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+ From 24 to 28 February 2025, I attended 42 the computer science school's bite-sized coding bootcamp that lasted for 5 days, called the Discovery Piscine.
+Originally, when I applied for 42 and passed their online assessment in December 2024, I registered to join their trial bootcamp, named Piscine, on 24 February 2025. However, on 17 February 2025, a week before my Piscine was supposed to start, I received an email from 42 that received an email from the school announcing that due to unforeseen circumstances, the Piscine scheduled late February 2025 will no longer take place as planned. Therefore, I registered for the Piscine beginning on 7 April 2025.
+On the next day, I received another email from 42 that instead of a full Piscine, a five-day bite-sized coding bootcamp named Discovery Piscine would take place from February 24 to 28 instead. I decided to register to join Discovery Piscine, so I could have a taste of what the Piscine is like, and allowing myself to be better prepared for the full Piscine in April.
+Discovery Piscine cadets, or Discovery Pisciners, will learn Python and shell, since the computers in their workstations use Linux, specifically the Ubuntu distribution with GNOME as its desktop environment.
+I had experience with Linux desktop environments before 42 founded its first Malaysian campus, as I used to dual boot Windows and Linux in my computer, but that happened years ago. Currently, my main method of using Linux is through Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) without setting up any desktop environment. Therefore, Discovery Piscine provided a great opportunity to practice using Linux and shell commands.
+I had learned Python before during my journey of teaching myself to code, and I even contributed to cbpickaxe, a Python library for datamining my favourite video game Cassette Beasts. However, Discovery Piscine allowed me to refresh my Python knowledge and practice writing Python scripts, while also learning Python's built-in functions that I was unfamiliar with. There was an exercise where I was stuck in for a longer time than expect, but then I solved the exercise after discovering the Python function I needed by searching the web with the right keyword.
+Speaking of the computers in 42's workstations, during my last visit to my local campus of 42 on their open day in January, I requested a way to change the computer screen brightness to the campus staff, because my eyes are sensitive to bright light due to me having retinitis pigmentosa, and to my surprise the computers lacked the option to adjust screen brightness. The school staff promised to accommodate my request. On my first day attending the Discovery Piscine, I reminded the staff of my request, and a staff member soon installed a screen brightness setting in all the workstation computers, so I could adjust the computer screen brightness to the level I felt comfortable with.
+Seeing the school staff fulfilling their promise to meet my request that accommodated my visual impairment has certainly raised my opinion on the school even higher.
+42's education model is peer-to-peer learning without teachers or lectures, so cadets obtain curriculum materials through 42's intranet. After we completed a curriculum module, we still book someone else's time slot to let another cadet evaluate our work. Even if we failed a module, we could retry the module immediately. Cadets also need to set available time slots, so others can book our time slots for evaluation. When I evaluated other Discovery Pisciners' work, I often provided tips for improving code and alternate ways to solve the exercises.
+The fact that 42's curriculum has no teacher encouraged us to learn through searching the web, and it certainly helped that there have been a lot of resources, including free ones, to learn to code. 42's curriculum reminded me of how I started to teach myself to code for this reason, with the added bonus of learning in a physical coding school and meeting other people who were also interested in learning to code.
+There were 10 modules of Python exercises in Discovery Piscine's curriculum, and I managed to do all the exercises, though not all of them got evaluated because of time constraints, and 42 only considers you having completed a module after you pass peer evaluations, so I ended up completing 5 out of 10 modules. However, this also earned me a certificate of completion after I graduated from the Discovery Piscine.
+Despite already having programming experience — including professional experience albeit a short one — I find 42 a good school for me. I am looking forward to the full Piscine in April.
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