Whether you’re searching for your first full-time job, sharpening your skills before grad school, or staying consistent in an era where everything feels like it’s moving fast, it helps to hear from someone who’s actually doing it. That’s why we’re sharing stories from learners like you: to motivate and inspire others on their own learning journeys.
Esther Ogundele is a recent Computer Science and Spanish graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. During her time there, she interned as a software engineer at eBay, participated in the Google Tech Exchange program, and spent two years as a resident assistant for the freshman women’s dorm. Now she’s applying to graduate programs with Northeastern University at the top of her list, and she has plans to pursue project management and eventually a career in public speaking, which she intends to learn with CodeSignal Learn. Through all of it, she’s kept a 660+ day consecutive learning streak on CodeSignal Learn.
Watch highlights from our conversation in the video below:
How did you first find CodeSignal Learn?
“One of the great programs I did was the Google Tech Exchange program, which was my first exposure to CodeSignal Learn.”
That first exposure stuck. What started as a program requirement became a daily habit that Esther has maintained for nearly two years.
What are you learning right now, and how does it connect to your goals?
“I want to be able to improve both my front and back end skills as well as improving my project management skills.”
Esther is currently working through the JavaScript Programming for Beginners course, having already completed CodeSignal Learn’s front-end engineering courses. But her goals go beyond code. She’s also eyeing the public speaking courses on the platform.
“Further down the line, I want to go into public speaking. I know CodeSignal Learn has that, and I would definitely be using that as well to just improve my speaking daily for when that time comes.”
Her learning plan reflects something broader: a deliberate effort to build a well-rounded skill set for a world where technical fluency matters across every role.
“Even with my computer science degree, I want to be able to keep improving, because I know that this is an age where AI is really, really popular and a lot of technical skills are required for every role.”
What keeps you coming back every single day?
660+ days. No breaks.
“When I started using CodeSignal Learn, the very first thing that drew me to it was the bite-sized way to learn. The summary part that comes first is about just getting an overview of what you’re about to go into for that particular lesson. And then the way the exercises are organized: first the simple ones, and then it goes a level higher for each single exercise until you finish the lesson.”
The streak feature plays a role too, but not in the way you might expect. It’s not anxiety-driven, but rather, it’s motivating!
“Streaks are such a great way to stay consistent. Just knowing that I have to do my streak for the day (and doing a single exercise is enough to keep it going) makes me more motivated every day to just come, learn something, and then prolong my streak. So it has been fun for 661 days.”
How do you make time for learning?
Esther credits a habit she picked up through a structured professional development program: planning your next day the night before.
“Something called ‘Tomorrow Starts Tonight’ is something I was able to incorporate. It’s about making sure that I plan out my schedule the day before to make sure that I’m making the best of the following day. And I incorporate a specific time each day for CodeSignal Learn. It’s usually 9 p.m. for me.”
When 9 p.m. hits, she gets a notification. She goes in, completes her lesson, and repeats it the next day.
What’s it like learning with your AI tutor Cosmo?
“Cosmo is such a fun, quirky character. Every time I go into the website to do my streak for the day, the language it uses and how it’s very intertwined with space, I just find that really exciting. It makes it seem so fun, and more relatable and not as serious as a typical learning experience would be.”
And it’s not just the personality. Cosmo works as a practical tool when she hits a wall.
“Cosmo does a great job of giving very relevant hints to help you unblock yourself and keep learning.”
What advice would you give someone who wants to start learning but isn’t sure where to begin?
“Start small. It doesn’t hurt to just start. It could be just an introductory course: Introduction to Python, Introduction to Front-End Engineering, whatever topic interests you. Just giving it that first push goes a long way.
Knowing that you have a streak to keep will really help you stay consistent, especially if you don’t want that streak to go away. Go day by day. You don’t have to rush anything. You don’t have to take a very advanced course. You can just start small and go from there.”
Get started with CodeSignal Learn
Ready to build the skills you need for your next role—or your next chapter? Sign up for CodeSignal Learn and get started for free.
Did CodeSignal Learn help you learn a new coding language, prep for an interview, or land a new role? We’d love to hear from you. Share your story with us here.