My Code Platoon Journey: Feline Undergarments, Zoom Backgrounds, and Time Telling Computers

This post is part four of a series of posts by Cristian Baeza chronicling his Code Platoon journey from choosing a Bootcamp through his classes as part of the current November Platoon.

Cat lingerie. If there is anything you need to take away from reading this blog post, cat lingerie is real, and the demand for it is enormous. That fact is probably an essential thing November Platoon has learned during our first month at Code Platoon. Or not. It depends who you ask, I suppose.

I have learned a substantial amount during the first four weeks of our 14 week Bootcamp, or at least tried to. The instructors make it clear that the program will be like drinking water from a fire hydrant, and they were not kidding.

We took off running during the first three weeks with an introduction to Python and object-oriented programming. I had never touched Python before, so learning a new language while also learning concepts was brutal. Brutal but fun! At the end of each day, I felt like I had been awake for 20 hours already and just wanted to pass out. Still, I was thrilled to learn something new every day. Every new concept felt like I was adding a tool to my software development toolbox even though I was still learning to use the tool I had acquired the day before. 

Week four introduced us to databases and SQL. It’s not my favorite subject, but the program clarifies why it’s essential to understand them at least at a fundamental level.  

The support offered by Code Platoon has been beyond amazing. At any given point during the day, I can ask a question and get an instructor or teaching assistant (TA) to assist me within minutes. That level of support is no small feat considering my cohort is close to 40 people. It doesn’t feel as big because we usually use Zoom breakout zooms composed of 10 students, one instructor, and two TA’s. 

This past month I also began to wish that we could do our cohort in person. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Code Platoon’s programs are all currently remote. 

Although having that face-to-face interaction with my classmates would be awesome, we try to find joy in the little things that make us laugh. From silly backgrounds, computers that tell us the time (inside joke) or starting a new cat lingerie business called Caturday Night Nighties (dead serious). It’s these things that make the long, exhausting days worth it for me. Others might disagree, but I try to look on the bright side. 

With the first month done, I am looking forward to the next ten weeks, building some websites on the front-end, learning Django, and securing Series A funding for Caturday Night Nighties. Also, Regex sucks. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.   

Cristian Baeza is a Marine Veteran. Cristian is part of Code Platoon’s November Platoon, which began its Bootcamp in February 2021. Cristian shares his Code Platoon Journey through a series of posts chronicling his search for a Bootcamp, acceptance to Code Platoon, and his classroom experience throughout the 14-week immersive Bootcamp.