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First Step Coding is closed
This school is now closed. Although First Step Coding is no longer accepting students or running its program, you can still see historical information and First Step Coding alumni reviews on the school page.
First Step Coding offers an 8-week, part-time full-stack development course in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and online. Designed to help people figure out if they want a career in coding, students will learn the fundamentals of JavaScript, HTML, & CSS. The course starts with in-person (or online) core training lasting 4 weeks, followed by 3 weeks of front-end web-development (online). The course concludes with 1-week of mock interviews and bootcamp advising (online). Students can work at their own pace during the online sections of the course but will follow a structured schedule during the in-person phase.
With a 6:1 student to instructor ratio, students are taught by experienced industry professionals from MakeSpace and Google; some are also coding bootcamp alumni. Students will be immersed in a hands-on approach to learning – First Step Coding will show brief demos and then give students opportunities to apply new concepts through progressive challenges.
This course is designed for complete beginners. To apply, prospective students will need to fill out an online form and have a quick phone call with the First Step Coding team.
After the 4 week Intro course, I found coding to be quite fun and enjoyable and now I've signed up for a bootcamp with one of their bootcamp partners (I received a discount off the tuition for being a FSC alumni, amount varies depending on the bootcamp and also seems to be changing constantly so probably should check the FSC website for updated info).
I would highly recommend the course to anybody who is interested in learning to code - I think it gives you a good foundation to work with and also gives you a chance to see if you like coding at all!
Calli Rothberg of First Step Coding
Student Success Manager
Oct 10, 2018
This was a fantastic class. I’m a high school teacher with zero coding experience. I spent a few weeks trying to learn to code on my own through various free online resources and then I found out about First Step Coding. I was initially skeptical about paying for the class, thinking I could learn Javascript on my own for free, but I am so glad I took this course! The instructors are great teachers who are very invested in supporting students (they even offer office hours via v...
This was a fantastic class. I’m a high school teacher with zero coding experience. I spent a few weeks trying to learn to code on my own through various free online resources and then I found out about First Step Coding. I was initially skeptical about paying for the class, thinking I could learn Javascript on my own for free, but I am so glad I took this course! The instructors are great teachers who are very invested in supporting students (they even offer office hours via video chat for one-on-one support outside of class). I learned a lot really quickly.
TL;DR Totally worth the money if you want to apply to a top bootcamp; it was a much more effective way to prepare than using free online resources.
When I was trying to learn to code on my own, I wasn’t sure what to prioritize and wasted a lot of time bouncing between different resources. First Step Coding has a great beginner-friendly curriculum that helped me build a much stronger foundation in key concepts. The class size is small (my class had 6 students), so you get a ton of one-on-one support during class, and the instructors are available for office hours outside of class. Both instructors--Kurt and Andy--have a great teaching style. As opposed to a lot of online resources where I felt like I was just copying lines of code without understanding why, Kurt and Andy asked a lot of questions about my code to make sure I understood the concepts. When something wasn’t working, they always asked me questions to prompt me to identify bugs on my own and learn to fix them myself. We also did a lot of pair programming during the class. I found that, with all of these opportunities to talk out my thinking as I was coding, I made progress so much more quickly than I ever would have on my own, and now I feel much more prepared for bootcamp interviews.
The class also connects you with tons of high quality online resources to continue learning on your own. Once my First Step Coding course ended, I started working through interview practice problems for Hack Reactor and also learning Ruby (another programming language). I found that I was able to able to progress through the material ten times faster after getting a strong foundation from First Step Coding.
I also highly recommended signing up for the longer class that includes the “bootcamp prep.” This part of the class involves a project where you create your own web application. You also get to participate in a mock interview, which I found incredibly helpful in terms of feeling prepared to apply to bootcamps and knowing what to expect.
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 cou...
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.
Calli Rothberg of First Step Coding
Student Success Manager
Dec 18, 2017
This course is the perfect introduction to the basics of coding languages, providing the solid foundation and good habits that will ensure you are ahead of the game when applying to Bootcamps or just learning more for a technical role. I was very happy to meet other like-minded students in the course and the instructors take the time to make sure that you understand the concepts, mentor you and help find your path. Definately worth the money!!!
Calli Rothberg of First Step Coding
Student Success Manager
Dec 18, 2017
Most importantly, I learned the fundamentals well enough to be able to apply to some top bootcamps. I got into my first choice and will be starting in the fall. I couldn't have done it without FSC!
Calli Rothberg of First Step Coding
Student Success Manager
Dec 18, 2017
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 a...
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.
I'm currently in the Bootcamp prep section of First Step Coding and I couldn't be happier with my experience so far. If you're looking to prepare yourself for a coding boot camp or just hoping to test the waters, I can't recommend First Step enough. The teachers are very helpful and the course content covers way more than I could have learned on my own within the same period of time. I personally think its well worth the investment!
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 in...
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.
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 bootca...
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.
Calli Rothberg of First Step Coding
Student Success Manager
Dec 18, 2017
How much does First Step Coding cost?
First Step Coding costs around $1,999. On the lower end, some First Step Coding courses like Introduction to Coding in JavaScript cost $999.
What courses does First Step Coding teach?
First Step Coding offers courses like Bootcamp Prep, Introduction to Coding in JavaScript.
Where does First Step Coding have campuses?
First Step Coding has in-person campuses in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, San Jose, and Silicon Valley. First Step Coding also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.
Is First Step Coding worth it?
First Step Coding hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 56 First Step Coding alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed First Step Coding on Course Report - you should start there!
Is First Step Coding legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 56 First Step Coding alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed First Step Coding and rate their overall experience a 5.0 out of 5.
Does First Step Coding offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like First Step Coding offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read First Step Coding reviews?
You can read 56 reviews of First Step Coding on Course Report! First Step Coding alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed First Step Coding and rate their overall experience a 5.0 out of 5.
Is First Step Coding accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. First Step Coding doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.
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