How to Get Into The Immersive Bootcamp

Here is a step-by-step guide about how to get into the Code Chrysalis Immersive if you are an absolute tech beginner.

JUNE, 2021 UPDATE
Last year, we made some changes to our Immersive admissions process. You can read about those changes  here.
Those changes, however, have led to an increase in no-shows and non-serious applicants. There were also questions from serious candidates about what kinds of questions will be asked during the technical check-in.
Thus, we have added back in a basic coding question to be completed during the application process. Read on for more information.

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One of the questions that we get the most is how to get into our Immersive Bootcamp. A lot of people think that our course is only for those who have prior technical experience, but in reality ~63% of our students, come from completely non-technical backgrounds.

Self-Study vs. Foundations/Foundations Lite

We have a part-time introduction to programming course called Foundations as well as a self-paced version called Foundations Lite. It is absolutely not necessary to take Foundations or Foundations Lite to get into the Immersive.

You should consider taking Foundations or Foundations Lite if:

• you like learning in a structured, classroom setting
• you need to add consistency to your studies
• you would like to progress at an accelerated pace

Otherwise, this blog post covers what you need to do in order to self-study your way into our Immersive program.

Our Admissions Process

Our process is 3 parts:

• (1) fill out the application,
• (2) schedule an admissions consultation meeting, and
• (3) have technical check-ins with our admissions coaches to make sure you are ready to begin the precourse.

The Precourse is a mandatory set of assignments, projects, and assessments that must be completed before the Immersive Bootcamp begins.

1. Apply to the Immersive & Learn Coding Basics

We encourage everyone to apply to the Immersive Bootcamp as soon as possible. This is because it will allow us to guide your learning along. After you fill out the application form, you will schedule your admissions consultation meeting.

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June 2021: *For the application, you will also need to submit an answer to a basic coding question. This is to get you warmed up and also see if you are ready to go on with the check-ins.*

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During the admissions consultation meeting, we will go over:

• what you should expect in our technical check-in
• what to prepare and how to prepare
• whether or not your timeline and goals are realistic
• whether or not the Immersive Bootcamp is a good fit for your goals

Start your admissions process with us early so that we can track your progress, help you plan your journey better, and help you navigate learning how to code.

During this time, start learning how to code!

DO: An online JavaScript-only coding course

We recommend the Khanacademy Intro to JavaScript courses, but there are definitely a lot of other free courses out there! These programs are a nice way to ease yourself into learning JavaScript’s syntax, but they should be considered supplemental resources.

Our admissions process does not involve any HTML or CSS, so you don’t need to learn them to get in.

ALSO READ: Read Eloquent JavaScript 2nd Edition Chapters 1 through 3

Please use the 2nd edition and not the 3rd edition.

The 2nd edition does not contain something called ES6, which is a newer version of JavaScript. We love ES6 (and use it and its successors for everything at Code Chrysalis), but we don’t recommend it for beginners.

Introducing a different syntax before being fully comfortable with the original syntax and functions can lead to a lot of strange gaps in understanding.

We highly recommend the online version because there are a lot of code snippet examples that you can play around in.

// Original syntax
function addOne(num) {
  return num + 1;
}
// ES6 syntax
const addOne = num => num + 1;
// You can also do ++num, but we wrote it out for beginner-clarity.

ALSO DO: The exercises at the end of EJS Chapters 2 & 3

Do all of the exercises WITHOUT looking at the solutions. At this point, it is entirely reasonable to spend at least an hour on each problem. Please avoid looking at the solution by all means possible. If you are struggling or lost, go back through the current (and previous) chapter to look for clues.

2. Get Comfortable with the Basics

READ & DO: Start reading Chapter 4 after you finish Chapter 3 & do exercises at the bottom

• As always, do not look at the solutions before coming up with your own.
• This chapter gets much tougher — -so go back and reread it. I suggest hopping back and forth between the exercises at the bottom of the chapter and the chapter itself.

ALSO DO: Work on online coding challenges. Here are some suggestions:

CodeWars — Start with 8kyu, the easiest level. Coderbyte — They provide 10 free coding challenges so do those 10! CodeSignal — Their tutorial leads you through a series of coding challenges that are great practice.

