My Adventures in Computer Science

Lately, I've been diving deep into some fascinating areas of AI and computing, and I wanted to share what I’ve been learning! From neural networks to GPU computing, it's been an exciting journey, and I feel like I’m only scratching the surface.

One of the key topics I explored was DeepSeek, an AI research project focused on deep learning. Neural networks have always intrigued me, but learning more about reinforcement learning, matrix multiplication, and vectors has given me a clearer picture of how they actually function. Understanding these mathematical foundations has helped me appreciate how models learn and optimize their performance over time.

Reinforcement Learning: Teaching AI to Make Decisions

Reinforcement learning (RL) is another concept that caught my attention. Unlike traditional supervised learning, where models learn from labeled data, RL involves training an agent to make decisions by interacting with an environment. The AI receives rewards or penalties based on its actions, gradually improving its decision-making abilities. This is the kind of technique used in game-playing AIs and robotics.

The World of GPU Computing and CUDA Programming

Another huge revelation for me was the importance of GPU computing in AI. Unlike traditional CPUs, GPUs handle computations in parallel, making them ideal for deep learning tasks. I also learned about CUDA, a parallel computing platform by NVIDIA that allows developers to write programs that run efficiently on GPUs. Writing in CUDA opens up new possibilities for optimizing AI workloads and accelerating complex computations.

Shoutout to Computerphile!

A big thanks to the YouTube channel Computerphile for making these advanced topics easier to understand! Their videos break down complex concepts in a way that’s accessible and engaging. If you’re curious about AI, computing, or just tech in general, I highly recommend checking them out.

I’m excited to continue this learning journey and explore more about deep learning, AI optimization, and parallel computing. If you have any recommendations or resources, feel free to share!

Recently, I had an interview for an Observability Engineer role, and while I was excited about the opportunity, I quickly realized I had a massive gap in my knowledge—Linux. During the interview, I was asked about system monitoring, log aggregation, and troubleshooting, and it became painfully clear that my understanding of Linux was nowhere near where it needed to be. I had dabbled in Linux before, but I never truly understood its importance until that moment.

This realization made me take a step back. I had to go back to the basics, not just of Linux, but of operating systems in general. What makes an OS different from another? How does Linux compare to Windows, which I was so comfortable with? Unlike Windows, where everything is abstracted and simplified for the user, Linux exposes the raw mechanics of how an operating system interacts with hardware and software. Concepts like the filesystem hierarchy, user permissions, package management, and the terminal-driven nature of Linux started to make more sense to me.

Dual Booting Linux

As I researched more, I stumbled upon something interesting—dual booting. Instead of running Linux on a virtual machine, I learned that I could install it alongside Windows and switch between them at boot. This sounded like a perfect way to fully immerse myself in Linux without giving up my existing setup. But there was a catch: dual booting isn’t exactly beginner-friendly. The process involves manual partitioning, which, if done incorrectly, could wipe out all my data. That was terrifying. One wrong move, and everything—my projects, software, and personal files—could disappear in an instant.

This brought me to one of the most important lessons of this journey: back up everything before making major system changes. I made sure to back up all my critical files before proceeding. I then carefully followed the steps to create partitions, install Linux, and set up a bootloader. The experience was nerve-wracking, but once I successfully booted into Linux for the first time, I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment.

Using Linux

Now that I have a proper Linux setup, my goal is to use it as my learning environment to explore the fundamentals of servers, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and system administration. These are crucial skills for any engineer working in observability and infrastructure. By working with Linux daily, I can familiarize myself with terminal commands, scripting, system processes, and security configurations—all of which will be invaluable in my career.

This entire experience has been a humbling reminder that learning is never linear. Sometimes, you have to take a step back to move forward. If you're considering dual booting, my advice is to research thoroughly, prepare for the worst, and always have a backup. It’s scary, but the rewards are well worth it.

This is just the beginning of my Linux journey, but I’m already seeing how it’s shaping my understanding of the tech world. If you’ve been hesitant about learning Linux, I’d say go for it—you’ll gain insights that go far beyond just another operating system.

Week one of the bootcamp has been an eye-opening introduction to what working in tech really feels like. To mirror real-life work environments, we’ve been doing daily standups and retrospectives. These short, structured meetings helped us build accountability, reflect on progress, and adapt quickly— very much in line with the Agile process we’ll be using for our upcoming projects.

Collaboration was a huge theme this week. I was introduced to multiple ways of working together: using Live Share in VS Code for real-time coding, practicing driver and navigator roles for pair programming, and relying on Slack for calls alongside Google Meet for group meetings. Each tool had its own strengths, and together they created a smooth workflow that kept everyone aligned.

Another highlight was learning about success logs. This simple practice of recording achievements, no matter how small, really boosted motivation and gave me a better perspective on my own progress throughout the week.

Technical Progress

On the technical side, one of my biggest wins was mastering the fundamentals of semantic HTML tags. Instead of just throwing everything into <div> elements, I now understand the importance of using elements like <header>, <section>, <article>, and <footer>. This not only improves accessibility but also makes my code cleaner and easier to maintain.

Looking back, this first week has already given me a strong foundation in teamwork, communication, and technical skills. If this is just the beginning, I’m excited to see what the rest of the bootcamp will bring.

This week was all about CSS, and it kicked off with a refresher exercise where we followed a tutorial to understand how to approach styling problems. It wasn’t just about writing code—it was about seeing the workflow, the thought process, and how to break down a design into manageable steps.

