My Learning Journey at BANGKIT by Google

Intro

As I reflect on my journey over the past few months, the experiences, skills and friendships I've gained through BANGKIT by Google, GoTo, and Traveloka, has undoubtedly played an influential role in shaping my path towards becoming a mobile developer. The lessons learned here extend beyond just coding and are invaluable to my personal and professional growth.

Making the Big Decision to Join BANGKIT

Venturing into the decision to join BANGKIT was akin to a thrilling leap of faith for me. When I join BANGKIT, I'm studying in the sixth semester at Universitas Indonesia, honing my skills in the Faculty of Computer Science. Even though my primary career interest isn't centered around becoming a mobile developer, I believed the invaluable learning about mobile applications was essential. Particularly, getting introduced to Kotlin, a language alien to me, as my university curriculum mainly encompassed Java and Python, promised to expand my technical repertoire significantly. This step towards BANGKIT during my academic progression, instilled an exhilarating rush of determination and ambition within me. As someone nurturing the dream of blossoming into a mobile developer, I comprehended the criticality of getting myself acquainted with avant-garde technologies and strategies. It was during this phase of exploration that I discovered BANGKIT - a program brimming with tantalizing opportunities. What made it even more captivating was its association with industry pioneers such as Google, GoTo, and Traveloka, who are spearheading the revolution in the technology realm. The program's meticulously designed and intensive curriculum dangled the promise of a comprehensive and balanced exposure to mobile development, making the prospect of this challenge simply too enticing to resist. With the conviction that this would be a decisive stepping stone in my career path, I decided to embark on this exciting journey.

Embracing the World of Mobile Development

As I navigated the uncharted territory of mobile development, I committed to the Kotlin learning path to develop native android apps. Kotlin, a contemporary and statically typed programming language, was quite the plunge from my comfort zone, yet it offered an appealing promise of heightened productivity and developer satisfaction. The initiation phase was filled with a fair share of trepidation and countless "syntax error" pop-ups, but as I immersed myself in it, the pieces started to fit. I gradually grew to admire the logic embedded in Kotlin, its adaptability, and the immense power it held.

Every lesson was a thrilling exploration of a new concept, a new function, a new way of thinking. From grappling with the basics of Android Studio to conquering the complex universe of data persistence, each step was a leap forward on my journey towards mastering Kotlin.

Inevitably, the process was not without its fair share of head-scratching and brow-furrowing moments. Nevertheless, with each line of code I wrote and debugged, I could feel myself getting a notch better, a tad more confident.

The path to becoming a proficient Kotlin developer was undoubtedly steep, laden with code complexities and cryptic errors. But as I began to decipher Kotlin's language and its numerous paradigms, I felt an undeniable sense of achievement. Through each code refactor and each bug resolved, my proficiency in Kotlin grew, and so did my passion for mobile development. As each class unfolded, I found myself eager to delve deeper, hungry to know more, excited at the prospect of creating something incredible with a few lines of code.

Embracing mobile development at BANGKIT was indeed a challenging endeavor, but the joy of seeing a feature come to life on the emulator screen, knowing I built it from scratch, made it all worth it. This journey has only just begun, and I am excited to see where it leads me next.

Facing the Challenges and Overcoming Them

As I journeyed through the landscape of mobile development, the road wasn't always smooth. There were hills to climb and potholes to navigate around - the kind of challenges that could dampen the spirit of even the most tenacious learner.

Debugging was a particularly steep hill to conquer. Staring at an unending stream of cryptic error messages and trying to make sense of them felt like decoding a foreign language. But, as I soon came to realize, these were not roadblocks designed to halt my progress. Rather, they were stepping stones, propelling me to explore, investigate, and learn.

Every error message was a clue, a hint to help me navigate my way through the complex labyrinth of code. Each time I solved a bug, it was like solving a piece of a puzzle, bringing me one step closer to the complete picture. The sense of accomplishment that came with each debugged error was intoxicating. It bolstered my confidence and made me crave the next challenge.

In this journey, I wasn't alone. My mentors and peers at BANGKIT were my travel companions, always there to lend a helping hand when I stumbled. They were my sounding board, always ready to brainstorm solutions and break down complex problems into manageable tasks. They were my cheerleaders, celebrating every small victory and encouraging me to keep going.

The challenges I faced at BANGKIT weren't setbacks, they were opportunities; opportunities to grow, to learn, and to emerge stronger. Every problem I encountered and overcame helped me understand that challenges are not meant to deter us, but rather to shape us into better versions of ourselves.

Through these challenges, I learned not just how to be a proficient Kotlin developer, but also how to be resilient, persistent, and never to shy away from a good challenge. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

Not Just Technical, but Soft Skills Too!

But BANGKIT is more than just a coding bootcamp. While technical acumen is of utmost importance, the program also recognizes the significance of soft skills in today's fast-paced and highly collaborative professional landscape. There's an equal emphasis on building leadership qualities, enhancing communication skills, and promoting effective teamwork. This broad-based approach ensures a well-rounded learning experience, which is critical in today's multidimensional job market.

