First Step Coding

I wrote my first line of code ever about 3 months ago on the first day of class; last week, I got accepted into Hack Reactor, one of the top coding bootcamps in San Francisco. That says a lot about First Step's bootcamp prep program, if I can go from zero to not just code literate, but ready for an intensive bootcamp experience in just 8 weeks. My classmates included people trying to quit their jobs and transition into a tech job (me--high school teacher for 4 years) as well as people who just wanted to learn a bit of coding to help them communicate with their team as work. Andy and his team at First Step have created an educational experience perfectly catered to those who want to take their first step (sorry) into the world of coding but are not confident enough to learn on their own, or perhaps just need the structure that a small classroom provides. There are between 5 and 10 students per class and all coding is done in pairs, with the teacher or TA circulating the room to help. Classes run for 3 hours and generally move pretty quickly but there is plenty of opportunity to pause and ask questions. My instructor, Jake, was funny, personable, and very knowledgeable. He helped me outside of class and even after class was over, while I was prepping for the Hack Reactor interview. I suggest taking notes during lectures, experimenting with the code while in class, not being afraid to ask questions, doing all the homework, and going to office hours if you want to get the most out of the experience. Tl;dr: great experience, knowledgeable staff, helped me get into a bootcamp with zero coding experience, well worth the pricetag.

I am a 25-year old Solutions Architect who works with developers all day, but with no background in coding. I've been thinking about getting into coding for a while now, but I didn't want to commit financially to an immersive bootcamp, nor quit my full-time job. Most bootcamps also typically require some background in Javascript, and I didn't know how much of a background was needed, nor the best way to teach myself JS. After some researching, I found out about FSC's course which was significantly less than the typical $15K price tag, and only 4 weeks during after work hours. It was just the right amount for me to get my feet wet (and decide if coding is something I want to make a career of ) while still being able to maintain my full time job. After finishing the course, I have since been able to talk to my developer co-workers about their code...and it feels great. I really learned a lot in this course and cannot recommend it highly enough!

I attended the 4-week online Introduction to JavaScript course. I normally stay away from online courses because it can be easy to lose motivation and I like direct interaction with the instructor. However, this is not your usual online course. It is a live, virtual classroom. Therefore, each Monday and Wednesday night from 6 to 9, my professor and five classmates would all login to the virtual classroom through Zoom, so it was as if we were all in the same room. Our professor, Shlomy, was awesome- he always kept the class fun and upbeat with his dad humor! One of the main components of the class was to work through challenges directly with a partner. Shlomy encouraged us to meet everyone in the class by choosing a different partner each day. One partner would share their screen with the other, and we could converse and work through the challenge together. This was a great way to interact with our classmates and learn other people's thinking processes. Because I was working a 9-5 job at the time of attending this course, it was very helpful that the course started after work. However, I did feel rushed getting situated by 6 pm, because my commute home was 45 minutes, and I was usually hungry before the start of the class. But this turned out fine, because I could still listen in on the class and turn my video capability off if I needed to eat dinner during the first 20 minutes. Overall, I learned so much in just four short weeks! The first three weeks were focused on JavaScript while the last week was focused on HTML and providing us with online tools to continuing improving our coding skills independently. The homework was definitely helpful in my learning process, allowing me to fully grasp all of the concepts we learned in class. Before I started the course, I was worried that I would not have time to complete the homework assignments between the end of the class Monday and the start of the class Wednesday. However, this turned out to not be a problem at all. Homework was purposefully very light after Monday's class and bulkier after Wednesday's class. This was designed very well for students who work full time during the week. My purpose for taking the course was to further my technical knowledge in order to enhance my economics research. I do not plan on attending a coding bootcamp, at least not at this point in my career. However, the skills I learned with First Step Coding have indirectly improved my capabilities using other programs, such as Excel and improved my general knowledge of programming and web design. The knowledge I gained from this course will definitely help me teach myself other languages such as R and SQL in the future. This is an intensive course- make sure to put aside time on the weekends to complete the homework and prepare to perhaps be tired at your day job. The good news is it is only four weeks, which is very doable! This course is totally worth it whether you plan on continuing to bootcamp or not.

The course was really great. I wanted to see if coding would be a good fit for me. The course content included demonstrations followed by practice which made it easier to internalize the content. Plus there were office hours during the course and open access to teachers even after the course was over.  The teacher was supportive, easy to follow, and really funny too. And they offered office hours outside of class time. It was a really good introduction to coding. I’m so glad I took the course. 

I took this course in June 2017, and it was the perfect introduction to coding. 

My instructor Kurt explained the fundamentals clearly and was always available before and after class to provide extra help. 

My favorite part about this class is that it focused less on syntax and more on the problem solving approach needed to start tackling coding problems. I also enjoyed the emphasis they put on pair programming. This was definitely a skill that carried over to my bootcamp experience. 

Before taking this class I was very new to coding. After completing the course I was accepted into and have finished a major nyc bootcamp. This course delivers on what it promises and then some. 

My experience with First Step Coding was exactly what I was looking for. I took the online class that was offered twice a week during the evening, which was perfect for me since I work full time. The virtual classes ran very smoothly via video conferencing, allowing me to ask questions and work directly with the teacher and the other students. I especially loved the collaborative aspect of coding with a partner during class and on assignments. The curriculum was the perfect speed for someone who is serious about learning to code but might have little experience. Everyone I worked with was extremely positive, responsive, and helpful. I finished the class with a good foundation and excellent resources to continue my education. They also offer mock interviews to prepare you for bootcamp applications. Overall it was a great experience and I would highly recommend it.

