Why I paid to learn how to code — Trail Name Here

This year I spent over $1,000 to learn how to code. That’s the biggest monetary investment I’ve made in my business aside from hiring a mindset coach.

So, you may know that I’ve been dabbling with learning how to code since 2016. This year, I finally decided to take the leap after writing for Course Report for the past year. During this gig with CR, I’ve been learning more about learning to code, the tech industry, and seeing my friends who are freelance web designers/developers thriving with little to no marketing efforts.

In March of 2020, I transcribed and edited an article featuring a member of the Skillcush team. It was the first coding bootcamp that felt accessible to me in both cost and the makeup of their staff. I had also just been laid off from my barista job due to COVID-19. It seemed like the perfect time for me to actually learn how to code “for real.”

I spent two weeks overthinking and justifying (and asking my family and friends for validation…) my choice — mostly the money factor. Then, I dove in headfirst. I spend two hours a day, five days a week learning how to code and design. I love it!! I’ll be done with most of the program by the end of the summer. While I have felt scared, nervous, and challenged, I almost always feel fulfilled and satisfied at the end of a module.

I started freelance web designing on July 1, 2020, with advice from my very encouraging Skillcrush career coach. No, I didn’t feel ready. But I knew from my freelance writing experience that I’d probably never feel ready and the best way to practice is by doing in real-life. By taking on freelance projects, I’m literally getting paid to learn how to code! I make sure I give myself a longer timeline and a slightly lower than market price to be fair and not overwhelm myself.

Honestly, I probably could have learned how to code online for free. In fact, in the past, I’d already learned HTML and CSS online for free at Free Code Camp. I still highly recommend getting your feet when there. But I didn’t make much progress after those intro classes because practicing kept floating to the bottom of my to-do list and my confidence in taking on freelance clients was non-existent. Now that I’ve gotten a handle on freelancing, scheduling, and goals, I know that I made the right choice paying for this course.

Accountability

That large of money coming out of my bank account is the pressure that holds me accountable. I want to make that money back as fast as possible. Not only does it encourage me to complete the course in a timely manner, it also pushes me to take on freelance projects even though I don’t feel ready. Because I am ready! It also helps to have the Slack community. I’ve partnered with another student through the Slack community for each module to hold each other accountable via daily texts.

Help

The program comes with easy access to the kind and helpful mentors, career coaches, and instructors. I am less tempted to just give up when I don’t understand something because I can simply email the helpline, put up a message on Slack for lots of input, or set up an appointment for video chat if it’s a career question.

Community

This program has a Slack community of other people learning to code. These are people who can relate to my struggles with imposter syndrome and freelancing. They’re people with whom I can exchange strategies and advice. Classmates to make connections with that may someday hire me or be someone that I hire or know someone who might hire me. Plus, other classmates make great accountability buddies!

Roadmap

The curriculum that Skillcrush offers is the beginners’ roadmap I’ve been searching for. Even the style of the curriculum is perfect for me. There are videos, chunks of text, cheat sheet downloads to save for later when I’m lost working on a client project, and exercises. Some exercises have an option to request feedback. I always take advantage of it. It’s free coaching! Plus, each unit has a project (or 3!) for your portfolio. I never have to think, “what do I need to learn next?” It’s all laid out for me. If I only have 15 minutes that day to work on it, I can still get something done and instead of spending the whole time figuring out what to work on or just ‘warming up’. That’s huge. In the past, if I only had 15 minutes free I would just scroll on social media…

Variety

This program provides an intro course to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Git, Photoshop, Web Design, Digital Marketing, and Digital Design. These are all of the things I’ve looked into learning but in the past didn’t know where to start or which to pursue and gave up quickly. Being able to test-drive each specialization and have the foundations of the languages I’ll need for almost any career that involves coding is huge. When I finish this program I can make an informed decision about where I want to specialize, which jobs to pursue or freelance projects to take on, and have a sense of what I’ll need to learn next. Because any career, especially in tech, involves life long learning.

Work

This program offers help for freelancers. They have a cheat sheet that informs when you’ll be ready to start taking on freelance clients based on the skills you’ve learned (even if you haven’t mastered them) which is so reassuring. They offer career advisors who will answer your questions about freelancing (how much to charge, how to get clients, what you’re capable of taking on, how long things might take you, contracts, etc.). Plus, the advisors are available through email, slack, or the appointment center for a video call. That easy access is amazing. And if you ask a question on slack you can get input from other students who are further ahead than you!

What questions do you have about online coding bootcamps, intro courses, learning how to code, or freelance web design? Let me know!

Originally published at https://trailnamehere.squarespace.com on July 7, 2020.