No matter how beneficial the outcome may be, and no matter what my past experiences have been (overwhelmingly positive) I tend to have trouble taking that first step of making a connection.  In my life in general, the anxiety of reaching out to other people for help is one of the largest obstacles I struggle with and one of the most important for me to work on.

Like with many of the other patterns, I find that this one did not necessarily teach me anything truly novel.  However, it validates what I thought I knew and backed that up, which is just as important.

From the blog CS@Worcester – orscsblog by orscsblog and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

“Practice, Practice, Practice” is a pattern which encourages exactly what you’d expect: continuous practice. Like Breakable Toys, the problem this pattern is intended to address is that failure in your professional responsibilities is too costly to risk. You can’t effectively learn without the freedom to fail, though, and for that reason you need somewhere safe to practice.

This is another pattern in which the writers say the ideal application of it would be in a world with formal software apprenticeship, but in reality, software apprentices have to create an approximation for themselves. In their ideal world, a mentor would assign their apprentice practice based on the apprentice’s strength and weaknesses, reinforcing what the apprentice does well and correcting their weaknesses. The writers emphasize the need for objective metrics to evaluate your abilities as a substitute for this; if you practice without getting feedback, you will reinforce bad habits.

One way of making sure you receive regular feedback is to practice in a way that’s public to some degree. The example they give is a group that meets in person to perform code katas, exercises which are meant to help programmers to sharpen their skills through repetition. For some apprentices, an activity like this probably isn’t practical or immediately accessible. Online communities devoted to practice are another option which can likely serve as a good source of feedback. Importantly, any method of getting feedback on your practice should take place in a relaxed and playful setting, since the point is to remove the stress of mandatory success. The practice itself should be something just beyond what you know you can do easily. In having to struggle with a problem, the practice will strengthen your abilities in addition to providing the benefits of repetition.

This is a pattern that appeals to me, because I’ve discovered that I learn the most by actually writing code. To that end, the writers suggest some older books that teach important programming techniques and design principles through fun problems. This seems like a useful, concrete recommendation, and I might look into obtaining one of their suggested books or find one of my own to improve my coding skills.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Fun in Function by funinfunction and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.