First Step Coding - CLOSED

Towards the end of 2019, I began thinking about a career change into software engineering, but I had no background in coding. I started looking at free resources like Codecademy and freeCodeCamp, but I felt that I needed something more structured; that’s... Read More when I came across First Step Coding.

Everything about the experience in the class was spot-on, from the curriculum structure to the pace of the program to the sense of community among the cohort. It was very clear that Andy and Kurt put together a really thoughtful curriculum given their combined expertise in the industry. We covered a lot of content in the program, and at times it was quite challenging, but the instructors created a really supportive learning environment. I appreciated how FSC is targeted towards beginners so that we were all starting from a similar place. Some people had goals of enrolling in a bootcamp while others were working at tech companies in non-technical roles, but we were all in this class because we were interested in becoming “code literate”.

Since I was interested in enrolling in a bootcamp, I did the 4-week Introduction to Coding in JavaScript plus the additional 4-week Bootcamp Prep through FSC. If a bootcamp is your goal, I would encourage you to consider the additional Bootcamp Prep; I was able to showcase my capstone project in bootcamp applications and I found the mock interviews to be extremely beneficial. After going through FSC, I spent some time working through the pre-application prep courses for a couple of bootcamps and felt very prepared while going through that material. Ultimately, I applied to General Assembly, Flatiron School, and Hack Reactor and got into all three! I am so grateful for a program like FSC that was able to help a complete beginner become ready for a bootcamp; I would highly recommend their programs.

I went in with zero coding experience.

I've always known my way around a computer, I've been poking them since I was a seven year old after all, and while that might be normal now it wasn't back in '99. I've even messed around a command prompt(following... Read More guides to the letter), but I could never code. I'd seen code blocks all throughout my life and to the untrained eye, they honestly look like word vomit. They did to me anyway.

All of this is to say that, now, the word vomit looks like a recipe. Even if I don't understand a block of code in its entirety, I can safely navigate it piece by piece to understand what's going on at every point(and if I don't understand I know how to look up resources to help me understand). That's not something everyone can say and I can thank First Step Coding for helping me by demystify coding. While I wanted to learn how to code, my primary reason for applying to First Step Coding was to find out if I had it in me. I wanted to know if coding was something I could sit down and understand. Well, now I know I can understand it if I put my mind to it and I've actually found myself enjoying it, errors and all. My instructors were very helpful, patient and polite and they explained the core concepts of coding that helped me build to the more complex ones. I still have a long way to go, but I'm confident now that it's something I can and want to do.

I've worked in SaaS tech support for a few years, and have slowly been introduced to code various concepts by virtue of doing my job. Over the years I've built a pretty broad understanding of various code concepts, but I couldn't tell you much about the... Read More basics ( like the difference between an object and an array).

This course provided an excellent framework for understanding the fundamentals of not just JavaScript, but also general coding principles that apply to any language (pretty sure I'll use P.R.E.P. for the rest of my career). I really enjoyed the fast-paced learning environment and having a web-based sandbox for completing take-home coursework removed a lot of the overhead/complexity of trying to use an IDE or set up a local environment.

One thing I loved about the class was, while zero coding experience is required, the learning environment is flexible/challenging enough that if you've already had some experience with certain aspects of the lesson, you can push yourself and still find a ton of value in the coursework (plus you have a knowledgeable instructor to ask questions and work with during office hours).

All-in-all, I cannot recommend this course enough for people who are interested to learn more about coding and want to get their feet wet with an entry-level language like JavaScript.

In parting, I wrote a program to illustrate my experience with the course:

var firstStepCodingClasses=8;

function learnToCode(firstStepCodingClasses){
var codeLiteracy=[];
for(var knowledge=0; knowledge

An intense online search for coding classes led me to First Step Coding and I am so happy I found it. Although self learning is great ( and very important in this field), First Step Coding is the right place to start and get a good coding foundation.... Read More

My instructors were Riley and Kurt; they were both very nice, helpful,professional, extremely patient and always available to answers questions. The curriculum is indeed adapted for people with no coding experience and by the end of the program, you acquire a great amount of skills and knowledge.

I finished the program in July and just got accepted into a bootcamp here in Boston. I would recommend this school to anyone new to coding; go for it, you will not regret it!

Fast-paced but recorded lectures easy to follow. Assessments are fair and helpful. Instructors were patient and took time to explain topics well. Final project was fun. Good experience to see if you’re ready for a Bootcamp. Would have been nice to have... Read More a few more classes vs independent study at the end of the course. Overall a good experience and I certainly know a great deal more than when I started. Thanks!

First Step Coding is a wonderful school to enter the world of coding—whether it's getting a grip on the building blocks of Javascript and HTML or getting ready to apply to top-notch bootcamps that can help launch your coding career.

I started my First... Read More Step journey with the assumption that I will not understand anything only cause I had struggled with Javascript at grad school. To my surprise, the instructors at First Step Coding made the process fun and enjoyable. At the same time, they pushed me to overcome my mental barriers with positive re-inforcement.

I found all the teachers extremely approachable and never hesitated to talk about conceptual roadblocks I faced along the way. The team at First Step Coding is dedicated to help you learn. That is not only their motto on paper—it's evident in their attitude toward every student.

I strongly recommend the online learning platform, as well. Not only does it allow you to attend classes after a long day of work, it also offers access to recorded classes that you can revisit to brush up questions/concepts that require a deeper understanding.

The accountability aspect of the course helps drive confidence in students, who are pushed to tackle 5-10 questions on new concepts learnt on a weekly basis. By the end of the course, students like me start feeling more confident about the distance travelled. I am now in the process of applying to reputed bootcamps in New York City based on my training with First Step BootCamp Prep!

Took an online course and learned a lot during the whole program. I recommend it for anyone whos trying to dip their toes into computer programming.

This course is by no means a walk in the park. It is challenging enough that you need to dedicate time... Read More towards homework and reviewing past content to grasp core concepts as classes build on top of each other.

It's tough to attend any in person coding program when you are a parent. Add single parent to the title and it's even more difficult to balance and find an appropriate sitter to watch your kids while you go code for a few hours. The team at First Step... Read More Coding is ridiculously accommodating and supportive. I'm a single parent of two and at times, I couldn't make the in person teachings but my instructor made sure to make himself readily available to keep me on track with the rest of the students via a 1 on 1 online tutoring session. This type of flexibility and accommodation is not available in other bootcamps. The way the curriculum is setup with the addition of educational videos and knowledge check points really helped me grasped what I was learning. Their were definitely some challenges, however the support from the instructor, TA and team at First Step Coding, really helped me get through.

I was given the opportunity to attend an in-person JavaScript Building Blocks Crash Course taught by First Step Coding. The class was both interesting and challenging. Almost
as soon as the class started we were challenged with our first coding challenge... Read More and this pattern repeated throughout the class. I enjoyed getting right into it and sense that all students would appreciate this no-nonsense approach.

Andy, Kurt, and Calli were all present for this introductory class and I liked all three of them. I was impressed by the way they easily turned the podium over to one another without
any break in the flow. I'm excited to continue learning over the next few weeks.