

DBC Fireside Chat

Greg Santulli


When I first started Dev Bootcamp, I was equal parts excited and nervous. After watching Shereef’s Fireside chat video, I am equal parts excited and nervous, however I understand now that these emotions are perfectly normal for a new Dev Bootcamp student such as myself. I have little to no programming experience, but with a little motivation and the right mindset, anyone can become a programmer.  It is up to me to make the most of my experience; I cannot simply sit back and wait to be taught.

There were two analogies in Shereef’s video that really resonated with me:

Kitchen vs. Restaurant:
This philosophy touches on the idea that much of the education system today has a very consumerist attitude.  Many people experience their education the same way they would at a restaurant: They pick one off of a menu of choices, sit back and wait for it to be brought to the them exactly as they ordered it.  This mindset towards education fails to recognize the impact that motivation and effort have on the outcome. Think of Dev Bootcamp as more of a Kitchen: there are multiple people working together on a level playing field, striving for a common goal. In the kitchen, you will only get out as much as you pit in. You cannot “order” a sandwich inside a kitchen; you must make it yourself with the resources around you.

Brick vs. Wood:
The goal of my education at Dev Bootcamp is not to simply become an expert in Ruby and JavaScript. I am here to learn and understand the fundamental principles of programming. Dev Bootcamp happens to do this through Ruby and JavaScript, however once I understand the fundamentals of programming; further education (learning new languages) will become much easier.  A person must understand how to build a house before understanding the differences between building with brick or wood.

I was already very excited to dive headfirst into the tech industry, but after watching Shereef’s video I am stoked!!! I could not agree more with Dev Bootcamp’s philosophy on education and I plan to make the most of my time here.

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