SSAFY 8th year review, nothing extraordinary

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It's finally the end of the year-long journey of the 8th edition of the Samsung Youth SW Academy, SSAFY. It's been a lot of work, but it's been a lot of fun, so I thought I'd write about it now. If you look at the SSAFY reviews, you'll see that most of them have completed the program with a grade of excellent or higher, and even received a certificate or two...

I think you can think of this review as the story of an SSAFY student who is out there somewhere, not someone who has won many awards and is an excellent SSAFY-type person. I also hope that it can be helpful to those who will take the SSAFY course in the future.

입과

I somehow managed to break through the barrier of SSAFY, which is usually known to be high for non-majors. I passed the self-introduction and failed the interview... but I was notified that I was accepted as a non-major, which is rare, and I joined the Seoul campus. I was able to skip the start camp because I was a last-minute admitted student, but I was told that the start camp is only for those who have been through it.

When you get into SSAFY, you are given a name tag, but even the name tag had my name pasted on top of the other early adopters' names... I had to tape it up afterward because it kept falling off.

Looking back on it now, I think it actually made me work a little harder. I think it kept me motivated and constantly reminded me that the opportunity I was given was priceless!

1st semester, Python track

In the first semester, there was a Java track and a Python track, and although I knew I wanted to learn Java, I chose to take the Python track. There are many things that I learned in the first semester...

In the second semester, I think the only things I actually learned and used well were Algorithm, Git, and Python. Even so, Python and Algorithm are overwhelmingly more often used for coding tests than for projects...

(I'm learning Frontend, but I'm mostly re-learning React, so it doesn't even exist)

Still, if you join the track, you can see that almost everyone is passionate about learning, just like SSAFY. I think I spent a lot of time in the class, making studies and studying at the cafe together.

In my case, I had almost zero experience in programming because all I had was a neat college education, and I thought that I couldn't be good at everything, so I thought that I needed to choose and focus. So I thought that I should look at the recruitment process first and try to break through it step by step.

Screening → Coding test → Personality interview → Technical interview → Hiring

I found that most companies stay within this range. As a result, I thought, “If you can't pass the coding test, you have no future,” and this is the beginning of the algorithmic tech tree...

I invested a lot of time in studying to improve my algorithmic abilities, but eventually, I virtually exhausted myself after achieving Platinum 5. From that time, I also studied the Java language in order to pass the Samsung Software Competency Assessment Type B, but unfortunately, I ended up not passing. The review is here and if you get Type B, you will be prioritized for various benefits, experiences, and connections provided by SSAFY, so if you can get it, do it!

(However, I think it is important to solve even low-level problems steadily so that you don't lose your sense, so I solved them steadily)

After struggling through the theory and practical exams almost every week, I reached the culminating project. This was a 7-week project that, in hindsight, would have been challenging in the second semester and required overwhelmingly fewer people and less time to accomplish! I'm sure I've seen some nice code and pretty applications somewhere, but in the end, the prize went to the team that did what others couldn't (e.g., deployment).

Second semester, one project after another.

In the second semester, you work on projects the whole time, which I think is the most important part of SSAFY.

In the first semester, even if you want to apply to a company, if they ask you "What have you done?", you have nothing to answer, so you have a limited amount of things you can appeal to in your self-introduction or interview, but as you gradually progress through the second semester, regardless of the outcome, if you have faithfully participated in the project, you can say things like "I did such and such, and I had difficulties in such and such, but I improved in such and such a way"!

If the topic seems to be this or that, but it's not a specialized project, I've been able to work on whatever the team wants without getting stuck on a topic. In my case, I worked on two app development projects and one web development project with mobile specifications. As for the positions, different people may have different things they want to do in the second semester, but I wanted to get experience in all positions, so I went with one backend, one frontend, and one app experience.

If you're in the Python track, you'll mostly be building a wall with Java, and since 99% of the projects in the second semester use Spring Boot, you'll inevitably end up on the front end, which is where you'll get the fix for your position. So if you're a Python track student, it's a good idea to take Java separately if you know you want to be on the back end. In my case, I took the Java course separately to keep myself open for backend positions, and as a result, I was able to get one backend position.

Job Hunting and Interviews

While I had the illusion of showing something from semester 1 to semester 2, a small group of prepared people were consistently trying to get in touch with companies, and as a result, had the honor of having a SSAFY escape in between. My first thought when I saw those people was, "I'm not ready yet...". It won't be too late when I finish my project,' but as a result, after two semesters, you naturally start to prepare by watching various leaders who escape.

You may be disappointed to see yourself accepting and completing the second semester certificate while someone else is getting the employee certificate, so you should keep trying. I applied to a lot of places and I ended up accepting the second semester certificate, but I think I'm glad I did.

Once you have passed the coding test and document screening with the various benefits of SSAFY and the skills you have built up, there is still the interview. You often don't know where you are lacking until you have both personality and technical interviews, so I think it's really good if you can experience it during the training period.

You definitely get better at interviewing the more you do it. I think that you can't experience how to deal with the interviewer unless you are in the situation and nervous, so if you are capable of it, keep taking interviews with companies that are lower than the level you actually want so that you can get better results at the company you actually want!

Afterward.

So what are we going to do after SSAFY?

I spent a lot of time thinking about this question and I'm still trying to figure out the answer. Basically, I want to take some time to calmly reflect on the projects I've worked on, but I also want to summarize what I've learned, and I still want to find a job as soon as possible, so...

In the end, I think I'll continue with everything. I believe it's best to keep building from the bottom up, because the work I've done so far won't disappear. My SSAFY 8th year journey is coming to an end, but my life as a developer doesn't end here! I believe that better days are waiting for me and I will continue to work hard.