JavaScript for Beginners

Codesmith offers very broad and comprehensive course in Java Script for beginners. Instructors are great. They teach us all the concepts in very simple way and in very lucid language. Highly recommended course for students who want to begin their career in field of Java Script.

I'm trying to enter the industry so I was looking for the right boot camp to enter and wanted to get my JS knowledge to a respectable level. Running into and watching Codesmith's YouTube videos and subsequently joining some of their free workshops - I truly appreciated the teaching style they utilize which goes into greater depth in explaining what exactly is happening with our code. It really meshed with how I like to learn.I had been immersing myself with hours upon hours of YouTube tutorials thinking and hoping that with enough repetitive exposure, the concepts would hold.  And yes, they do... eventually. I'm the kind of person though that would usually say/think  "Cut to the chase - what is actually happening here?? why? ... and how can I really control that?!" Codesmith was one of the few resources that I came across who would whiteboard solutions out and not just simply show the code and console. To me - understanding syntax and concepts is one thing, understanding what the engine is really doing and being able to communicate the whole process in a technical and professional manner is something else.  Their approach spoke to my inner engineer and discussed what exactly is happening and why. Javascript for Beginners remained true to its name, sticking to fundamentals in its curriculum. This is not meant to be a slight, since if you're taking this course you're obviously a beginner.  However, it was that Codesmith style of teaching which really helped cement those fundamental concepts in a way that code-only instruction never could.   I will say that I did have about a month of Javascript exposure via free online resources, so I didn't go in cold.  But I'm career switching and even with all those free resources, spending a couple of Saturdays or so simply interacting and networking with other hopefuls in the field would have been worth the price of admission on it's own. Add to that excellent teaching by a Codesmith grad was just gravy! Sophie was prepared, engaged, patient and informative. Because of the Codesmith workshops that I had seen and attended, there was a bit of a high bar already set in my head and she didn't disappoint! It was an example of where their road could lead.  If your goal is to eventually join their immersive program, the tuitions from their prep courses roll over so you really have nothing to lose!If my goal was to just gain a bit of exposure or maybe explore some of the Javascript world, I believe the course would have been just as fulfilling. However, I would honestly say that it might get a bit too intense, interactive or technical if you're looking for more of an "anonymous hoodie in the lecture hall" type of learning experience. On the other hand, if you learn best by engaging and/or like to understand the dynamics of how things work, you should seriously consider looking into Codesmith. Last note - If you haven't already, do some digging. Codesmith reviews are practically flawless. In my own research, I didn't come across any other schools that came close to this kind of student satisfaction. My own review will do nothing to change that =)

When you've finished a course and wish there were more sessions... that's when you know it was a great experience.I would def. recommend JavaScript for Beginners (JSB) to anyone who is interested in exploring a career change into a developer role. I came in with almost no experience (just a handful of exercises in Codecademy) and in two short weekend sessions I'm hooked.Even with the course being completely remote, the course was engaging with everyone participating and the instructor taking time to really walk through questions - either on the topic at hand, broader Codesmith questions, or even questions about the industry in general.The curriculum was also great for an intro course - it wasn't just showing 'do this for this to happen' but actually going through some of the nuts and bolts to really understand why 'doing this' will 'cause that to happen.'I took this course thinking it would be a good look into what the rest of the Codesmith program would be, and if this short 2 day course is any indicator I can't wait for the next steps!

I highly recommend this course for anyone who is hoping to kickstart their coding journey or is curious about the Codesmith teaching style. I've been learning JavaScript on my own over the last few months, but despite having a decently solid understanding of the fundamentals, my technical communication skills were lacking. This class was a great opportunity to practice speaking code.

