Codesmith

I had just graduated from college with a B.S. in computer science when I stumbled upon Codesmith. Looking to get some web development experience, I decided to take the course and am very happy I did so.

As many people will tell you, there is a gap between... Read More industry expectations and what you learn through computer science classes and projects. This is a gap that can be largely filled by experience, and Codesmith does just that. At Codesmith, you receive a balance of computer science fundamentals and practical skills. Among other things, you will become intimately familiar with data structures, basic algorithms (sorting and path-finding) and Big O analysis. You will use what you learn in development so that you have practical skills to accompany the theory.

I haven’t even begun on the web-development curriculum, which provides excellent exposure to full stack web development. At Codesmith you will learn many things the hard way first, for example, learning to use Node to set up servers without any frameworks before learning to use Express or Hapi. This will give you a deeper understanding of both what’s going on underneath the hood, and in the bigger picture of your application.

One of my favorite things about Codesmith is that they value holistic growth, meaning you won’t just be taught to be a developer who can create websites with ready-made tools. You will be encouraged to become an engineer, who can architect systems beyond websites, and to modify or create your own tools as you see fit. You won’t just be an engineer with team experience. You will be encouraged to lead through empathy, and follow industry workflow with version control and testing. Additionally, Codesmith holds “tutorials” where you will have moderated discussions on tech, for example, Client side vs Server side rendering. You will be encouraged to form a strong understanding of whatever technologies you’ve been exposed to so that you can communicate your thoughts coherently to laymen, as well as anyone else in the industry.

It does take commitment and hard work on your part, but if you want to be a full-stack developer and are ready to commit, I highly recommend checking out Codesmith.

I was part of Codesmith's 2nd cohort that went from late June to the end of September in 2015. During that time I've met, worked with, and befriended several intelligent, hardworking, awesome people. I can honestly say that, having gone here, I've changed... Read More my life for the better.

I didn't have much of a coding background at all before coming here, but after my 3+ months at Codesmith I feel confident and happy in my abilities. Before applying, be aware that this is a VERY strenuous course; you will be here 60+ hours a week for 12 weeks learning exactly what you need to learn to build a strong foundation and break into the industry.

That being said, the staff is extremely compassionate and dedicated to the success of the students. If you have the passion and work ethic to push through the challenge, Codesmith can be a very rewarding experience.

The curriculum focuses on JavaScript, Node/Express, Angular, and React, but also covers jQuery, databases, and authentication. The final 6-8 weeks are devoted to building projects.

If you aren't quite sure if Codesmith, or even becoming a software engineer is for you, then I highly recommend that you check out one of the many free Meetup events that Codesmith hosts:
http://www.meetup.com/codesmith/

Beginners and experienced coders are welcome to come learn and meet with the teachers and students.

In the Los Angeles area I really can't image that there is anywhere better to learn how to code. Codesmith is devoted to providing the best possible experience and supporting the growing community.