We also had two fantastic masterclasses. The first, led by Pete, was focused on web tools and essential VS Code extensions. It opened my eyes to just how much efficiency and organization you can gain with the right setup. The second masterclass, run by David, was all about careers advice. He walked us through the recruitment process and gave practical insights on how to stand out to employers. It was encouraging to hear strategies straight from someone who understands what recruiters look for.

The highlight for me, though, was working with Matt on a joint HTML and CSS challenge. We attempted to apply the BEM methodology, experiment with animations and transitions, and incorporate CSS variables. Personally, I really enjoyed working with variables—they made the code so much cleaner and flexible. On the other hand, I learned that Tailwind isn’t really my style; while it has its strengths, I prefer having more direct control over my CSS.

Looking back, Week 2 gave me both technical growth and professional insights. I’m starting to see how the bootcamp balances coding skills with career preparation, and I’m excited to carry these lessons forward into the next stage.

Week 3 introduced us to the world of JavaScript, and our first challenge was to build a small project using an API. The task was simple but powerful: take user input from a search bar, press a button, and return data dynamically. For my project, I chose a Football API that allows users to search for their favourite team and instantly see a list of all players currently in the squad. It was both fun and rewarding to see data pulled in from an external source and displayed on my page.

On the same day, we had a masterclass with Pete where he gave us valuable insights into making the most of GitHub (working with pull requests and issues) and using Trello to stay organised. It was a great reminder that good tools and workflows are just as important as writing good code.

Day 2 was dedicated to something a little different—research. We were given the entire day to dive into a topic of interest, then prepare and deliver a presentation. This exercise pushed me to think critically, gather information efficiently, and present it clearly. A big thanks to Naomi for her guidance and support throughout the day—it made a real difference.

We rounded off the week with another brilliant careers talk by David. This time, the focus was on maximising our LinkedIn profiles to stand out to recruiters. The advice was practical and immediately actionable, giving me plenty of ideas to improve my own profile and online presence.

Overall, this week struck a perfect balance: learning technical skills, improving research and presentation abilities, and continuing to grow in terms of career preparation. Each week feels like a new step forward, and I’m already excited for what’s next.

Week 4 of the TechNative Software Development Bootcamp was all about collaboration and workflow. Our challenge was to create a fully functional company website as a team, applying real-world development practices throughout the process. I worked with Louise and Yorick to build HappyToes — an e-commerce website for a fictional sock company 🧦, using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

What made this week stand out wasn’t just the coding, but how we worked together. We used GitHub Projects to organise our tasks through a Kanban board, created branches and pull requests for every feature, and reviewed each other’s work before merging. Communication was key — thanks to constant updates on Slack, we managed to avoid merge conflicts entirely and kept our workflow clean and efficient.

This hands-on experience gave me a deeper understanding of how professional software teams collaborate — from planning and reviewing to problem-solving and delivery. Working closely with Louise and Yorick showed just how much smoother a project runs when communication and version control are done right.

By the end of the week, seeing HappyToes come to life felt incredibly rewarding. It wasn’t just about building a website; it was about building trust, communication, and good development habits. Each week, the bootcamp continues to mirror real workplace scenarios, helping us grow not just as developers, but as effective teammates too.

✅ Week 5 complete at the TechNative Digital Software Development Bootcamp!

We kicked off the week with our Week 4 presentations, which went really well. It was inspiring to see how other teams approached their projects and the different ways people solved similar challenges. It gave me new perspectives on how to structure projects and communicate design decisions more effectively.

This week, I’ve teamed up with Tymur Soroka and Ravind Gowda for a brand new challenge focused on working with APIs. We’re implementing two — one using ChatGPT to generate text dynamically based on user prompts, and another to display products fetched from Django.

So far, we’ve set up our GitHub Project board to manage tasks, created and merged several pull requests, and started integrating both APIs into an existing project. It’s been a great way to experience a real-world development workflow — from collaboration and version control to code reviews and debugging together.

Working with Tymur and Ravind has been a really positive experience. We’ve all contributed ideas, communicated actively, and maintained a clean, conflict-free workflow. It’s also given me a chance to deepen my understanding of JavaScript and API integration in a practical setting.

I’m looking forward to presenting our progress next week and seeing how far we can take this project! 🚀

Feel free to check out our GitHub repository to see our progress so far: https://lnkd.in/eb7mTjX7 — it’s still a work in progress!

🌍 The last two weeks of the TechNative Digital Software Development Bootcamp have been all about connecting the backend and bringing ideas to life! 🚀

Over Weeks 6 & 7, I’ve deepened my understanding of full-stack development by exploring Node.js, Express, MySQL, Railway, and React. It’s been the most technically intensive stretch of the bootcamp so far — and also the most rewarding.

Here’s what I’ve achieved:

• 🔸 Followed two in-depth guides on Node.js and SQL, learning how to build RESTful APIs and interact with databases effectively.
• 🔸 Explored React to start understanding how the frontend and backend connect to form a complete application.
• 🔸 Deployed my backend to Railway, with a working GET /planets endpoint that fetches data directly from a live MySQL database! 🌌

The highlight for me was deploying the API — seeing real data fetched from a live database and served through a hosted backend was an amazing milestone. It brought together everything we’ve been learning about routing, database queries, and server logic.

Next Steps

My goal now is to take what I’ve learned and start integrating React with my backend, creating a smooth connection between the UI and the data layer. I’m excited to see it all come together in a full-stack project! 💪