How to Survive Nashville Software School By Trying Real Hard part 2/3
Part 1 had a quick review of my time at Nashville Software School.
For Part 2, I have some tips for people starting or considering Nashville Software School.
1. Use outside materials - Go beyond what is discussed in class and find your own resources. Everything suggested in class was great. But you might need another voice to connect the dots. That could be video tutorials (youtube, lynda, codeschool, etc) or books. I'll list what I used in Part 3.
2. RIGHT NOW, work through the CodeAcademy problems for HTML/CSS/Javascript. DO THIS BEFORE the NSS. Seriously. You might not know much now. At the very least, you will see things that might trigger something when you hear about it in class later.
This was a GREAT help to me to keep a step ahead so I could focus on retention and refining skills. Oh, and it's free.
3. Know how you learn. Do you learn best by doing or reading books or reading code or watching videos? If the classroom setting is not the best for you, learn what does and use the classroom setting to ask questions.
I had a "shadow syllabus". A shadow syllabus was a parallel schedule that I followed outside of class. It was the homework that I assigned to myself. It is rare that you have actually homework (at least at the beginning). So this counted as my homework.
My schedule: For the Web Development Bootcamp and Ruby on Rails class was the same: 30-45 minutes of video, 30-45 minutes of reading/working through tutorials, 20-30 minutes of research a term/function/method (sometimes more, sometimes less).
Plan on about 2 hours of work each night on top of the 8 hours you spend in class.
4. Have patience. There will be a concept you will pick up fast. There will be some things you struggle with. Be patient on both ends. Be patient with your classmates when class goes slow with something you already have picked up. Be patient if you need extra time on a concept. You will pick it up.
5. I would recommend starting with the Web Development Bootcamp and then go the Ruby on Rails class. I think the bootcamp gets you used to the process, the environment, and the schedule.
6. Class time is from 8-4 Mon-Fri. If you have a job outside of that, prepare to be tired. I know some classmates had jobs outside of class. But I could not do it.
There is an hour for lunch around 11:30 to 12:30 or 12:30 to 1:30. Usually, I worked through lunch and left for Murfreesboro around 3, if there were no lectures.
7. Don't be afraid to record lectures or livecoding. My understanding of concepts increased dramatically when I started video recording the live coding exercises. I recorded my on the iPad or the iPhone in HD and uploaded them as private videos on YouTube.
They either became part of my video study or I reviewed them while working on projects.
WARNING: HD videos take up a LOT of space on your iPhone or iPad. So take that into account before you do it.
Let me know if you want to see an example of one of the videos I shot in class to see if it works for you.
8. Don't work in the final weekend before Nashville Software School begins. Take a break. Take a weekend trip, sleep, watch sports, play video games. Do something that does not involve a computer. You will be spending enough time with your computer during the class.
Okay, here is some minor stuff about location and logistics
9. Parking is no problem. If the classes are at the NBIC, then there is free parking for students. It is across the street from the downtown TSU campus and within walking distance to the Downtown YMCA.
10. Food places nearby - There is a Subway on Charlotte, the opposite direction of Capitol building.
11. Our alternative meeting place was at the offices of Emma on 9 Lea Avenue, off of Hermitage Ave. Crema (coffee) is across the street and the Copper Kettle is down the street.
If I were starting over, what would I do from the beginning:
1. Video record (emphasis on coding lectures) from the beginning. I did it with an iPad 3 and an iPhone 4S with no special microphone sitting in the front row. (Hint: save in HD if you actually want to see the text from the projector.
2. You are going to spend money on outside materials. Make sure they are updated to the current version of the technology you are using. For HTML/CSS, it's not a big issue. But for Wordpress, Ruby and Rails, it is. Pick and choose and try before you buy if you can.
3. Get a personal website and Linkedin account up NOW. Or you will need to spend time doing it at the end of class. Tell people what you wanted to be. If you want to be a Front-End Developer, say that. If you want to be a Rails Developer say that.
4. I had to commute to Murfreesboro during the six months so I could not hang out with classmates. I would go to more Nashville tech meetups or user group meetings after class (Wordpress, Ruby on Rails, etc).
5. Know you can do this. You don't have to guess about being about to do it. You can do this. No matter your background.
The first class had a lot of different backgrounds: musicians, former newspaper people, people who wanted to run their own startup, people who knew HTML and nothing else, graphic designers, etc. Don't worry. The school will start everyone from the ground floor. There were people with programming experience and they are awesome. But it is not a competition. Everyone wants you to succeed. Me included.
6. Know the basics of Git and version control. The next class WILL be learning about Git and Github starting the first week of class. So you might as well get familar with it now. Go to the trygit.com lessons on CodeSchool (it's free) and work through that before you start.
There are two ways to have Git installed on your computer. The Github App and the command line (the 'Terminal' app if you have a Mac). In the first class, I used the App and had a ton of issues with it. In the second class, I used the command line and had no issues. Take from that what you will.
Finally, Don't be afraid to reach out to me through email or Twitter (no one has to know we talked) about NSS before or during your time with the class.
Part 3 will have some of the books/videos that helped me during both classes.
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