Keeping with the theme of my post from 8 weeks ago when I first started the code immersion course at the TTS Atlanta campus, I will present another list of 5 reasons why I love TTS.
#1: I learned so much, which was my main goal in taking the code immersion class at TTS. We created several apps to explore how to apply our knowledge and skills. The course focused on Ruby and Rails, but we learned and then practiced putting in HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, and JavaScript into our apps. We also learned how to use GitHub and Heroku.
#2: Each class motivated me to continue learning. Sometimes the motivation came in the form of an error in my app that I was hell-bent on solving. Other times, it was something our instructor (Richard Zapata) said (or shouted) that made me get all Google-y. It was also awesome to have two TTS alums in our class as TA’s (Dustin and Claire). They were very helpful and encouraged me when I felt overwhelmed.
#3: I was constantly inspired. Listening to my classmates talk about their current careers, career changes, and career aspirations helped me stay focused and inspired. Listening to Richard Simms (TTS Co-Founder) and Mandy Putnam (Community Organizer, Atlanta) talk about Kid’s Code and the non-profit work that TTS is doing has truly amazed and inspired me. Even listening to Zapata is inspiring… he started out as a TTS student and now has a programming career (and he teaches the part-time coding course…and he does CrossFit…I’m not sure if/when he sleeps).
#4: I gained a ton of insight into the “tech scene” in Atlanta. I attended several company tours and guest speaker events (thanks to the great organizational work of Mandy). The TTS weekly newsletters (also thanks to Mandy) informed us of upcoming tours and speakers, as well as other tech events, workshops, and meet-ups in Atlanta. I am so grateful that TTS has provided me with so many valuable resources!
#5: I feel part of the TTS family. I’ve met so many people at TTS that I hope to know for a long time. Most of this post is about the people I’ve met at TTS. Without them, learning to code would’ve been boring and overwhelmingly frustrating and really boring (had to throw in a DRY joke somewhere…DRY in coding means “Don’t Repeat Yourself”).
In summary: Choosing TTS was really easy for me. Their website rocks, the space at Strongbox West is so rad, and they are truly committed to supporting students during and after the program. The 8 weeks I was immersed in coding was challenging, enlightening, and so much more than I anticipated it would be! The material was presented fantastically (#Zapataisthebest), the practice we did in class solidified the material, and there was a consistent supply of snacks and chocolate (thank you, Zapata). On the last day of the part-time course (this past Weds, the 9th), Zapata brought pizza and beer for us. (#SeewhyZapataisthebest?) We also got really awesome T-shirts on the last day. AND ON TOP OF THAT, TTS hosted a wrap party at Monday Night Brewing (grads got free admission, thank you Richard), which was way cooler than any graduation event I’ve ever attended.
Was The TTS coding immersion course easy? No…but nothing worthwhile in life is easy. It required a lot of time and hard work. Was it worth it?…and did I have a great time from start (July 20th) to finish (Sept 9th)?….As Mordecai and Rigby (The Regular Show) say, “YEAH-YUH!“
And I’ll end with this to show off a little bit of what I learned:
puts “What is your favorite coding school?”
input = gets.chomp
if input.upcase == ‘TTS’ || input.upcase ==’TECH TALENT SOUTH’
puts ‘Excellent choice!!!’
else
puts ‘Hmmm, have you checked out Tech Talent South (TTS)?’
end