The course consisted of lectures, three pair programming sessions, a group project/presentation, and a final assessment. The lectures covered a variety of JavaScript basics, starting from variables and data types to loops and functions. Each lecture included diagramming sessions where our instructor, Sophie, gave us a block of code and walked us through each line step by step. She also called on the students during these diagramming sessions so we could practice our technical communication. If we were ever confused on certain topics, Sophie made sure we fully understood everything before moving on. After the lectures, we were given 30 minutes to pair program with a partner. The last segment of the course focused on a basic group project. We were given about 2 days to complete the project with our group mates, and the course culminated in the final presentation night on the Monday after the last day of class. It was really fun to see what everyone else came up with, and all of my cohort mates did an amazing job!

The final assessment of the course determines whether you'll be able to get a "free pass" into the next bootcamp prep class, CS Prep. Although you don't have to take JSB to go into CS Prep, the "free pass" for JSB allows you to bypass the application and phone interview process for CS Prep, thus giving you automatic acceptance into the next course.

Also important to note: if you're aiming to join Codesmith's bootcamp, you should definitely go ahead and take JSB and/or CS Prep. The tuition costs roll over to the next course that you take (CS Prep or the full-time immersive), so you're basically already paying for it and might as well get the most out of that money! Codesmith also offers scholarship opportunities for all of their courses, so I'd suggest applying for JSB early if you'd be interested in applying for a scholarship.

I'd also recommend going through the entire precourse unit on CSX first before taking the class. Although JSB is geared towards beginners, there's a bit of a steep learning curve if your first time seeing code is on the first day of class. Having a very basic understanding of the topics covered in the course will definitely help.

Overall, I think JSB was a great course. Sophie was a phenomenal instructor and all of my cohort mates were super friendly. I'm enjoying the remote learning environment so far and I'm looking forward to learning more about JavaScript in CS Prep!

School: CodesmithCourse: JavaScript for BeginnersInstructor: SophieSept, 2020I had a great experience in JSB at Codesmith. My instructor Sophie was generous, knowledgable, and clear. She took her time to answer everyone's questions, and was able to get us through the material. I love the group learning environment that Codesmith creates. The group projects at the end were super fun. I'm enrolled in their CS Prep course, and can't wait to be inside a Codesmith (virtual) classroom again. I was hoping to leave the course feeling confident in my knowledge of JS basics, and I definitely hit that goal. 

I attended the Beginner JS Course through CodeSmith. Overall, the experience was really good. Typically, the workshop spans over 2 weeks, however, this particular session was crammed over a weekend. It was intense. I think it gave a flavor for how the immersive program would feel like. I'm familiar with some of the basic aspects of JS like loops and functions. During the course, I was able to ask detailed/ specific questions. I like how the lectures are designed. Each student will get multiple opportunity to explain how JS would work in a given scenario - the responses are technical. This is great because communication is a huge part of programming. The pair programming was a great experience as well. I got to work with a few folks that were more experience than I was and some that were less experience. I choose Codesmith because of the format and strongly recommend it.

Prior to this course I had just starting coding a few days earlier. This course was a special course that was from Saturday to Sunday, instead of Saturday to Saturday. The information provided was very helpful. It is an interactive course which is necessary for learning tech. One thing I really appreciate about Codesmith is that they strongly encourage us to work with others and provide several opportunities for us to do that in this course. It can be daunting at first but being able to work through problems with other students added to the experience. Sophie was our instructor and I so appreciated hearing her journey into tech as well as her knowledge of JavaScript and more. It was a learning curve for me since my background is NOT in tech but I embraced the challenges. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this course for anyone considering going into tech. 

I started this course knowing next to nothing about coding besides a few small lessons (ie what a variable is). This class goes over all of that and more, providing a foundation for more advanced courses. More importantly, this course gives a great taste of what coding is like and whether it may be the right path for you. The final assignment is a fun group project where you create a text-based game. I got really into it and along with my partner ended up creating one that was pretty advanced for my level, which encouraged me to keep going forward with my journey. If you're just starting out and not sure where you should start, this is the course for you! 

