March 2022

Joined altschoolafrica

This marked the initiation of my tech journey, with anxiety waking me in the midnight, eagerly anticipating the link to the altschoolafrica entrance examination. With trembling hands, teary eyes, and a heart beating tirelessly and forcefully, I took a deep breath. Swallowing my spit, I uttered fervent prayers before finally getting onboard. In one way or another, prayers were answered, and a decisive message determined my future path – a pass mark.

A senior software engineer (@staa99 on Twitter) played a pivotal role in introducing me to altschoolafrica when I was eager to enter the tech field. Thanks to my persistent requests, my wonderful elder sister connected me with him, and he recommended altschoolafrica. He generously supported me during my journey into JavaScript, offering valuable tips and guidance. My heartfelt gratitude and eternal love to him, wherever he may be. ♥️♥️

Fast forward to when I officially became a student of altschoolafrica >>>>>>>>>>

My journey at AltSchoolAfrica began after I had already gained some foundational knowledge in HTML and CSS. This learning process started in 2021, thanks to the assistance of Mimo - an educational app designed to guide learners through various areas of coding, including frontend and backend development, and Python programming. As a result, the initial set of tutorials at AltSchoolAfrica felt relatively straightforward for me.

Over time, balancing my studies and my commitment to AltSchoolAfrica became increasingly challenging. Attempting to manage both simultaneously was far from effortless. My academic responsibilities frequently interfered with my learning journey at AltSchoolAfrica. The constant requirement to stay connected to the internet, the inconsistent power supply, and the persistent misconceptions from my father all contributed to the inevitable disruptions. However, I remained determined and focused on my goals, despite the sacrifices involved.

The ambiance of the entrance examination lingered into the first semester exams. Who desires to fail? 😂 But this time, I approached it with a bit more calmness. To be honest, it was a breeze.

Circles were established, each housing a designated number of students for collaborative endeavors. Within my circle, we developed a phone number detector. Click here to explore our creation.

During holidays, I delved into additional learning pursuits, encompassing JQuery, React, a Decision-Making course, Bootstrap, Sass, and more. altschoolafrica not only equipped me with tech skills but also provided training on learning diverse technologies, for which I'm truly grateful. Among the projects I undertook was a full-stack blog app utilizing Node.js, MongoDB, Express.js, and EJS (although regrettably, I lost the app due to my limited proficiency in Git 🥲).

Without delay, I acquired a wealth of knowledge from altschoolafrica, encompassing both hard and soft skills. I've successfully completed numerous projects, and my graduation took place in June 2023.

Gratitude goes to the Almighty God, my mother for understanding me, my elder sister for introducing @staa99 to me, @staa99 for recommending altschoolafrica, altschoolafrica for providing enlightenment, and to myself for maintaining consistency 🙏.

August 2022

Joined CoveIT and Techmania Web Dev

I dedicated myself to prioritizing tech over personal endeavors 🥲, and thankfully, it proved to be a rewarding decision with the Almighty's grace. Investing my hard-earned money, I enrolled in two other local bootcamps, Cove IT, and Techmania Web Dev. These endeavors coincided with my time at Altschoolafrica, during our holiday period. My motive was to broaden opportunities for myself. During this time, I developed for tests and examinations. I absorbed valuable insights from the local bootcamps and even took on a teaching role among my colleagues, leveraging my Altschoolafrica knowledge. Despite the workload, these bootcamps weren't overly challenging, as I managed to breeze through evaluations with ease.

Dec - Jan 2022

Job hunt - internship

As the year came to a close and a new one approached, I embarked on an internship application spree. Despite facing numerous rejections and even no responses from several applications 😕, I persevered. Balancing this effort with my studies at altschoolafrica, I vividly recall encountering a challenge from a particular company; unfortunately, they did not provide any feedback 😞.

Mar - August 2023

React Developer Intern

Confronted with a significant challenge—building an API for a shop with a crucial payment feature—I found myself pondering for quite some time 🤔. Questions like "How do I approach this?" or "Should I step back?" lingered in my mind. Seeking guidance, I reached out to @staa99. His recommendation led me to Flutterwave, and I decided to give it a try 😁. Surprisingly smooth and cool 🆒, I didn't hesitate, accustomed as I was to setbacks.

Suddenly 💥, a message appeared in my Gmail, forwarded to my email address. It was an interview invitation. Excitedly, I shared this achievement with @staa99, who advised me to prepare well and ensure I express my thoughts while posing relevant questions during the interview.

I secured the internship position for six months, and to my initial surprise (which later turned into a fantastic opportunity), I was assigned the role of a React developer 😲. The team already had a backend developer (Java boss). While I had some prior exposure to React during an Altschool Africa holiday, I hadn't fully mastered it. Check the list of tasks I fulfilled during my time at HThub (SmartPay) here

September 2023 - Present

Junior backend Developer at Basitech

Altschoolafrica directed me to Basitech, where I joined as a backend developer. My journey from an intern to taking on the role of a senior backend developer is documented here 😄. Take a moment to read about how I navigated this transition, from intern to a more senior position in the organization 😂🥲🥵. In all honesty, I must admit that I'm learning tremendously on the job 😁, and the progress has been substantial. Interestingly, the code I initially wrote now seems a bit off to me, and I find myself eager to refactor it 😂