Take a glass of juice and eat chocolates because it's a long one . Why?, because it's my 2020 year in review.
From
- Dumping Frontend to go fully into UI/UX.
- Breaking off ties with a friend of mine because he was my crush while I was working with Dev-C internship.
- HNG internship, Working 2 weeks with Danfoo a start-up and quitting (sigh).
- Losing a family member and an ex-classmate.
- Becoming the UI lead for DSC and working on various DSC projects.
- Hosting a design class for Mademoiselle foundation, hosting Arete's first online Virtual bootcamp, and coordinating Arete's first book launch.
- Meeting super cool friends and almost being someone's girlfriend at the end of the year aka finding love (sorta).
- And now I am a blogger kinda(plot twist).
January 2020: Just like a lot of people, I started the new year 2020 with lots of expectations but zero new year resolutions. I became the PM and UI designer for my team Blaze for a competition though the project never scaled. It was my first attempt into designing my first UI app. An app to guide users in case of a fire incident. This opened my mind to a possibility of becoming a UI designer. Afterwards, my work was reviewed by Chizzy who showed me that I was terrible at design. Chizzy gave me some design materials to read . My design was also reviewed by William's who is a product designer. Thank you guys.
February 2020 : I rejected a graphics design job because I wanted to focus on school. Like imagine!!!. (Sobs). I started skipping classes (my mum musn't find out) and improving on my frontend skills especially JavaScript. My motto was “become the best JavaScript developer in the world” (laughs in UI/UX). Thanks Whaliat for always dragging me to class.
March 2020 : Thanks covid for giving me the break I needed to be serious with my life. It was unexpected. To the lives lost, (A moment of silence.) Not sure of the exact date but this was the month I told my friend I had a crush on him. And I had to cut ties with him (sobs). A dramatic love confession from me as usual.
April 2020 : I was still suffering from an unreciprocated love and breaking ties with my friend. I started Japanese clases. "Ohaiyo '' My favorite word. I've forgotten a lot though I stopped practicing some months later. My best friend Praise helped me a lot during this period (I remember crying in his dm and ranting about my bachelorette status).
May 2020: I got my first UI/UX offer thanks to my close friend Oma and guess what I wasn't even a designer yet. So I couldn't make the cut. To be honest I knew nothing about design. I was designing though but I just wasn't good at all. I replicated my first design thanks to Chizzy. Got an earful that day. I did it three times or so. I made a decision to drop frontEnd for good.
June 2020: Drum rolls HNG internship. Dropped out at stage three. Got my first paid job gig for a startup though it didn't launch and all. It was an amazing stepping stone to my UI/UX journey. Made lots of friends. Ade, Ife, Precious, Tayo, Dammy, Kent.
July 2020 : Did someone whisper OHW, I certainly did. Open Hack Week was an amazing experience with me taking the role of a PM and UI/UX Designer . I didn't like how the website came out in the end, but learned a lot about teamwork, leadership and discipline. Shout out to Roy, Bami, Samad, Dami, Abiola, Emmanuel (who joined us later) .I shouted a lot (lol) being a PM isn't easy at all. Also I hosted Mademoiselle's foundation's first Graphics Design bootcamp. I lost my uncle. It was a great loss to my family and as well as an emotional one. I ceased taking up any gigs at this point.
August 2020 : I did the ECX internship. I learnt to work under pressure. Met amazing people like Bami and Orooluwa. Got my second paid UI/UX gig. I got to work with an amazing team consisting of Precious, Olamide and Tumise. This project made me learn UI/UX in a practical sense. I also joined Danfoo, a start-up , as an intern thanks to Oma but quit two weeks after because I couldn't balance freelancing , working with a start-up and being lazy.
September 2020 : Became the DSC UI lead and also planned Arete's first bootcamp. We had a great turnout. The kid's were well behaved. It was an amazing experience. Got encouraged by Ifihan and my squad to join DSC.
October 2020: To the lives lost in the ENDSARS movement your sacrifice will not be forgotten. We launched Arete's handbook for kids. An amazing handbook for beginners. Shout out to the Arete book club team (Oliseh, Eunice, Lateefah, Idris, Oma, Ifihani, Eniola, Timi and me of course) ( Only for a small fee of 1,000 and it can be purchased by sending Arete an email arete700@outlook.com ) DSC started it's virtual bootcamp and I got to impact over 50 -70 students. What greater joy… Right? I got to meet the special one.(Dundundun…….)
November 2020: I worked on an app. I can't reveal what the name is yet. Joined hashnode bootcamp. I Didn't finish though, but I did learn a lot. Yeah I did a Design consultancy for a real website (citionhub.com) Thanks for the opportunity Tola.. It was an amazing experience. I felt like a big shot when giving the design review.
December 2020: I am happily freelancing and working on various projects. I also got to hang out with friends. My squad Ifihan, Maryann and Oma. I love you all. I also got to reconnect and connect with amazing people like Ladi, Ghost, Heritage. I got to meet new people like Leke, Joel, Emmanuel, Foluso, Tumise and many amazing people. I also got to interact with a lot of noise makers as well on Qdevs. Also I found love (Yayyyyyy sorta ).
A special thanks to God, my family and friends for being a part of my 2020. Fadi, Whaliat, Hauwa, Samuel, Ejizzy so many amazing people in my life, can't mention you all. Thank you Timmiii. From advice, to inspiring Bible verses and a lot of other things. Timi is a blessing in every way.
2020 in a nutshell has been an amazing year. I met lots of people and made lots of friends, cried, laughed, got disappointed, learned from so many people and in so many ways. It was indeed an unpredictable year. But well, here I am now….
Till next year. But one thing I've learnt from this year is something Sodiq said during his farewell video. I don’t remember his exact words. But I am holding unto them, in summary he said... “Progress will always be progress.”
2021.... We move….. Credits to the editor, Eniola Jegede.