I was part of the first JSB cohort that ran over one weekend. The schedule was Saturday and Sunday (9 AM/PST-3 PM/PST) and Monday(6 PM/PST: Group Presentations). The Curriculum was great I feel it prepared me to tackle the problems presented during and after class, and even if I didn't get it right on my first attempt I had the tools to take a different approach.  The pair programming really helps to alleviate the imposter syndrome that I was facing trying to learn in isolation. Curriculum: 10/10My Instructor was Sophie Nye. I have nothing but superlatives to describe Sophie.  She was knowledgeable, extremely thoughtful and, patient. She had an infectious energy that radiated over the entire course.  Spend six hours in class is an uphill battle even for the highly motivated(which the cohort was), but Sophie made us feel safe, and serious but not too serious. The depth with which she answered each question was thoughtful, and without spoon-feeding. She constantly challenged us over the three days and we are all better because of it. I know I am. Instructors: 10/10 This course will help you to solidify the foundational concepts of Javascript, but takes it further. This course pushes you to be able to upgrade your technical communication. Most of us could answer questions, but when asked to not only answer but explain your full understanding of what is happening is where we all grew.  You can easily find courses that can teach you the basics of  Javascript, but I was unable to find one that really pushed me to understand what was going on with every line of code I executed.  The best part of my CodeSmith experience (so far, more on this later) is the people I was able to meet and form fast friendships with. You get the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, who are highly motivated and very welcoming. These are bonds that I hope to keep throughout my CodeSmith journey and well after.Overall Experience: 10/10If you are on the fence let me share some more information that may help: After completing JSB, if you are accepted into CS Prep, & later into one of the Software Engineering Immersive programs, your JavaScript for Beginners tuition will be applied to the next program you take. (This was huge in my initial decision making) If costs is a deterrent like it is for me. CodeSmith has very good scholarship programs (fingers crossed)I was extremely satisfied with the JSB experience, and I highly recommend this course for anyone who wants to really learn on a higher level. I believe so much in every word I just wrote that based on my experience in JavaScript for Beginners, I have applied for the CSPrep and then will apply for the Full-time software engineering immersive.

(Personal Back Ground Information - if you just want the review, then you can skip this part :D)To start off, my background was actually in Business and Marketing. However, I was interested in coding when I started my own business during my senior year in college. It was a professor evaluation website. Of course, I made the website by hiring an engineer, but it was a very good opportunity for me even though  I was just giving them directions. I very much wanted to learn about coding at the time, but I didn't have many opportunities or time to learn it because I was already in my senior year of business management.  When I could, I would watch coding tutorials on YouTube or blogs in my spare time, but it was hard to stay consistent due to my schoolwork After I graduated I worked for a fashion company,  and it was difficult to study in the evening because the fashion industry demanded a lot of commitment with a lot of overtime.  But my engineer friend, who knew that I was interested in coding, told me he would be willing to help me learn about HTML. After I learned the basic elements of HTML and how HTML works on webs, I found it very interesting and fun and I wanted to learn more. Then I studied CSS and decided that I wanted to become a software engineer. The most attractive thing to me about coding is that what I do is visual and produces immediate results. It is the same reason I liked math since I was young. They both produce immediate answers and I'm able to check if the answer is right or not when I put the formula in. Although I've just started learning to code, even if it becomes too difficult or frustrating  I am confident that I can solve those difficult problems and hopefully feel a sense of accomplishment when I solve them. (CodeSmith Experience)Overall Experience: 10/10I think the most important thing is the basics. This class will help you to solidify the foundation of Javascript. You can easily find courses of basic Javascript, but they don't talk about every detail of concepts. Not only it explains concepts and terms more specifically, but also it gives you endless example problems and challenges. If you want, challenges are endless. Also, you can ask a question whenever you want!! This is the best part of CodeSmith. Through CSX or JSB Slack, you can get help from many other students or instructors. Instructors: 10/10My Instructor was MICHELLE HERRERA!! First of all, she's full of energy. She makes our class energetic. As you know 6 hours class is not easy, but she makes me feel like 'I can study more than 6 hours!!'. Also, she's always very welcome if we have questions. She helps me until I really understand the concept or question. I can feel like she really loves to teach us and it certainly motivated me to work more hard.Curriculum: 9/10I had 2 weeks and a day class. 1st, 2nd Saturday(9 AM/PST-3 PM/PST) and Monday(9 AM/PST: Assessment&6 PM/PST:Group Challenge Presentation). Curriculum wise it's great but I would say I needed more time to solve the challenges or problems. I understand the concepts 100% but it doesn't mean that I can solve the challenge. I hope I could learn how to apply the concepts that I learned in the class in challenges. I really hope CodeSmith have workshops that solve CSX challenges together from an overview of CSX to Chrome Extension!!! or please upload the videos! That would help A LOT!!!(+ Tip) If you are accepted into CS Prep, & later into one of our Software Engineering Immersive programs, your JavaScript for Beginners tuition will be applied to the next program you take.CodeSmith have very good scholarship programs!!Since I passed the assessment, I receive automatic acceptance into CS Prep.I'm very satisfied with the JSB experience, and I highly recommend this course if you don't have a computer science background! I'm sure that I would apply for CSPrep and Full-time software engineering immersive!!!

