We created Development Hub to give those that are newer to Rails a safe environment to build on what they had learned at the InstallFest, and be surrounded by professional Developers to get any help they need. Now, six months on these ‘new developers’ have come a long way from just getting a development environment setup, to working on their own working applications.
So, what’s next for these developers?
Mentor Others
They say the best way to learn is to teach, so, why not help teach others?
When you help someone learn what you know, you’ll get a much better understanding of the code and the language that you are explaining to someone else. By putting this new information into your own words, you’ll be validating your understanding of it.
The thought of helping out as a ‘mentor’ at something like a Development Hub might be scary, but remember, there are always professional Rails developers around to help, and sticking to already outlined conventions like the Rails Way of doing things will make it easier for you to give helpful advice! If you’re not ready to mentor one-on-one why not shadow another mentor as they help out, or write a blog post on what you now know?
Realise your Knowledge
By teaching and working with others, you’ll soon realise how far you have come on your Rails journey. As you run into problems and challenges, you’ll test yourself, but when you do overcome these hurdles, it will be worth it and will give you a real sense of achievement.
Once you realise how much information has actually sunk in, you’ll be grateful for the amount of knowledge that you now have, and that you can now share it. You’ll be surprised that you once knew just as little as the beginner sitting beside you!
Give Back to the Community
With so much from the community invested into helping new developers learn about Ruby and Rails, it would be awesome to see some of people that we have helped, take with them the passion and kindness of the Community and pass this on to even more people. Sharing what you know with others is one of the best way to not only improve your skills, but also improve the community.
Helping others along their Rails journey is extremely rewarding! When you see someone have that “ah-ha” moment and the pieces finally come together, you’ll begin to understand the difference that sharing your knowledge can really make.
For many of you, almost everything you’ve learned comes from the community, a bunch of seemingly total strangers who offer up their time to help others learn. So, why not continue this and pass on your knowledge?
With this year coming to an end, why not make it your new year’s resolution to help just one person learn what you now know.