ALSO USE: We recommended using the following resource to help you out. [JULY 2019 UPDATE] javascript.info — Everything you need to know is in Part 1, from 1.1 through 6.4. Please be aware that there is also a lot of unnecessary information in this resource. Stick to the list of topics we have provided.

3. Prepare for the Technical Check-in

The technical check-in is a one-on-one pair programming session with one of the admissions coaches. We work with you through some coding challenges to see if you are ready to go on.

Topics the technical check-in can cover include: -basic data types -arrays and objects -loops -conditionals -functions -higher order functions -callbacks -closures

DO: Review Chapters 1–4 of EJS Be patient with yourself and do a thorough review of previous chapters, including redoing past exercises WITHOUT looking at your old code or the solution.

READ: Chapter 5 of EJS This section is the most confusing of them all, so take your time. Avoid the following sections:

• JSON
• “The Cost” through “Binding”

Don’t be afraid to try to break or play around with the examples that are provided in the chapter.

DO: Complete the exercises at the bottom of EJS Chapter 5 No looking at the solution! If you’re stuck, go back up the chapter to help yourself.

USE: Try familiarizing yourself with official documentation

• MDN — Reading documentation is a skill that will be invaluable to your career. Slowly add it into your coding routine.

USE:

• javascript.info — Everything you need to know is in Part 1, from 1.1 through 6.4. Please be aware that there is also a lot of unnecessary information in this resource. Stick to the list of topics we have provided.

4. Pass the Technical Check-in

Applicants who are not ready yet will be provided with feedback and guidance about what to work on and invited to reschedule for another check-in.

Our admissions process is free, and we almost never truly reject someone for technical ability. Rather we give you feedback and what to study, then let you try again. There is no set limit on how many times you can try.

We support all applicants as long as they show perseverance, growth, and improvement.

Here is what we look for in our technical check-in:

• are they nice people to work with?
• how well do they communicate?
• how open are they to feedback?
• how do they respond to frustration?
• how well do they understand the concepts?

5. Have an Acceptance Check-In

After you’ve passed the technical check-in, the last step is completing a mandatory “acceptance check-in” session. We do this in order to ensure that potential students are aware of all of the important aspects of the Code Chrysalis experience before committing to the course. In this session you will:

• Go over the curriculum and course schedule
• Go over our student Code of Conduct (our set of expectations for enrolled students)
• (If your native (human) language is different from the program you are aiming to take) Do a language check to make sure you’re ready to communicate with your new classmates.
• Ask any final questions you may have before signing up for the program!

If you meet our technical bar and complete the acceptance check-in, you will be admitted into our Immersive program. Congratulations!

Caveat

Please note that despite this article being only a few paragraphs, the above can take anywhere from 1 month (if you are studying full-time) or longer depending on your attitude, consistency of study, and aptitude.

For working adults, you will find that learning how to code is a good test of your patience and perseverance.

Learning how to code is really hard! For many of us, we are changing the way we think and that’s often something we haven’t experienced since we were children.

Overarching Tips & Advice

• Coding is not the same as reading. You’re never going to get anywhere by just reading online materials — -the real progress comes from writing code, getting errors, and fixing them.
• Don’t ignore the red squiggles — -they’re there to let you know something’s wrong.
• Be careful of syntax — -make sure your opening (, { and [ have a corresponding ], }, and ) in the right place.
• Errors are friends! It’s tough to see them this way in the beginning, but you’ll soon find that having an error that you are warned about is better than having a silent error.
• Be patient. A common error that beginners make is jumping into using complicated technologies before they even have the basics down. Ignore React, ignore Node. You’ll learn those faster and easier once you understand the code that builds them.
• Stick to one language for now. Beginners often get the peculiarities of a language mixed up with overarching programming concepts. A way to avoid that is simply focusing on one language very well in the beginning and then moving onto another.

Tips from Current Students & Graduates

Code Chrysalis is a Tokyo-based 🗼 coding school providing a full-time and part-time programming courses in English and Japanese. Join us in-person or take our classes remotely. See why we are an industry leader in technical education in Japan 🗾.

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