First Step Coding

I am a structural engineer trying to switch to software sales engineering. I was looking for a course that could teach me the basics in a quick and efficient way. I couldn't have asked for more from an introductory course to front end development. The curriculum developed by Andy provides a strong foundation for continuing education and personal development. The knowledge acquired from this bootcamp is helpful in determining if computer science is the right field for you. The entire team at FSC was very responsive and available throughout the duration of the course. I really enjoyed the experience and I would strongly advise others to pursue the final project portion of the bootcamp. I would have never thought that I could design a working website with a user interface after just two months. Andy, Charlie, Shlomy and Calli, thanks again! It's been great! 

FirstStep coding was an amazing class and truly teaches you the fundamentals of JavaScript.

They have a large amount of training materials and a large amount of support. You will get everything you put into this class and more.  Here are just some of the things you will learn in the intro to JavaScript course. You will learn about syntax, variables, objects, arrays, booelns, if/else statements, for loops, and a large amount of fundamental functions that will be the building block of your programming knowledge.  Every online class is recorded and the teacher support is awesome. We were always encouraged  to provide questions and ask for help outside of class hours. I would highly recommend this intro school to any one who is interested in learning JavaScript. The class even touch’s on how JavaScript interacts with webpages in the real world. Sign up if you are serious about pursuing programming!  I am applying to Hack Reactor because of this course and determined to excel in this industry!  FirstStep coding opened the door for me and I cannot stress enough how valuable you will fine this class!  

I came into this course with almost zero prior experience with Javascript or coding in general. The curriculum at FSC provided all the fundamentals of  Javascript that I needed before applying to Bootcamps as well as strategies for approaching problem-solving for interviews and coding challenges. The instructors at FSC were amazing and willing to go above and beyond to provide help understanding the course material and helped me to prepare for and to get into Hack Reactor!!! I would definitely recommend the course to anyone who is thinking about applying to Bootcamps. 

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.