I've just been accepted into the ALX Software Engineering Program Cohort 19. I'm excited to start this journey. I heard about the ALX program while watching random videos on YouTube. In one video, a guy explained why he dropped out of the ALX program. After researching, I found out it's a 12-month Software Engineering program that requires at least 10 hours of commitment every day – and that's a minimum, you might end up investing even more.

Fast forward to July 2023, I applied for the program – the application process was straightforward. Three days later, I received my acceptance. I was thrilled to take my first step toward becoming a software engineer.

Later that same month, I also applied for financial aid for the Meta Backend course on Coursera, and I got assistance for the first course out of the six in the backend program.

MY NYSC PROGRAMME

Before I forget, on July 12th, I got a call about NYSC. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a year-long program where every recent university graduate from Nigeria is assigned to an establishment to work and receives a stipend of thirty-three thousand naira (#33,000) monthly. I was assigned to the Nigeria Air Force Medical Center for service, but I'm still waiting to be acepted.

SETTING UP MY INTRANET ACCOUNT

Setting up my intranet account was my first challenge. Intranet is the platform used for projects and assignments in ALX. I managed to resolve the issues by attending a live support session and asking my questions.

INFO SESSION

We had an info session on July 10th, conducted on Zoom and streamed on YouTube. Although I joined during the Q&A period, I watched the full session on YouTube the next day. The host, Joy Ejiofoh, covered key concepts like "Why Software Engineering" and "What is the ALX Program."

When discussing why software engineering matters:

• Technology has taken over the world, visible across professions like baking, agriculture, engineering, and more.

• Software engineering is a high-demand skill. She mentioned that by 2027 and 2035, there will be more job opportunities in software engineering than actual software engineers. That got me excited for the journey ahead.

• Career progression in software engineering is more promising compared to many other fields.

• She concluded by stating that software engineering skills enable remote work from almost anywhere.

The info session left me amazed. Leykun Woldesemayat, an alumnus of the ALX Software Engineering program now working at ALX, shared his experience with the program. The most captivating part was when he mentioned some colleagues who secured jobs right after graduation, with some even getting jobs before completing the program. It was truly motivating.

MY CURRENT THOUGHT

Currently, I'm thinking about how to fit in 10 hours a day for the ALX program while being part of my NYSC program. As of now, I'm uncertain whether the establishment I've been assigned to will accept or reject me. If I'm accepted, I plan to request a two-week leave initially to test the program's feasibility. If I'm rejected, I intend to communicate with an official to explore the possibility of being reassigned to a location with more suitable time availability.