First Step Coding - CLOSED

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... Read More and money into a real bootcamp because I wasn't sure whether or not coding was actually for me. What made First Step coding didn't require me to drop $15k and allowed me to enhance my skills at my job without having to quit it. I learn best in person and in a group as opposed to online and in a group. 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.

First Step Coding is a perfect starting point for anyone considering delving into the world of coding. Going to a coding bootcamp is a huge decision but what if you want to see what coding is like before taking the plunge? That's where FSC comes in. You... Read More start with the basics of javascript only part time to get a taste of programming. The class moves fast and requires you to be on the ball but it was a great learning experience for me and the teachers really know their stuff. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a beginner.

First Step Coding (FSC) teaches you how to work through problems, and how to use the web programming vocabulary with ease. Before I joined, I hit a plateau in my self-learning with the available online courses.

Taking FSC’s JavaScript took my understanding... Read More and interest to a whole new level. There’s something to be said about all the good stuff that comes with a classroom environment:

* learning to use the vocabulary correctly with a teacher’s guidance
* verbalizing/stepping through a problem with your cohort
* practicing challenging in-class problems
* supportive environment to learn

In addition to the above points, I recommend FSC also for the small class size. Having the teacher’s guidance during the learning is immensely helpful!

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... Read More 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++

There are courses on coding and there's First Step Coding.

Designed for those with zero experience in computer programming-- over the course of the 4 weeks FSC provides a clear, organized, and straightforward introduction on the basics.

But it doesn't stop... Read More there. FSC is unique as an introductory course in its immersive and networking-based class model. With FSC you dive in from day one-- working both with peers and teachers while getting the chance to tour and network with people at several bootcamps (Dev Bootcamp, General Assembly, App Academy, to name a few).

And lastly, you have Andy. One of the reasons Andy does what he does is because he genuinely loves to teach and work with others. You can tell. I'm in the process of applying to programs now and Andy continues to give me advice and help me with interview prep.

If you're looking at getting involved in coding, I promise you, this course might be one of the best decisions you can make!

I've always tinkered and tried to teach myself how to code and when I saw Bootcamps springing up across SF I thought I'd see what all the hubbub was all about. "Oh I see, I need to know a bunch of stuff first, sure." I eventually ran into roadblocks while... Read More learning ruby on my own and that goal was eventually shelved. Fast forward an entire year and I stumble across FSC. Can this Andy fellow really deliver a "Get into any Bootcamp you want." experience? Short answer, "Yes!" Three hours in the evening twice a week with a 1x3 instructor ratio certainly was the perfect formula. Super friendly, super great, and plenty of after-hours in-person and online support.

First Step Coding is not paid by any Bootcamps, they believe that money should go directly to their students but they do have partners that offer discounts to FSC alumni. That is to say that the cost of taking this class was reimbursed two-fold when I was accepted to my Bootcamp of choice. Essentially I was paid to take this class.

You know when you experience something that changes your life forever? That one thing that you've always needed to alter your entire life direction? That's what this class was to me and it could be for whoever is reading this.

Highly recommend First Step Coding to folks trying to get accepted to an immersive bootcamp.

The instructor for my course, Sarmad, was an excellent teacher - great at articulating processes and logic, provided good problems to work on during class, and... Read More was in touch with what information we needed for jobs right now. He is also a bootcamp grad currently working as a front-end engineer for ~two years, so he knew exactly where we were coming from. Founder Andy was also very available and supportive, providing Office Hours were we could pair program through problems & he would give honest feedback about what areas I needed to work on. One week I went to Office Hours three times! It was so helpful to have feedback as I worked on real problems - studying and doing class HW on my own still left me with questions that were hard to articulate.

Feeling like your teachers are on your side in the process and are taking the time to see what you really need (and supplying it) - is absolutely invaluable, and harder to come by as more coding resources trying to sell you things pop up.

While the ideal outcome is acceptance to an immersive coding bootcamp, not a job - FSC instructors went above and beyond to lend their connections and knowledge to help me make an informed decision about next steps - even connecting me to an immersive bootcamp grad to continue practicing JS after graduating. My classmates were also really motivated and supportive - with only 10 people per class, there was enough time to make a meaningful connection with each person.

FSC also provides full and half scholarships to women through Women Who Code. Two thumbs up for this company.

Andy genuinely enjoys helping others gain a better understanding of programming. His teaching style is to challenge you with encouraging questions, which I found to be very effective in learning to apply new concepts. I’ve been able to use the skills... Read More I learned from working with Andy to get two paying contracts. On top of all this, he’s a lot of fun to be around. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Andy and Micheal are extremely responsive and incredibly supportive. They will often go outside of the box to understand what I'm struggling with and try their best to accommodate me. In fact, I scheduled a number of (weekend) skype office hours with... Read More the both of them. They are incredibly knowledgeable.

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 sciences courses.

One of the key takeaways from FSC is that I learned how to pair program (which I've never done before). I think it's a good skill to have as programmers need to know how to explain their codes and moreover their think process of how they went from point A to point B.