I completed the 4-week online course, Intro to Coding. I am considering changing careers from finance to tech, and this class has inspired me to continue learning coding. I have taken programming classes in the past, but forgot a lot of it since college. This was a perfect refresher, plus I learned more than I was expecting to. The online class definitely requires a lot of time, especially if you also work full time, but if you do all the homework, it helps a lot during class. The instructor also provides help outside of class, and mock interviews for bootcamps for all students. Shlomy is a great teacher, and tells some good jokes. He made it feel like a real classroom. 

The material was interesting and easy to understand, and doesn't require any prior knowledge. If you do all the extra work outside class too besides the homework, it is definitely worth the time and money.

First Step Coding was something I stumbled upon while doing research on coding bootcamps. I am a 30 year old who works in the tech industry with zero background in tech! I wanted to enhance my basic knowledge of coding, but didn't want to commit the time and money into a real bootcamp because I wasn't sure whether or not coding was actually for me. What made First Step coding atractive was that it didn't require me to drop $15k and quit my job before deciding if I enjoyed coding.

I learn best in person and in a group as opposed to online. The classes met twice a week at night, and there were 6 of us in the class with 2 instructors who taught us Javascript. The instructors were young, knowledgeable, and provided a curriculum that made it possible for me to keep going with coding once the classes ended. I will say that I was in the first ever class in Boston that First Step ever did, so there were the usual kinks to work out, but overall I'd recommend the course to anyone interested in code that just wants to get their feet wet. What is also nice is that First Step has a few deals with Bootcamps around Boston so that if you want to enroll in a full time bootcamp, you can be reimbursed the cost of your First Step course.

The software development world is vast and can be pretty intimidating to those interested in giving coding a try. Poking around on your own can only get you so far. First Step Coding provides a true introduction into the fundamentals of programming and has found a unique niche with their partnerships with top bootcamps. In four quick weeks you'll know whether or not pursuing education in coding is right for you and then you'll have Andy and his awesome team on your side to help get you to that next step!  

There is so much to praise about this school. The teachers at First Step Coding are excellent. All the students there are passionate to learn. My core teacher, Tate Thurston, always showed up to class with a big smile on his face and never hesitated to shared his joy for computer programming. He is very knowledgeable and helped me become code literate in one month. Not only did I get all my technical questions answered, Tate helped me become a better student and problem solver. I was not a good problem solver before entering this course. Now, I’m comfortable with problem solving in general. What's also great is the teachers' prior and current experience in the industry. I love hearing their personal stories and wisdom for what works and doesn't.   I’ll admit, even though programming made more sense on paper and on screen, speaking the language to another was a challenge. Coding by myself was only half the pie. Conveying programming concepts and terminology to my classmates helped solidify the content I learned and complete our class exercises. It’s a highly sought after skill that will make you a better computer programmer.   First Step Coding helped me become a better thinker, problem solver, and team player. Don’t worry if you have no background in computer programming. All skill levels welcome. I'm glad I took my first step and signed up for this course. The staff at First Step Coding helped me discover my new career as a full stack web developer.   First Step Coding is a fun environment and great experience for learning computer programming, not to mention all the great conversations you'll have with students and teachers!   A++

I took programming courses before but I feel like I learn more in Andy's class (which is only one month) compared to several semesters of computer science courses.   Andy and Micheal were extremely knowledgeable, responsive and incredibly supportive. They often went outside the box to understand what I'm struggling with and tried their best to accommodate me. In fact, I scheduled several weekend skype office hours with the both of them. In all occasions, they were able to provide me with valuable feedback that eventually gave me a stronger foundation in Ruby and JavaScript!   One of the key takeaways is that I learned how to pair program (which I've never done before). For the majority of the coding bootcamps that I applied to, I need to pair program with the interviewers and explain to them my thought process of how I got from point A to point B. Andy definitely did a good job in terms of introducing the concept of pair programming to us and providing us enough class time to practice it!     Andy continues to follow up with all his students after the program. There were numerous occasions that I asked him for advice for bootcamps (for both East and West Coast) and he does a superb job in offering me his an unbiased opinion. In fact, he even connected me with students that are going through (or graduated from) the specific bootcamp that I'm interested in.   

I took the course with Kurt in Boston starting in August and from my perspective First Step Coding (FSC) is a very rewarding experience. What sets FSC aside above other coding prep courses is its instructor team and encouraging environment. All of the instructors have Coding related degrees and tremendous industry background. This definitely helps because they just simply know what is going on while writing those codes. Also, they could answer your questions from a professional view such as "Is javascript the primary language industry uses now?" "What is your opinion on Immersive Coding bootcamps" etc.. Having a knowledgable instructor just helps in a variety of ways. 

FSC is great also because the instructor cares about students as individuals. Meeting in person twice a week is definitely helpful especially for those who find it hard to study on their own from books or tutorials. And because of its small class size (my course is 6 people) you get immediate attention and help from the instructor. This is absolutely important because as a coding beginner, there are countless times I run into issues and have no clue why my code does not work. Kurt was accessibly and ready to help. 

The instructor always make sure that each one of us are on the same page while they are lecturing and no one got left behind. The instructors can be strict too so they will tell straight what they expect from you so if you are serious about the course, perform the exercises in class and finish the homework on time. 

Highly suggest this program!! Remote/night classes were easy for my busy work schedule. The instructor (Shlomy) was a solid teacher and always available via Slack/Screenhero to help with any issues on the homework assignments.   Before this course I had done some coding before in R, MatLab, and more research focused coding programs. I took this course because now I manage the development of a node.js application and wanted to understand how the product I manage actually works. The course definitely helped with that - plus I realized I actually like software development and want to keep learning more. The course is set up so you can go into a coding bootcamp afterwards, and they'll even help you prepare for interviews, etc. if that's something you're interested in.