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Uni Vs. Reality In Tech: That "Huh?" Moment (and What To Do) - Programming - Nairaland 6v4215

Uni Vs. Reality In Tech: That "Huh?" Moment (and What To Do) (467 Views)

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DevOpsnCloud: 7:33am On Apr 24
Ever feel like what you learned in school is... kinda different from what people [i]actually [/i]do in tech? You're not alone! This isn't just a Nigeria thing, either. I've personally heard the same from IT master's students in Australia, , and the UK.

It's a worldwide "huh?" moment, where the awesome why behind tech in University feels miles away from the nitty-gritty how of real jobs. Things change so fast in tech that keeping up in a structured curriculum is tough. Plus, jobs get super specific and your broad degree is just the starting point.

My straight-up advice? Don't bet everything on your degree alone.

Seriously, think about ing a bootcamp while you're studying, or even after. It's not too late! Bootcamps are like turbo-charged, hands-on training for the skills companies actually need right now.

And if you're wondering what to focus on? DevOps and Cloud Computing are gold. These skills aren't tied to one specific thing. If you're anywhere near software, directly or indirectly, knowing how to automate stuff and work with the cloud is a massive win. Trust me, it's not wasted effort.

So, learn the theories, sure. But also get your hands dirty. Bridge that gap. Your future in tech will thank you for it.

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DevOpsnCloud: 5:54am On Apr 28
DevOpsnCloud:
Ever feel like what you learned in school is... kinda different from what people [i]actually [/i]do in tech? You're not alone! This isn't just a Nigeria thing, either. I've personally heard the same from IT master's students in Australia, , and the UK.

It's a worldwide "huh?" moment, where the awesome why behind tech in University feels miles away from the nitty-gritty how of real jobs. Things change so fast in tech that keeping up in a structured curriculum is tough. Plus, jobs get super specific and your broad degree is just the starting point.

My straight-up advice? Don't bet everything on your degree alone.

Seriously, think about ing a bootcamp while you're studying, or even after. It's not too late! Bootcamps are like turbo-charged, hands-on training for the skills companies actually need right now.

And if you're wondering what to focus on? DevOps and Cloud Computing are gold. These skills aren't tied to one specific thing. If you're anywhere near software, directly or indirectly, knowing how to automate stuff and work with the cloud is a massive win. Trust me, it's not wasted effort.

So, learn the theories, sure. But also get your hands dirty. Bridge that gap. Your future in tech will thank you for it.

DevOpsnCloud: 11:18pm On Apr 29
DevOpsnCloud:
Ever feel like what you learned in school is... kinda different from what people [i]actually [/i]do in tech? You're not alone! This isn't just a Nigeria thing, either. I've personally heard the same from IT master's students in Australia, , and the UK.

It's a worldwide "huh?" moment, where the awesome why behind tech in University feels miles away from the nitty-gritty how of real jobs. Things change so fast in tech that keeping up in a structured curriculum is tough. Plus, jobs get super specific and your broad degree is just the starting point.

My straight-up advice? Don't bet everything on your degree alone.

Seriously, think about ing a bootcamp while you're studying, or even after. It's not too late! Bootcamps are like turbo-charged, hands-on training for the skills companies actually need right now.

And if you're wondering what to focus on? DevOps and Cloud Computing are gold. These skills aren't tied to one specific thing. If you're anywhere near software, directly or indirectly, knowing how to automate stuff and work with the cloud is a massive win. Trust me, it's not wasted effort.

So, learn the theories, sure. But also get your hands dirty. Bridge that gap. Your future in tech will thank you for it.



Evaluating Real-World Relevance: A Review of the Food Inventory App Project

University projects aim to connect theory with practice. Assessing their "real-world" value requires a balanced view. I recently reviewed a Master's level project – a web application for managing household food inventory – and it offers a good case study.


Project Overview

The project focuses on building a system to track food:

Creating categories.
Managing food item details.
Implementing search and listing.
Handling item removal and shopping lists.
Comparing ideal vs. actual quantities.
Deg a -friendly interface.
Considering Raspberry Pi deployment with local storage.

Crucially, it also emphasizes:
Agile Project Management: Students use agile methods.
CI/CD: There's a CI/CD role with Docker and GitLab pipelines.
Testing: Students define and automate unit tests.
Version Control: Git and GitLab are mandatory for collaboration.


Limitations vs. Strengths

While valuable, it has limitations in fully simulating production:
Scalability: Doesn't cover large-scale performance.
Distributed Systems: Focuses on local storage, not microservices.
Cloud: Lacks cloud platform integration.
Security Depth: May simplify security concerns.
Legacy Systems: Starts from scratch, not integration.

