In My Bug Catching Era

by Julia Dillon, TripleTen grad

In 2024, I decided to make a change in my life and career. I was unemployed at the time. I went online to find a way to pivot from retail. I have always been fascinated by information technology and its many facets. To develop my skills in this field, I began exploring ways to learn without enrolling in college courses. I finally settled on TripleTen after seeing an advertisement on Instagram. I liked the program, and after speaking with a TripleTen team member, I was ready to move forward with the QA program. I used a timer on my computer to focus, and I had a routine set up on my Google Nest to make sure that I was using my time wisely. I was excited and enjoyed the sprints. 

After being in the program for four months, I took on two jobs. I was a little worried about what would happen with TripleTen. But I built a schedule. I would study after work every day, and I would use the time during the weekend nights to work on the projects. I would take the first night to finish things that needed to be completed within TripleTen. I am also an overachiever and became a senior student and an ambassador as well, so I would use the second night to do those activities. I then put my name in the hat for a Bug Jam and an externship because real-life experience is important to me.

I realized that I was getting worn down, and I wasn’t getting time for my introverted self. I then switched and took the second weekend night to craft, read a book, write, or organize my planner for the following week. But I made sure I kept up. I checked in with my success manager so that we could work together to make sure that my goals were being met and that I was on track to graduate on time.

I liked that I could message my success manager at any time and get an answer back.

They made sure to speak with you daily and check in with you if they knew you were having issues.

In September, Hurricane Helene came through my little mountain town and cut us off from everything. I did not have access to the internet or cell service. The power was out for weeks. We didn’t have running water. We had to make daily trips out to see what was happening. It was a devastating time. During this, I was still in the TripleTen program, so I reached out to explain what was happening. TripleTen took the time to make sure to keep me updated and to inform everyone affected by Helene that they had time to catch up and get back on track.

TripleTen has been an awesome journey, and I continue to be excited to work with this group of people.

I enjoyed my Bug Jam, and my team was awarded “Group Favorite.” I enjoyed my externship and learned valuable information and techniques from being involved with TaskTrain. 

If you want to start this journey, my advice for anyone looking to get involved in a bootcamp is to choose TripleTen and always ensure you assess your health and well-being. This will cut down on burnout and also ensure your success in the program. I also suggest making sure to communicate with your TripleTen team as well. They want to help you succeed. 

Any time is a great time to change directions and make sure you are enjoying your life.