This assessment is a way to gain insight into your current abilities in the concepts taught during Phase Two. This assessment will provide you insight into your strengths and areas where you might need improvement. Success on this assessment means that you gain self awareness and expose your ignorance to instructors who want to help you get better. These are uncomfortable, but essential to learning.
Do not build more complexity than is explicitly required.
Panic is a thing most software engineers will encounter in their careers. Things break. Sites go dark. People get upset. This is a chance to practice working with this discomfort in a place that is safe. You are surrounded by people doing what you're doing, and who care about you. If you are panicking and unable to work, do something different.
The ability to reset your mind is a skill you can learn with practice. Today is a day to practice.
Things to try, in order. You can quit whenever you're ready to go back to work.
Talk to your instructor.
Get up and take a walk.
Set a timer and sit quietly with your eyes closed for five minutes. Listen to your breathing.
Done all of that? Awesome. Take a really, really deep breath. No really, deeper. Hold it. Lungs are weird. Seriously, like you have this bag in your chest full of whatever happened to be nearby. Breathe out. Draw a picture of a lung on a sticky. Think about how weird it is.
Wiggle your toes. Notice how they feel right now. Which toes feel the best? Sensory input can engage parts of your brain that are less emotional.
What's the number of toes in this room divided by the number of lungs? Math engages parts of your brain that aren't worked up. Doing simple math can reset your brain. Try it.
Black humor is a coping strategy. Is there a building you'd like to set on fire right now? BWAHAHAHAAAHAA. But don't. Really, please don't.
Draw another picture of a lung. So weird.
Deeeeeeeeeep breath. Actually do it.
You got this. Go code.