From practicing how to present ideas clearly and effectively to learning how to work in synergy with a team, BANGKIT offered plenty of opportunities to brush up on these crucial soft skills. There were exercises designed to bring us out of our shells, helping us shed any apprehensions and boosting our confidence levels. What's more, the emphasis on these skills was not just in theory, but in practice as well.

The program made sure we had ample occasions to apply these learnings, from collaborative project discussions to actual problem-solving sessions. It was incredible to see how these skills not only made me a more capable developer but also a more competent team player.

Perhaps the best part about learning soft skills at BANGKIT was that it was embedded seamlessly within the curriculum. Rather than being standalone, disconnected modules, these sessions complemented our technical learning, thereby providing a more holistic education.

In retrospect, the blend of technical and soft skills training at BANGKIT has been a game-changer. The ability to code proficiently coupled with a knack for effective communication and collaboration is indeed a powerful combination. It's a balance that's hard to strike, but at BANGKIT, I found that perfect equilibrium. As I step out into the real world, I am not just a Kotlin programmer, but a confident professional ready to take on any challenge that comes my way.

Collaborative Projects - Turning Ideas into Reality

The thrill of the BANGKIT program was truly amplified by the opportunity to participate in collaborative projects. These were not merely theoretical exercises, but practical assignments where we, as teams, breathed life into our innovative ideas and transformed them into fully functional applications. Each project, carefully conceptualized and meticulously designed, was aimed at providing solutions to pressing real-world issues. This, in itself, was an empowering experience, as we realized the potential of our coding skills to bring about meaningful change.

However, the journey from concept to creation was no cakewalk. It was a rigorous test of not only our technical acumen but also our ability to collaborate, problem-solve, and manage a project from inception to completion. The camaraderie within the team, the brainstorming sessions, the heated debates over functionalities, the shared excitement over each successful code execution, all formed the essence of these projects.

Seeing our ideas transition from mere thoughts to dynamic applications on the emulator screen was truly gratifying. Each project was a physical manifestation of our relentless effort, late-night coding, endless debugging, and of course, the copious amounts of coffee! It was also a testament to our growth as developers - a clear indication of how far we had come from being novices in the realm of Kotlin to creating sophisticated apps.

The collaborative projects at BANGKIT were not just a platform to showcase our prowess in mobile development. They were also a sandbox for us to test our soft skills - our ability to communicate effectively, to lead and follow, to negotiate and compromise, and to work harmoniously towards a common goal. The skills we gained, the experiences we shared, and the apps we created are now part of our learning archive, ready to be deployed in our professional ventures ahead.

So, let's dive deep into the world of collaborative projects, where ideas are given wings, and dreams are coded into reality.

Learn more about Setasena's BANGKIT Capstone Project

Reflecting on My Journey and Looking Ahead

As I turn the pages back on my BANGKIT journey, I am filled with a sense of awe and gratitude. The roller coaster ride, full of learning curves, problem-solving quests, and breakthrough moments, has indeed been a metamorphic experience. It's incredible how these months have shaped me into a more accomplished mobile developer and a more rounded professional. The knowledge and skills I've garnered from this program are more than just badges of achievement; they are tools that will help me navigate the future.

Kotlin, once an enigma, is now a language I can fluently speak. Mobile development, once a far-off dream, is now a reality I live every day. The cryptic error messages, once a source of confusion, are now puzzles I relish solving. From understanding the subtleties of Android Studio to deploying a fully functional application, the progression has been nothing short of extraordinary.

But BANGKIT has been about more than just technical mastery. It's been about stepping up to challenges and thriving amidst them. It's been about communicating with clarity, leading with conviction, and collaborating with efficiency. It's been about celebrating victories, however small, and learning from setbacks, however big.

Peering into the future, I feel a surge of anticipation. I can't wait to put these skills to test, to create, innovate, and solve problems. The prospect of contributing to the world of mobile development, of bringing value to the users, is exhilarating. I am eager to see how my BANGKIT journey will intertwine with my professional path, opening up new horizons and possibilities.

This journey may have reached a milestone, but it is far from over. It's just the beginning of a new chapter, a fresh page waiting to be filled with experiences, learnings, and achievements. With BANGKIT as my launchpad, I am ready to soar into the vast expanse of mobile development, ready to make my mark in the ever-evolving technological landscape. With a code editor in one hand and an insatiable thirst for learning in the other, I am set to embark on this exciting journey forward.

My Message to Aspiring Developers

To those nurturing the dream of stepping into the world of development, my message to you is simple - be fearless in your pursuit of knowledge. Don't hesitate to step beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone and dive into the vast ocean of learning. Platforms like BANGKIT offer an exceptional opportunity to learn, grow, and innovate. It's here that you'll get to decode cryptic error messages, build functional applications, and witness your ideas come to life. Each line of code that you write, each glitch that you solve, and each application that you develop, will be a badge of your progress. It’s not just about becoming a developer, but becoming a developer who can think, innovate, and solve real-world problems. So, embrace the opportunity, dive into the adventure, and watch as your dreams transform into tangible reality. After all, every giant leap in technology begins with a single line of code. It's time for you to write yours.