However, the project's strengths are significant:

Agile methodologies.
CI/CD pipelines.
Structured testing.
Git collaboration.

These add real-world relevance, giving students practical DevOps experience often missing in academic work.


Conclusion

The food inventory project, with its DevOps and collaboration focus, is a stronger real-world simulation than it might initially seem. However, it's still simplified. To better prepare graduates, educators should consider incorporating cloud, distributed systems, and complex security where possible.

For those seeking production-grade experience, programs like IYAC Technologies' DevOps and Cloud Computing program, with its focus on building 10 production-grade projects, can be highly beneficial. Reach out if you have questions.
DevOpsnCloud: 2:45pm
Uni Vs. Reality In Tech: That "Huh?" Moment (and What To Do)
Ever felt like your university tech courses painted a picture-perfect world, only for reality to hit you with a big, fat "Huh?" moment the moment you stepped into the industry? You're definitely not alone. That leap from neat, theoretical code to building robust systems that serve millions in a bustling market like Lagos is a common rite of age.

Let's dive into the fascinating story of Moniepoint (once TeamApt) – it's a perfect example of how real-world demands can challenge, and ultimately shape, your tech journey.


The Spark: When Textbooks Met Nigerian Banking
Back in 2015, here in Lagos, two sharp minds, Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike, looked at Nigeria's banking sector and just saw... inefficiency. Not a theoretical concept, but a daily friction for real people. Their big idea for TeamApt wasn't just to tweak things, but to build something genuinely scalable and reliable for a digital economy taking off. Right away, that's a different beast from a clean-room university project, isn't it?

Tosin, with his background in early digital payments, understood the hurdles. He knew that the biggest limitation wasn't just about cool features, but about reaching everyone. How do you design systems that don't just work, but truly extend services to underserved populations, handling unpredictable traffic and diverse needs? That's where the real-world challenge begins.


The Big Shift: From Banks to Billions of People
TeamApt started by crafting solutions for banks, focusing on robust backend infrastructure. But then came that "Huh?" moment: they realized the deepest need, and the biggest impact, lay elsewhere – directly serving the everyday small businesses and individuals who desperately needed better banking access.

This wasn't just a business pivot; it was a massive technical re-evaluation. How do you shift from ing a few large institutions to empowering millions of individual s and micro-businesses? This is precisely where modern tech disciplines like DevOps and cloud computing stop being industry buzzwords and become absolute necessities.

By 2019, Moniepoint had secured a vital switching license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. This was huge! It meant direct customer reach and, critically, the need for an infrastructure that could scale almost infinitely to meet unpredictable demand. Nigeria's push for a cashless society only intensified this – creating a ripe environment for fintech innovation, but only for those whose systems could truly handle the pressure cooker.


The Ultimate Test: Thriving Under Pressure
Fast forward to Nigeria's 2023 cash scarcity. This was perhaps the ultimate "Huh?" moment for the entire nation's financial system. While many struggled, Moniepoint's infrastructure, meticulously designed for scalability and reliability, didn't just survive; it thrived. Their cloud-based systems absorbed the immense surge in transaction volumes, becoming a genuine lifeline for businesses and individuals relying on digital payments. That's not luck; that's robust engineering in action.

By 2024, Moniepoint was processing over $12 billion in monthly transactions, serving more than 1.6 million businesses. Numbers like these aren't achieved by theoretical perfection; they're the fruit of a deep, practical commitment to building resilient, cloud-based systems that can handle growing demand head-on. Their recent partnership with AfriGO to distribute five million less payment cards further illustrates their relentless drive, always shaped by real-world needs.


Bridging the Gap: From "Huh?" to "How?"
The Moniepoint story powerfully illustrates that "Uni vs. Reality" moment. It's about bridging the gap between academic ideals and the gritty, exciting reality of building solutions that truly work on the ground. It’s where you realize the immense importance of not just what you build, but how you build it, ensuring it can withstand the unpredictable demands of the real world.

If you've had your own "Huh?" moment in tech, realizing the practical demands of building systems that truly work at scale, you're on the right path. This is precisely where understanding the power of DevOps and Cloud Computing becomes a game-changer. These aren't just concepts; they are the fundamental building blocks of modern, resilient tech solutions that drive real-world impact. They teach you the "how."

What was your biggest "Huh?" moment transitioning from university to the tech world? Share your thoughts!

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