The Capstone Program

My background is not in computer science.  Before starting the Launch School curriculum, I had never even opened a text editor.  Less than a year later, I've accepted a job at a fantastic company, making quite a bit more than what's average for juniors in my city.  Do I think I could have learned web dev. on my own? Yes. Could I have been this succesful this quickly? Absolutely not.

I took advantage both of LS's self-paced courses and the Captstone Mentoring Program.  The courses stress the fundamentals.  Although the curriculum is Ruby-heavy, the emphasis is not on "learning Ruby," but learning how to solve problems with code, not just "learning Rails," but learning the concepts behind it and the habits of mind necessary to tackle the challenges that web dev. throws at you.

As happy as I was with the courses, the Capstone Program just blew me away.  The amount of face time I was given with a senior dev. was outrageous. This is not an hour-a-week deal--I was on a Hangout talking programming, getting impromptu lectures, or pair programming with my mentor nearly every evening. My learning was guided: there was never a time when I didn't know what to do next or what to focus on. And I was pushed, pushed far harder than I'm likely to have pushed myself.

The result? I became not just someone who dabbled in code, but truly, a professional developer.  I acquired the knowledge and skill necessary to succeed in the field.  Companies agreed.  I got several full length interviews and received job offers from all of them. I have so much to learn, but LS has put me on some seriously firm footing.

Don't get me wrong--the program is not magic.  It's a LOT of work, but if you've got the aptitude, the work ethic, and the appetite for success, you can go far, fast in this program.