As a student and a budding developer being introduced to Postman and realizing the use of API not only in the usual applications that use "navigation maps" for example but real information like how postman is used by companies and employees to test the application being created by them.
After realising there is more to the Postman learning than normal certification, I gave it my best and honest shot to understand and learn this tool.
Upon understanding the basic methods of get, post, put, delete, why API is the famous waiter at the high functioning restaurant, how authorization works and why it is necessary and the overall process of testing and documentation, I was invited as a volunteer to help out in the postman 101 event.
The real learning
Sparing the readers with the same old "how the event began and how wonderful it was to be a part of it"
As soon as the students initiated the process I was reminded of my own experience, I made my motive to be there for them as a human element in the learning phase and explain to them as simply as possible about the requirement of this tool and how it works,
I did however wonder about my purpose in helping them achieve the certificate with my merit, which I soon learned was the wrong perspective of looking at things. I was called for throughout the process as I understood the errors each faced and why they ended up encountering them, it showed me that my task is not being the person who helps them achieve the certificate, I would much more likely be the person who'd take the time to talk them through the process and make them reach the right conclusions all on their own, this shift in perspective made it more than a one-time helping hand job and that was much more fulfilling than reminiscing the things that took place in the event in a chronological order, nor will it ever be as fulfilling if I did the same without being present in a room filled with people who are present to learn rather than achieve a piece of pdf.
in Conclusion
My experience was all about learning new things and teaching new things, The event and how the speakers handled the audience, the games that were played, the API-related dad jokes that were made and the race against others to make the LinkedIn post, all of this created an overall fun and positive experience for me, and hopefully for everyone present and I am glad that I was able to spread any shred of knowledge that I have that would benefit others. It ended up being more of a personal experience than a technical one but it's all the same if you come out of it with new information.
If you'd like to know more about API and how they work I highly recommend that you read https://halftoothwrites.hashnode.dev/my-experience-with-postman-101-a-beginners-guide-to-api-testing-and-documentation.