Codegarden First-Timer: Milena Stijović

What made you want to go to Codegarden 19?

As a newbie at HQ, I was, of course, asked to attend Codegarden. Since I knew nothing about Umbraco, the community and everything we do, this was an excellent way to get introduced to everything – and meet all my new colleagues!

What were you looking forward to the most before arriving?

Kind of everything!! 🎉

Again, I knew almost nothing about Codegarden and Umbraco, other than the things that my colleagues had tried to explain to me, so I didn’t really have any expectations. Therefore, Codegarden was the perfect opportunity for me to learn all about Umbraco and why our community is called “the friendliest community.” 😉

What were your biggest concerns/worries about you going to CG19?

When you’re new to Umbraco and know nothing about developing, the whole community, and what things like “H5YR” mean, I feared that I would be out of my depth. How could I contribute to all the Umbraco-ness when I was new to everything? And would I be able to understand it all?

Also, people kept talking about Bingo…

What did you think of Codegarden 2019? And can you name your 3 favorite things/takeaways from the conference?

I really enjoyed it! Even though it was a bit intimidating, since it was quite literary my introduction to Umbraco, I really did enjoy my time at Codegarden. I was amazed by the fact that a developer’s conference could be so awesome!

Even though I knew nothing about developing, I still found some of the talks super inspiring, and everyone was so friendly and easy to talk to!  

If you enjoy snacks, then you’ll be delighted to know that we served healthy snacks and well as delicious chocolate cake – there’s really something for anybody!

Also, I had a great time with some of my colleagues, and I can’t wait to spend more time at HQ and get to know them better!

My favorite takeaways are:

1. The community is indeed super friendly! There’s room for everybody. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a developer or not… As long as you’re open-minded and share a passion for Umbraco, you’ll be just fine!
   
   
2. The social activities are quite fun, and you’re bound to meet new and exciting people! Please don’t go home after the “official” program is over! I enjoyed small-talking with people from the community, the boat trip and Bingo of course 🙋‍♀️
   
   
3. Explaining Codegarden and Bingo to outsiders is really, really hard…

Did you gain something unexpected from participating in CG19?

In general, it was more social than I thought it would be. Of course, you’ll want to join all the amazing sessions and learn new things, but when that is said and done, Codegarden is also an excellent opportunity to meet new people and connect with others!

Looking back, what do you wish you knew before going to Codegarden?

That’s hard to say! I probably would have told myself to stay calm and enjoy the experience. Also, make sure to bring the right clothes! You don’t want to be freezing or dying of a heat stroke. The weather in Denmark is unpredictable.

What are your top 3 recommendations/tips for CG20 first timers?

1. Make sure to bring the right clothes! You can never really count on the weather forecasts here in Denmark! Make sure to bring something with you, so that you’re ready for both cold as well as hot days!
   
   
2. If you don’t use Twitter, I can recommend creating an account before going to Codegarden. Everyone in the community seems to be using it, and it’s a great way to connect with people!
   
   
3. Everyone is super friendly, so don’t be scared of attending! You’re never the only newbie at Codegarden, and people will help you out if you have any questions 😜.

Will we see you for CG20?

I hope so 😉

And lastly, anything else you’d like to add? 

If you ever considered going to Codegarden, I can only recommend it! It’s so much more than your average conference, and I’m not just saying that because I work for Umbraco now. You’ll be truly surprised by the whole community, the friendliness, and all the social activities!

And lastly, thanks to everyone at HQ – you guys really made sure that I felt “home” and included 🙌 #H5YR

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Hope you enjoyed my story 😀! Make sure to read all of the other Codegarden 2019 first-timer stories. 

Curious about previous Codegarden conferences and the experiences of other first-timers?

Find their stories right here: 

8 first-timers' perspectives on Codegarden 2018