I came upon Codesmith during my months-long search for the most suitable bootcamp in NYC. What impressed me about CS, right off the bat at their open house, was the detail and clarity of their curriculum. While they also have the numbers to show for it, their presentation alone really painted a solidly structured picture of how students will learn during their 12-week intensive. I decided to take the JS for Beginners online course partially because I wanted a solid foundation to JavaScript, and learn better by interaction, but also because I wanted to get a sense of how Codesmith teaches: its language, its approach, etc. I had a tremendously rewarding learning experience with JS for Beginners. Our instructor, Michelle, was patient, communicative, and receptive to our questions. The best part, in my opinion, was the amount of technical communication the short prep course taught me. It gave me a morsel of confidence to speak my code, literally, and feel comfortable with the syntax. This is a fantastic opportunity for those wanting to begin their coding journey. I cannot recommend JS For Beginners enough. 

Great course! My background: I came here after learning C++ for 6 months, I had no background in JavaScript, and no other languages/no functional programming experience. 

In 12 hours over two days, all online, the curriculum covered JavaScript in an extremely helpful way. We approached JavaScript as though truly for beginners, which meant starting with ideas like variable declaration and data types. Since I had already encountered these topics while learning C++ it felt a little slow at times, but even then, I enjoyed being sure that I had all the basics covered before approaching more difficult JS-specific topics. 

Moreover, I felt as though our instructor, Camera, was letting us in on her thought process throughout her coding journey, and helped to make the idea of working in the field feel less alien and impossible. In this imposter-syndrome heavy field, that's a valuable insight to glean, especially for a beginner course. Camera was always kind and supportive in her explanations, and was able to convey her ideas in both a technical way (teaching you how to use industry-specific terms intuitively) and an empathic way (being aware of where you are in your learning, and meeting you there and gently prodding you towards progress). 

Overall, I highly recommend this class as an introduction to both programming concepts and as a launchpad for studying JavaScript. Also, the community at CodeSmith is truly supportive and positive, and is absolutely the kind of place that I've been looking for and would strive to receive the acceptance of! 

This is a great course for beginners just starting out on their JavaScript journey. JSB along with CSX, was what helped me to better understand the fundamentals of JavaScript. My instructor was very helpful with clarifying any issues we had with the material and answering questions. The best part is that you'll continue to have access to the instructor and the community even after you have completed the course. They're always around if you have questions. 

My cohorts teacher was Sean -- Super helpful and explained everything really well.

This course is great for beginners who are just starting out with Java Script. It goes into great detail of the basics of Java Script and pair programming. This paired with the first few chapters of the online csx are great tools to help you start programming. 

