It has already been one month since I joined the Alx software engineering program. In this article, I will share my experiences so far, what I have learned from the program, and my overall thoughts about it.

Alx is a project-based software engineering program. The key difference between Alx and other coding bootcamps is that there isn't a dedicated teacher to guide you through the concepts. In Alx, you learn concepts on your own through a project-based approach. You are expected to complete various tasks based on the concepts you've learned.

Onboarding Week

Onboarding typically lasts for two weeks. During this period, we were introduced to different tools that we are going to use throughout the program. Some of these tools include an intranet (not the internet), Slack, and Zoom.

Onboarding was relatively easy, and there was no pressure, even though we had already started working on some projects. The projects during these two weeks had long deadlines, which gave us ample time to complete them. Additionally, these initial projects were not graded, so missing a project didn't have significant consequences.

Probation Month

The probation month typically lasts for one month and begins at the end of the onboarding week. The first three days of the probation month were even easier than the onboarding week because we were assigned projects that we had already completed during onboarding. The difference now was that these projects were graded and had shorter deadlines. Despite the tighter deadlines, it didn't feel challenging because we had already completed the same projects before.

One week into the probation month, we started receiving new projects with shorter deadlines, and that's when the pressure began for me. Here are some of the concepts we learned during this month:

Linux and Bash Scripting

In the AlX software engineering program, we primarily use the Linux terminal for coding. There are numerous advantages to this approach, as many tech companies and software engineers prefer Linux for coding. One challenge I encountered was writing bash scripts, which are commands used to automate functions in the Linux terminal. To overcome this challenge, I watched bash scripting tutorials on YouTube. It's worth noting that YouTube has been my great teacher throughout my AlX journey.

Git and GitHub

We were introduced to Git and GitHub as part of the program. Creating my first repository on GitHub made me feel like a real programmer. However, as Alx always keeps you on your toes, the tasks became more challenging. One of the tougher tasks involved creating, merging, and resolving branch conflicts. I'm grateful to Ahmed, my fellow cohort 19 peer, for helping me understand and solve these concepts. Ahmed had prior experience working with the Linux terminal before joining the Alx program.

C Programming

Finally, we started actual programming with C. Before this, I had already begun learning C through CS50 videos on edX and had watched several C programming videos from FreeCodeCamp. Learning C was not particularly difficult for me, and I enjoyed it. However, Alx's tasks presented a new level of challenge. I had to recommit to learning, and my dedication allowed me to watch hours of instructional videos in a shorter period. I plan to write a separate article detailing my learning journey with C.

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My Thoughts About Alx

To be honest, Alx equips you with a blunt knife to cut down a forest, and your task is to sharpen the knife before entering the forest. What I mean by this is that Alx presents you with challenging tasks and limited resources, expecting you to grasp the basics before attempting to solve your tasks. I appreciate this approach because when you learn concepts to solve specific tasks, you invest more energy than when you casually learn. I highly recommend Alx to anyone interested in programming.

One Month in Alx software Engineering.