Something I never really thought about until it I heard myself uttering these words at work "Yeah, I thought about that before.....": if you are leading a team, accountable for direction and implementation, or in any way want to be recognized for a vision you're working toward, it is non negotiable that you document your... Continue Reading →
Interview with Course Report on WDI
I got to speak with the folks at Course Report about where GA is going and what we're doing with WDI (Web Development Immersive) - check it out! https://www.coursereport.com/blog/q-a-with-mercedes-bent-head-of-web-development-immersives-for-general-assembly
Impostor Syndrome & Dev Schools
Something I hear from a lot of students when they first enter the Web Development Immersive program at GA is they feel as thought their particular background does not lend to success in this environment they've found themselves in. Students know that the environment they are entering is grueling and that the learning experience will... Continue Reading →
Framing Goals
After joining General Assembly, I realized I'd not only entered the tech industry, I'd also entered the education industry. And so far, I've learned a TON about the world of teachers and learning. For all the educators out there this post is going to seem really obvious. But for all of you that are like me,... Continue Reading →
Validating Your Startup Idea: Sell Reduced Risk, Solve a Real Need
I was reading Amy Hoy's Unicorn Free newsletter the other day and was struck by a point she highlighted: every successful business is in the business of selling reduced risk to their clients. If you're not doing that, you're not selling the right product. 37 Signals commented on how this thought relates to people working at startups back in... Continue Reading →
The Most Important Prep for an Immersive Coding Program? It’s Not the Pre-Work
The past few weeks I've spent a lot of time thinking about the onboarding experience for students entering General Assembly's WDI (Web Development Immersive) program. WDI is a 3-month immersive learning experience where students normally spend 9am - 8/9pm on weekdays and their entire weekends immersed in learning programming. Because it is such an intense... Continue Reading →
Make a Positivity Toolkit
A few months ago I sat down and quickly hashed out a list of tools I use to stay positive and stay on track. These are the little decisions I make to "course correct" at any time. I think its pretty beneficial for any 20-something year old to try this as you navigate what you want... Continue Reading →
Writing a Book with the Product Management Hat On
A friend of mine is about to embark on writing a book. He has a really unique story and set of qualifications that make this a no-brainer. It's going to be a non-fictional health-related PSA that brings medical research and the patient experience together to help people cope with an illness. Besides thinking it is... Continue Reading →
UX Designers Might Make Great Negotiators
I recently started taking a class in user experience design at General Assembly as part of my quest to understand different types of technological disciplines and the mental frameworks people use in these disciplines. At the end of the first class, I started thinking... UX designers might make the best negotiators in the tech world. And... Continue Reading →
