• Life

October, For Me

Lakshika and I at #shefcodefirst
Lakshika and I at #shefcodefirst

Main highlights

University

  • 📚 The Autumn term started and is full swing. Although I had to face some challenges and it hasn’t been a calm, straight-forward, easy transition back into studies, I’ve started to settle and organise myself more effectively!
  • 🤓 My new dissertation title which I find much more fun and focused to study. Can I talk to you about HER2 receptors?

Friends & Family

  • 🤗 My friend David came to see me in Sheffield at the start of the month. He attempted to teach me how to use his skateboard thing and we caught up (almost) with everything!
  • 💑 I went to Crewe with Matt for a family birthday celebration – I enjoyed the surprise gathering and travelling somewhere in the UK that I’ve never been before!
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Two of my cousins from the Philippines came to visit, we explored Chatsworth House and I gave them a tour of Sheffield (I feel like I’m starting to do this a lot more often now! 😆)

Tech/Personal/Professional Development

  • 👩🏻‍💻 Code First: Girls A/W coding courses have begun and as usual, I’m very excited! The highlight of the classes so far has to be when I taught CSS using Beyoncé gifs. Learning the best way, right? 😂
    You can follow the course by keeping an eye on our hashtag on social media, #shefcodefirst. Check out some of the tweets of the week:

  • 🔬 Societal work with MedTech Sheffield has started, we hosted a few events over the past month which had a great turn out! Also the planning for the main event of the year: HackMed has begun!
  • 👾 I attended a few Women In STEM events this month: Empowering women in tech at the Google Garage and #MonsterConfidence organised by STEMettes and Monster UK.
  • 📸 As part of Women in Tech’s #TechTuesdays, I took over their Snapchat for a day and spoke about my journey in tech, challenges, advice and took some behind the scenes shots of #shefcodefirst!
  • 🎤 I started speaking publicly. I did my first solo talk at Sheffield User Ruby Group on building the local tech community, presented a scientific paper for University, spoke about Code First: Girls to inspire students at USE to set-up a coding group and ran up on stage to talk about this blog post in under 1 minute. 😂
  • ✨ …where I then won work experience in London during the Monster Confidence Conference!

Teaching CSS at #shefcodefirst

Health and Well-being

  • 💪🏼 I completed 16 weeks of Grace Fit’s Guide. Hell yeah. I did that. I’m stronger, leaner, more confident with much more visible abs and a peach that could kill. I enjoyed it so much that I’m repeating it from week 1. Round 2, let’s do this!

Blog

  • 📝 Matt took over my blog for two weeks, talking about his first adventures abroad to the US. Part 1 and Part 2 can be found here!

3️⃣ things I’m happy about

1) Being inspired by inspiring people

This month I had the chance to meet up with the most inspiring people ever.

Now, I can talk to you about how awesome David is with his art and code and how incredibly talented engineer-artist Tahira is but that’s a whole different blog post!

But what I will say is thanks to people like David and Tahira, I am kept inspired and constantly reminded why I do what I do: coding, blogging, building, sharing, creating. Keep yourself inspired! 💖

2) Recognition

On a related note, thank you to those who nominated me for the Northern Power Women Awards. I’m super happy that the work I do with Code First: Girls and beyond to close the gender gap in STEM has been recognised.

Again, the fuel stems from the inspiration and support around me! Thank you 🤗

 

A post shared by Matt Burman (@_mattburman) on

“My girl doing her thing.

It was the thing that caught my attention of her in the first place. It’s still just as attractive, yet the depth to what I see has changed. Now I know the genuine fuel to the displays of passion. I see the behind the scenes hard work striving to fulfill the mission. I see the innovation and the constant desire to improve on before.

On the face of it I am taking about Code First: Girls. But I know I am really talking about her zest. Her fundamental energy. I know I’ll see it applied to so much more for years to come.
Let’s watch 👀” – Matt 💗

3) Building my confidence

I’m proud of myself for agreeing to do scary things that I would’ve usually done everything in my power to stay clear from.

This month I gained confidence in:

  • Public speaking: I spoke in front an audience a few times (my biggest win this month!)
  • Networking: Connected with various employers from careers fairs or visiting campus and during conferences. I had the chance to build on skills I learnt from my placement – pitching myself, work I do, things that are important to me and expanding my network!

October in photos

From left to right: Google Garage w/ David, Union Street, GYM!!!, Python class AW, Presenting at MedTech intro event, HTML class AW, Matt 😻, Tahira 😍, end of #gfg.

Monthly favourites

🎶 Music: Little of Your Love – HAIM

I just can’t stop listening to them. SPREAD THE WORD!

📖 Book: The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Hamdah bought me Rupi’s other book around this time last year. Rupi’s work helped me get through the toughest time of my life to date so it has a special place in my heart! When I heard she had released another book, I just had to buy it.

I have to admit, I cried throughout this one too. I closed the last page feeling motivated, fresh and empowered. ✊🏼 Can’t recommend it enough!

Next month

Goals

  • Get as much dissertation work done as possible, well before deadline
  • Keep up with University work
  • Maintain that 1 hour time to focus on yourself every day

Events

  • Exploring Milan with Hamdah – #pawdahtravelz makes a return!
  • CFG Conference in London. I’m excited to meet the wider community… finally!
  • I’m delivering a 20-minute talk on building online presence at the SchARR conference.
  • …It’s nearly Christmas!!!
Taken by Matt. ❤

Quote of the month

PN in Greek

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