While I don’t consider myself “old,” I am definitely “advanced” for a typical Bloc student. The first thing I had to do when I started this course was to figure out how to increase the zoom on Google Chrome. Then I bought some awesome computer glasses that have a slight magnification and reduce glare. Yay me!

I have also discovered that my brain is stuck in its ways. Learning new things use to be easier and my mind was much more pliable. This is why we should teach our children a foreign language at an early age, and now, apparently, send them to code school.

But, being advanced has its advantages. I now have more money so I could buy a brand new, shiny MacBook Pro. I have more confidence in myself and more self-esteem (although my mentor may disagree with me when I am having a panic attack before an assessment.) I have more patience, perseverance, and wisdom to manage tackling a complicated problem, and I have more of an ability to laugh at myself when I make stupid mistakes.

Bloc has been a great learning experience for me. There have been days that I have laughed and days that I have cried. I have screamed at my computer and talked through problems with my dogs. I have discovered that Codewars is evil and functions are from the devil. But every day I wake up and learn something new - and that is a pretty great thing.