JSB is a great course to learn the fundamentals of Javascript. The environment is an immersive online room where everyone is participating and learning together. There are breakout sessions where you work one on one with one or more partners. JSB is perfect for someone who needs to get the fundamentals down. If you go on to do Codesmith's CS Prep course or the immersive program, the tuition you paid for JSB rolls over to those programs. JSB is an excellent way to start to get comfortable with techincal communication ,which would otherwise be difficult to do on your own. You also get tapped into an amazing community of people who are striving for the same thing that you are. I believe right now they have a free tuition opportunity for female identifying students. If that's you or you are just getting started with Javascript, you have no reason not to take this course! You will learn a lot and it will inspire you to continue your education towards becoming a software engineer!

I just finished the JSB prep course and can't recommend it, or Codesmith, enough. I started looking into bootcamps as my next step in a career change out of social services. JSB was perfect for a beginner like myself; succinct but robust enough to provide a great jumping-off point for a future engineer. As a female and LGBTQIA+ person, it was important to me to choose a program that not only acknowledges marginalized communities in tech but actively works to reduce barriers and support their success. Codesmith does both. Their scholarship opportunities and proven course outcomes made my decision a no-brainer. I plan to continue my journey with CS Prep and later the immersive. While I'm in the very early stages of my coding journey, I'm so happy to have Codesmith on my side already!

I’m a total newbie and I want to be a software engineer.  I want to be prepared as much as I can before I dive deep into coding bootcamp.  After intensive research (ranking more than 15 schools), I concluded that Codesmith was the one for me.  I enrolled in their JavaScript for Beginners and was excited to take that first step in my coding journey.

I know that there’s a lot of free materials out there, but here are the reasons why I paid for the course (and why it’s worth it for me):

the tuition fees from Javascript Beginners get deducted when you take Codesmith’s next course (CSPrep or the 12 week immersive).  Since I’m going all the way to immersive, than I’m basically getting a free Basics course.    


The experience of doing pair programming which you can’t get by studying alone.  Pair programming brings a lot of benefits:

A) it helps you get unstuck if you encounter a problem that you can’t seem to solve.  As they say, 2 heads are better than one. 

B) it helps you develop those soft skills (communication) that are in high demand in software engineering jobs.  In fact, on day 1 our instructor (Jinsung, she’s awesome) insisted on these soft skills and helped us develop them.  Now, I automatically think not only on how to create code, but how to communicate it effectively to others. 

The camaraderie you develop with your cohort.  Codesmith’s values are about helping each other and forming a community.  And all my cohorts were very supportive and helpful. One group built a fantastic project using codes that were new to me.  So I asked if I could study what they did and they immediately sent me the code for my reference. We all have our group in slack and everyone is willing to help quickly.


Time.  Yes, I got to study the basics and build an adventure game in just 2 Saturdays.  If I studied on my own, then I wouldn’t have been able to achieve so much in such a short span of time.


Bonus: our instructor (Jinsung) and the intangibles she taught us in class.  She’s a great teacher. She taught us how to create code (not just learn how to code), to think like an engineer, and communicate our codes well.  I learned diagramming and technical communication. Things that are hard to learn from self study.

So, there you have it.  My 5 reasons as to why Codesmith’s JavaScript for Beginners is a great way to start your coding journey.

I recently participated in the JavaScript for Beginners course offered by Codesmith.  I had no prior experience in coding and was looking for a productive way to gently introduce myself into the field of software engineering.  The instructors (Will, Phillip, and Kyle) were all very helpful and patient, allowing students to ask questions and providing one-on-one help when necessary.  As students we were encouraged to develop healthy engineering habits and professional, technical communication skills to help maximize productivity in team environments.  Codesmith’s JavaScript for Beginners was an excellent course that provided me with some of the fundamental building blocks of JavaScript as well as introduced me to a supportive, safe learning environment and a wealth of resources.