Q: Tell us about yourself and why you decided to learn to code

I am Kohei. I currently live in Osaka, Japan. It’s actually quite a difficult question on why I decided to learn to code. I was actually going to attend in-person bootcamps in Bali, but when I got to Bali, the bootcamp got canceled due to the COVID-19. So, I went back to Japan and began looking for online programs. When I found Altcademy, it had the same programming languages and technology stacks I wanted to learn.

I had this gradual realization that digital transformation is accelerating in the world. When I was working for a foreign aid agency of Japanese Government, I saw a number of digital solutions and new business models that were changing the lives of the poor by making essential services more affordable and accessible. I wanted to understand the details and be a part of the change, but I didn’t have any experience in computer science, so I decided to learn to code!

Q: Why did you choose Altcademy?

Because I was preparing myself to join the in-person bootcamp, I have self-learned my programming basics on my own beforehand. I have spent around 100 hours on three different free online courses.

There is a lot of content on Altcademy. I like that the comprehensive curriculum with numerous projects can give me a holistic understanding of different components in web development.

Q: How do you like learning online?

I think because I had previous experience in self-learning before starting this program, I had a much easier time to follow along. I have already learned to find solutions and examples online when I can’t figure out something or when I don’t understand something.

Obviously, there are differences between in-person and 100% online learning. In-personal learning has a faster feedback loop and more engagements with other students. Whereas, 100% online learning is more flexible and affordable. This COVID-19 situation also didn’t leave many options for in-person learning.

Q: What are your future career plans?

As I finish the front-end and back-end courses, I plan to work on small personal projects on my own and build out my portfolio. With my background, I am planning to apply to a tech company in a product/marketing role first. Then, in 2 to 3 years, I’d like to do an internal transfer to the engineering side.