Not Sure Where to Apply?

First Step Coding - CLOSED

Online, San Francisco, Boston

About First Step Coding

Location: Online, San Francisco, Boston

Please note: This school is closed and is no longer accepting students. The SwitchUp team no longer monitors this page for updates, but historical information is available for reference.

This is a unique part-time bootcamp PREP program designed to teach coding fundamentals and help students earn entrance into a top immersive bootcamp. Thanks to their partnerships with 8+ bootcamps, this program can be completely free for eligible students!... Read More

Courses

Bootcamp Prep

Cost: $1,999
Duration: 8 weeks
Locations: Online, San Francisco, Boston
In-person Available Online
Course Description:

Bootcamp Prep is an 8-week part-time course designed to help you achieve three goals:

1) Learn the fundamentals of coding in JavaScript, HTML, & CSS.
2) Find out for sure if you truly enjoy coding and show promise as a developer.
3) Get admitted to a top bootcamp to build on your skills & become a software engineer!

This course is divided up into a series of three modules. Core Training has a strict meeting schedule & pace, but other modules allow for some flexibility.

CORE TRAINING: 4 WEEKS (IN-PERSON or ONLINE)

• Meet two evenings per week in a classroom with a 6:1 ratio of students to teachers.
• Work through challenges isolating specific learning objectives in JavaScript, HTML, & CSS.
• Get live support from instructors during class & office hours.

FRONT END WEB DEVELOPMENT: 3 WEEKS (ONLINE)

• Learn to develop like a professional using VS Code
• Master debugging in Chrome Dev Tools
• Delve deeper into intermediate topics with an additional guest lecture
• Build an interactive front-end for an API-driven web application in a final capstone project - with opportunities to add your own creative features

MOCK INTERVIEWS & ADVISING: 1 WEEK (ONLINE)

• Complete a mock bootcamp interview with an instructor and receive your official Bootcamp Readiness Score
• Get advising and recommendations on next steps in your coding journey

Introduction to Coding in JavaScript

Cost: $1,499
Duration: 4 weeks
Locations: Online, San Francisco, Boston
In-person Available Online
Course Description:

This course is designed for complete beginners to coding. You'll be able to call yourself "code literate" and comfortable with the fundamentals of JavaScript, HTML, & CSS.

This is a highly tuned, fast-paced program. At the end of just four weeks, you'll be able to:

• Learn the fundamentals of coding in JavaScript, HTML, & CSS
• Gain an intimate understanding of how applications interface with APIs and handle data
• Think algorithmically and problem solve like a programmer.
• Communicate more effectively with your technical co-workers.
• Start automating some of your repetitive tasks at work.

You will be immersed in a hands-on approach to learning, and you'll be writing code with us from day one. Rather than lecturing you, we'll show you brief demos and then give you opportunities to apply new concepts through progressive challenges.

Note: If you're looking for a slightly longer course with time dedicated to coding bootcamp preparation, you might consider our 8-week Bootcamp Prep course.

First Step Coding Reviews

Average Ratings (All Programs)

First Step Coding logo

5.0/5 (69 reviews)

Lisa White
Graduated: 2020

4/13/2020

Course
Bootcamp Prep

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"A great start to your coding journey"

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

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.

Gabriel
Graduated: 2019

8/26/2019

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"A great introduction to coding"

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

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.

Scott Neiger
Graduated: 2019

8/23/2019

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"Fast-paced learning with a solid structure for understanding the basics"

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

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

K.B.
Graduated: 2019

8/21/2019

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"Great introduction to coding"

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!

Anonymous
Graduated: 2019

7/11/2019

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"A good experience"

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

Varuni Sinha
Digital Arts Journalist | Graduated: 2019

4/5/2019

Course
Bootcamp Prep

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"Kick-start Your Coding Journey With FSC!"

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

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!

Eugene Chang
Graduated: 2019

2/12/2019

Course
Introduction to Coding in JavaScript

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"Great "First Step" into Coding"

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

Jonah Coleman
Graduated: 2019

2/12/2019

Course
Introduction to Coding in JavaScript

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"Great Course!"

This was a fantastic course.

We covered key coding fundamentals that helped me build an understanding of programming. There are great instructors that are more than willing to give you 1 on 1 time to work through problems.

Sysamone Phaphon, MHA
Head of Growth & Partnerships | Graduated: 2019

2/1/2019

Course
Bootcamp Prep

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"Great program with supportive staff"

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

Patricia Rothberg
Graduated: 2019

1/23/2019

Course
Bootcamp Prep

Overall

Curriculum

Job Support

"Learning to code with First Step Coding is FUN!"

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

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.

Person thinking

Need help making a decision?

We'll match you to the perfect bootcamp for your location, budget, and future career.