prework.md

Techtonica Pre-Work

These assignments are to prepare you for starting full-time at Techtonica. There will be a study group each week where volunteers can help.

Week 1:

• Read and review Techtonica's Participant Handbook

• Do the freeCodeCamp's Debuggingsection

• Version Control with Git at Udacity (Free Course)

  • Before starting the course, follow these steps

• Read through Tips for Succeeding at Techtonica and The Recurse Center's User Manual

• Read about coding outside of a tutorial and watch Leah's video

• Listen the 28 minutes podcast about Fixed and Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck

• Complete and turn in the following exercises via a GitHub link (using the public JS exercises repo) on the Pre-Start checklist:

  • Data Types and Variables Exercise
  • Conditionals Exercise

• Do the 5 basic exercises about JS in exercism

Week 2

• Do the freeCodeCamp Basic Data Structures section

• Watch and practice with at least half of the Udacity Tutorial Intro to Javascript (you'll do the rest over the next week of the pre-work program)

• Practice working with Git- Github

• Read and practice top 20 Javascript String Functions and make sure that you are familiar with those

• Read and do the exercises in Variables and Primitives lesson in Rithm School

• Play, learn and practice how to use Git with Atlassian interactive course

• Learn Git Branching is an interactive website that teaches git in an animated way.

• Go through the Learning to Learn topic outline

• Learn Apple keyboard shortcuts using Techtonica's Keyboard Shortcuts Practice App

• Go through Working and Collaborating Remotely

• Listen or read the transcript for the podcast: Hans Krueger on the Cycle of Emotions

• Complete and turn in the following exercises (and submit the links via Github links):

  • Loops Exercise

• Do at least 4 of these 16 problems: freeCodeCamp Basic Algorithm Scripting

• You can choose which order to do these problems if you want — you'll do the rest over the next few weeks

• Note: Many of these problems are challenging! Try to figure out the solutions and get the code working on your own even if it's hard -- that's what will make you improve as a programmer.

• If you have any questions or want to work doing pair programming Techtonica is having a study-night group that week (attendance is not mandatory)

Week 3

• Watch and practice the last part of the Udacity Tutorial Intro to Javascript

• Prep your mindset by learning about the Growth Mindset

• Complete and turn in the following exercises:

  • Functions Exercise

• Do 4 more of the 16 problems from freeCodeCamp Basic Algorithm Scripting.

• Learn about the 12 JavaScript Array Methods You Should Master Today

• Listen the podcast: Learning How to Learn with Dr. Barbara Oakley

• Do the Guide Project Manipulate Arrays with JavaScript Methodson Coursera (2 hours)

• The Codecademy Git course's Git Teamwork section

If the codecademy course is not free, you could read this resource on git, instead: https://jwiegley.github.io/git-from-the-bottom-up/

• Read and study the The JavaScript Array Handbook from FreeCodeCamp
• Watch the Objects and Arrays section from the free course Learn to Program in Javascript: Beginner to Pro (50 mins) on Udemy

We highly recommend that you keep studying Javascript and practice the first 20 very easy level code challenges on Edabit:

Week 4:

• Watch and make the exercise for the course Start with Javascript (2 hrs) from Udemy

• Watch the Functional Programming with Javascript section from the free course Learn to Program in Javascript: Beginner to Pro (50 mins) from Udemy

• Do at least 4 more of these 16 problems: freeCodeCamp Basic Algorithm Scripting

• Do the knowledge check about Objects from the Odin Project

• Listen the podcast: How to Trade Expectations for Appreciation

• Watch the lesson Debugging JS in VSCode on app academy (Free resource)

• Read JavaScript For Cats

• Do the 4 task in the Javascript Fundamentals: Objects website (you can submit those in a Github Link too)

• Do the 5 basic exercises about objects in JS from exercism

• Complete and turn in the following exercises: Arrays and Objects

• Read about Techtonica's feedback framework

Week 5:

• Finish freeCodeCamp Basic Algorithm Scripting

• HTML and CSS: https://classroom.udacity.com/courses/ud001 (5 hours class)

• freeCodeCamp's ES6 section

• freeCodeCamp's Functional Programming section

• Practice 7 Growth Mindset Activities & Exercises for Adults

• Listen to the podcast: Do You Receive Feedback Well?

• Watch the Object Oriented Programming section from the free course Learn to Program in Javascript: Beginner to Pro (50 mins) from Udemy

• Complete the lesson Asking Good Questions

• Practice your self-pitch (1 minute max) for the launch celebration until you have it memorized and you can keep it to under two minutes. Include your name, one small phrase about what you did before Techtonica, why you haven't been able to get into tech, why you'll make a great software engineer, and why you're excited for Techtonica. Here are some examples of personal pitches that you can read:https://medium.com/techtonica/participant-story-abby-f7c4bce3d657

Optional (if you finish the above work, choose what you're interested in next!)

• Vim Adventures

• Remaining sections within freeCodeCamp's JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures certification

• Try to build your own very simple HTML - CSS website. Here are some resources.

  • https://www.udemy.com/course/html-css-and-javascript-the-complete-web-developer-course/
  • https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-html

• See if your local library offers free Treehouse accounts, if so please sign up and watch the Javascript course