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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPhoto: First day of Selection Sprint 19 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy name is K\u00e4rt, I\u2019m 22 years old<\/strong>, and I currently work in KYC Operations<\/strong> in Tallinn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before coming to the Selection Sprint, K\u00e4rt had already lived quite a full life. She spent a year as an exchange student in Spain and later lived in Sri Lanka for seven months, where she surfed, practiced yoga, worked, and explored a completely different rhythm of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI like problem-solving and maths<\/strong>,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I wanted to understand how systems work behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although K\u00e4rt hadn\u2019t coded before, she did prepare a little. After a recommendation during the pre-Sprint check-in info session, she completed a short Java beginners\u2019 course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was really helpful. I\u2019d definitely recommend it to others,\u201d she says. \u201cAt the beginning, there\u2019s so much information, and having even a small foundation makes it easier not to feel overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What surprised her most during the Sprint wasn\u2019t the tasks, it was the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe people are really nice and supportive. It feels a bit like a family here,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt\u2019s not just coding together – you cook together, play board games, watch movies, and explore places nearby.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside of coding hours, K\u00e4rt and her fellow sprinters have explored J\u00f5hvi\u2019s nightlife, played board games in the evenings, watched movies, and took trips to Narva and Sillam\u00e4e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what about the common myth that you need to be great at math to code?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s true at all,\u201d K\u00e4rt says. \u201cMath is not the number one requirement. People solve tasks in so many different ways, you can always find an approach that works for you<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her advice to new sprinters is simple but honest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStay open-minded. Be ready to try different approaches. Don\u2019t put too many expectations on the Sprint beforehand, everything can change really quickly. And don\u2019t get lost in coding. Stay connected with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And to anyone hesitating, wondering \u2018But can I actually learn coding?\u2019 K\u00e4rt has a reassuring answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think everyone can do the Sprint and learn coding. The real question is not can I do it, but is programming for me. And the Sprint is an amazing way to find that out.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo: First day of Selection Sprint 19 (Gregor is second from the right)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy name is Gregor, I\u2019m 20 years old<\/strong> and I’m currently doing the Selection Sprint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gregor had never programmed before coming to kood\/J\u00f5hvi. His path here wasn\u2019t straightforward: he played football, studied for a year at TalTech and eventually realized that the university format just wasn\u2019t for him.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t that the subject was wrong, the format just didn\u2019t suit me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After leaving university, Gregor spent months thinking about what to do next. Then he remembered hearing about kood\/J\u00f5hvi through Oskar Pedosk who is an alumnus and his former football coach<\/strong>, and decided to give it a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really have a big plan,\u201d Gregor admits. \u201cI just thought I\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, he\u2019s glad he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI actually really like writing code<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cEven more than the social side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most exciting and unexpected parts of the Sprint for Gregor has been the freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love that I can wake up at ten, code until five, eat, and then continue until midnight if I want,\u201d he explains. \u201cBeing able to work on my own schedule is a huge plus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does coding require strong math skills?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say math,\u201d Gregor says. \u201cIt\u2019s more about logic and understanding what needs to happen and in what order<\/strong>. Syntax can be learned. The important part is thinking things through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to daily tasks, Gregor has learned something important about focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you have daily tasks, don\u2019t try to solve them alone in your room,\u201d he says. \u201cI tried that once I just ended up sleeping and getting hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being in a shared space makes a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen everyone around you is working, it\u2019s much harder to just lie around and do nothing.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n His advice to future sprinters is refreshingly straightforward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you have the time and the opportunity just try. You can live here for two weeks without rent, so there\u2019s really nothing to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And one final tip?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPut in as many hours as you can. Sit down and write code as much as you\u2019re able to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nGregor – Trading the football pitch for lines of code<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nJoin our next Selection Sprint and start your career in tech!<\/h5>\n\n\n\n