Apprenticeship Patterns Introductions

I enjoyed how the reading introduced the values of software craftsmanship. The bullet point that caught my interest was from Atul Gawande. It mentioned how you always need to adapt and change based on the feedback you get. I thought that the fact that Gawande refers to this as a willingness to “recognize the inadequacies in what you do and to seek out solutions” (Better, p. 257) was interesting. I think I tend to get caught up in my inadequacies and don’t think about finding solutions right away. I think that quote encapsulates what it means to be an apprentice, as described in the text. I think having bullet points like these in the beginning was very useful in aiding in understanding.

One of the chapters that I found to be more relevant is the second chapter. It not only discussed the beginning of your journey and why you should start out learning one language very well but it also touched on patterns that happen later in your journey. I enjoyed reading the section that mentioned why you should find a master in your target language to help you learn because the nuances of different languages are best taught through oral tradition. I also found the part about why you should find an opportunity to unlearn something. The example of taking a program you have written in one programming paradigm and then implementing it in a different language that uses a different one was great. However, I don’t agree with phrasing it as “unlearning” what you know. It just seems like learning another language to me.  While learning Java and C I had to do research to find solutions to problems at times. I ended up finding solutions to the problems in languages I didn’t know and worked to translate them. It gave me exposure to a new language and opened my eyes to how the same issue could be solved in a different way. 

Another chapter that I found to be relevant is the fourth chapter. I think you have to constantly be honest with yourself about your own capabilities and surround yourself with people who you can learn from in order to progress toward your goal. There is always room to grow especially when you’re in an industry that is changing frequently. Chapter four touches on striving to surround yourself with people whom you can learn from and touches on what to do if you can’t find a mentor. These are very real issues that many software engineers will face. I never thought about trying to be the weakest person on my team to help myself learn but after reading this chapter I would like to put it into practice when I can.