Tabula Rasa: A New Beginning in Programming

I'm standing at the forefront of a new beginning. After a challenging period marked by COVID, personal loss and time-consuming personal projects, I've decided to reset everything surrounding my career, learn everything again starting at the beginning and build a fresh portfolio.

I'm standing at the forefront of a new beginning. Behind me a challenging period marked by COVID, personal loss and personal projects. I've decided to reset everything surrounding my career. To relearn everything again starting at the beginning and build a fresh portfolio.

Here’s my story and what you can expect from this journey.

My Background in Programming

For those who don't know me, I've not always been a developer. I originated from a scientific background and almost became a geneticist. But after meeting some old friends after a long time I enrolled for a professional bachelor in IT.

Once out of school I began working with Zend Framework but later moved on to Symfony while working at an agency. The thrill of building things has always fuelled my passion for programming. I've always found immense joy in creating solutions and learning new technologies.

Impact of COVID and Personal Challenges

The COVID pandemic disrupted many aspects of our lives. For me, it meant losing the ability to attend meetups and conferences, which were vital for networking and professional growth. Losing speaking opportunities and connections with peers was tough.

On a personal level things got even worse. The loss of my grandparents followed by the loss of my 11 day old daughter due to a medical fault were very hard to take. We had also started construction on our new home and I had to finish that as well during the grieving period.

I was both mentally and physically drained. Unable to keep up with new trends in the development world.

A Fresh Start: Resetting and Relearning

A lot of time has passed and even though the grief will never end, construction on the house did. For a while I was doubting if it was ok to start fresh. At that moment I came across Jason Lengstorf's #DoItAnyways. Not long after, and partially thanks to the #DoItAnyways movement I also came across Salma and her community. Both were so enticing to watch on this message that I decided I would Do It Anyways. Despite all that had happened and how doing this scares me.

I'm now ready to reignite my passion for programming. My old social media accounts had become stale and barren so I decided to start over, tabula rasa. This fresh start will allow me to focus on learning, blogging, and sharing my journey on X/Twitter. I’m eager to dive back into programming with a renewed perspective.

My Learning Plan

I plan to approach this journey systematically. I’ll begin with a PHP course, followed by a Symfony course, and then expand into ops and JavaScript courses. Platforms like Laracasts and SymfonyCasts will be my primary resources. I can supplemented those with other learning platforms as needed. My strategy involves building on previous knowledge. For each topic I’ll also create a small application to apply what I’ve learned. This hands-on approach will give me more experience. An added bonus is the more more solid project portfolio on GitHub.

Each project will reflect what I’ve studied: a basic PHP app for PHP, a Symfony application for Symfony, and so on. I’m particularly excited to improve my skills to provide even more value. Once I’m up to speed, I plan to explore iOS development and the Godot game engine. Small daily steps will be a cornerstone of this journey. Consistency is key to improve old and master new skills.

Sharing My Journey

I’ll be documenting and sharing my experiences through GitHub, X/Twitter, and this new blog. In the future, I might also create videos, podcasts or streams to provide more insights, but for now, I’m focusing on manageable steps. By sharing my progress, I hope to engage with the community and gain valuable feedback.

I’ll be documenting and sharing my experiences through GitHub, X/Twitter, and this new blog. In the future, I will also create videos, podcasts or streams to provide more insights and give back to the community. For now, I’m focusing on manageable steps.
By sharing my progress, I want to engage with the community and gain valuable feedback.

How You Can Support

The community has always been a source of support and inspiration for me. I welcome any feedback, suggestions or recommendations for helpful courses and learning opportunities. Already being part of several communities, I look forward to being active and give back.

Looking Forward

Starting over can be daunting, but I’m excited about the possibilities. I aim to become a better developer, contribute to open-source projects, and ultimately pay it forward by helping others in their learning journeys. The payoff will be worth it, with more experience, a diverse portfolio, and a deeper understanding of the technologies I love. Refreshing my skills can only lead to growth, and I’m ready to embrace this new chapter.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Stay tuned for updates, and feel free to reach out with any advice or support!

Best,
Kenneth