My first year in grad school was intense. I had a good, broad foundation in analytic philosophy but I wasn’t ready for a seminar on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, a notoriously difficult epistemology course, or the level of the discussion in the graduate student common room.

I was out of my depth but that was a good thing. Not understanding much of what was going on around me forced me to pay careful attention, to ask lots of questions, to read and read and read. It guaranteed that my philosophical acumen would grow by leaps and bounds.

I’ve been trying to emulate that experience as I learn to code. Completing cs50 at an accelerated paces is helping, as is listening to podcasts on software development and reading through introductory texts. What I’m looking for now is a way to surround myself with that higher-level conversation, where I can hear and ask about topics I’m not yet familiar with.

Resources I’m finding helpful