Q: Tell us about yourself

My name is William Chan, living in Hong Kong. I am currently a consultant in the retail industry. I have a general goal in starting my own tech business. I want to gain some technical abilities in building web applications. I don’t have a solid business idea yet, but I want to be ready when the opportunity comes.

It’s important to have a basic understanding on how to build a product. I want to keep my full-time job and learn part-time.

Q: Why did you choose Altcademy?

I’ve actually tried to learn coding on my own in the past. Honestly, there are many choices out there on the internet. Some places are cheaper but are lacking in resources. Others don’t provide support, such as getting answers to my questions quickly.

Altcademy provides an all-in-one solution, which is great. Because the curriculum is comprehensive and built in-house, it’s more appropriate for mentors to answer questions. It’s also crucial that mentors respond to questions really quickly, so I don’t get stuck for days.

Q: How do you study online?

I often take notes during each lesson. I find that putting concepts in my own words allows me to understand at a deeper level. Through out the courses, there are organized assignments to practice, which helps me understand a lot better.

I was actually unsure whether or not I have to memorize all the syntaxes and everything after each lesson, which can be a daunting task. The truth is that it’s more important to understand the concepts and have the ability to apply them when you are building things. You can always refer to documentations (like cooking recipes) in the future. In fact, all programmers will refer to documentations at some point because it becomes inefficient to memorize things you don’t need to memorize. Also, when you do enough, you will gain muscle memory in your brain.

As I mentioned, I want to keep my full-time job and learn part-time. I don’t really need a physical place. So, the middle ground is great – online, lots of support, flexible, and comprehensive.

Q: So, what’s next for you?

I am planning to work on my Capstone project next, which is using all the skills I’ve acquired to build a product of my own idea. With this challenging project, it can help me solidify my skills in web development and building a software product.

I am actually quite interested in blockchain tech and smart contracts, like the core technical aspects of blockchain. So, I am looking into learning more! Ultimately, I am considering pivoting my career to the tech industry and start a business when the opportunity comes!