Resources for Learning to Code and Opportunities to Teach Coding

Request: please share this page from my blog instead of the direct links to the docs. Here's the shortened link: http://bit.ly/learning-to-code-resources

Because of all the talking and emailing and blogging I've been doing about women learning to code, a lot of people have asked me how they can learn to code. I've made a hopefully-helpful spreadsheet, with the following tabs/sheets:

• Coding Bootcamps
• $ Online Learning
• Free Online Learning
• On-site Learning (or Volunteering)
• Other Resources [Submit more coding resources below.]
• About Me

Learning to Code Resources (Women-focused):







And a lot of other people have asked me how they can help people (especially women) learning to code. The second spreadsheet includes:

• Volunteering Opportunities [Submit more volunteering opportunities here or below.]
• Volunteer Form Responses [Submit your name as a volunteer here or below.]
• Submit Volunteers or Opportunities Links
• About Me

Helping Women in Tech:



You can add to the list of learning-to-code resources by filling out this form:




You can join this list of people willing to help by filling out this form:




You can submit volunteering opportunities by filling out this form:




I'm sorry to all the people who have been waiting so patiently for this post; I was a little overwhelmed with my inbox and work. It's here now, never fear. Feel free to share this post. (And if you have anything to add or any questions, please fill out one of the forms below, tweet to me, or send me an email--firstnamelastname AT gmail.)

Two-Week Assessment of Hackbrighting

Someone posted on a page for Women Who Code, asking about different 9-12 week programs for learning to code. Here is the reply I posted:

I'm currently at Hackbright, which is 10 weeks plus whatever help you need to finish your app project. Christian is a really great teacher (and very funny and witty), and David does a great job at doing the networking each of us needs. The program is tough, but the pair programming really motivates and the small class size makes us feel like family. I've talked to the previous students, and though ten weeks of learning seems unlikely to get anyone anywhere, their lives have totally changed for the better. Most are now working at successful companies as developers and product managers. Christian makes sure to tell us about coding interviews and attitudes and which companies and job might be best according to each of our preferences. Yesterday, we looked at another language (we've been working intensely with Python), and I was surprised to find that I understood it easily because of my new understanding of Python, HTML, and Rails--it's all coming together because of what we've learned in only two weeks. There is so much more to learn, but I feel encouraged because I've seen that it's possible. I can't speak for the other programs, but Hackbright is awesome and successful in moving me in a new direction.

Just yesterday, I was thinking how lucky I am to have gotten into the program, and then to have them allow me to defer since my feet were broken. I respect the other women so much and have been impressed with every one I have worked with so far (only six more to go). It is great to make jokes or just talk about things that I never was really able to connect with a lot of people about before. (Does that sentence make any sense?) We are stressed. I'm out of energy every day around between 2 and 3 PM. But somehow we're all surviving and we're all learning--and that's exactly what we want and need, so it's great.

Reasons to Rejoice

I'm going to be an EFY counselor this summer in Germany! Wahoo!

Happy Spring! The sun is shining in Leipzig, though it's still cold. I am happy to see things like this:






















And, happy, happy birthday to my dear grandpa.

Belated Gratitude

So the unclassy second half of my post yesterday has got me feeling bad. I was quite ungrateful; what a horrible thing to be on the day before America celebrates Thanksgiving.

My money has not run out. I guess there are a several things that have me scared. First of all, simply living without any steady money coming in is scary. Then, getting to the conference in Istanbul is important for my academic career, but it's not going to be cheap. Additionally, applying to get a PhD is not cheap and may not pay off. Because of visa stuff, I have to move somewhere next year, which is going to be extremely hard if I don't find an apartment that is already furnished (which is highly unlikely), and the places I'm looking at are much more expensive than Leipzig--at least quadruple as much for rent. However, these things don't give me reason to be ungrateful or to start begging when I'm so blessed.

My life is actually quite comfortable when I think about it--I live in an apartment that has everything I need, including bookshelves, couch, desk, armoir, mirror, washing machine, dishes, utensils, internet that works sometimes, etc. I can't imagine where I would be at financially if I had had to purchase all of those things (or similar items) last year. What a blessing it is to be able to live here and experience so much! Leipzig is not expensive, even travel is amazingly cheap (for Salt Lakers, think of getting a ride to Pocatello for five bucks). Additionally, I'm not starving and I haven't gotten sick of the basics yet. I'm medically insured. My health is usually pretty good. I have many supportive friends here. Opportunities to earn a little bit of money show up here and there--on Monday, I'm even going to start selling plasma twice a week.

More importantly, my family is well and I have the gospel.

Faith + tithing + thriftiness + gratitude will do the trick.

So, to apologize for my ingratitude and to distract you from it, here are two pictures to show 1. how I've become the layering queen to stay warm in the cold (in the first picture, I have on the following: wool socks, normal socks, thermal pants, jeans, fleece pants, undershirt, shirt, dress thingy, zippy jacket, a heavy sweater, coat, scarf, fleece gloves--the second picture acts as contrast) and 2. my cute little bandage from my appointment at the plasma place. Instead of first taking blood from my finger, they took it from my earlobe, which I think is brilliant--it doesn't hurt as much (then or later), and my fingers are always cold and thus hard to get blood out of. The lady there told me to eat heftily and to drink "up to here," signaling the neck, before coming to my appointments.
















Also, here's a nice Thanksgiving clip from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (oh how I used to love that show, and as an American Studies student, it could totally be some good material) wherein Johnny Cash sings.



Happy Thanksgiving!

Olympics, aspeers, Today

This site has really cool Beijing Olympics Opening pictures.

Also, here's the new call for papers/creative work for aspeers for 2009. Let people know!

I spent the day like this:

-Played football with two other people (I'm better at goalie than I thought).
-Fought with the washing machine for hours (the clothes have now been wrung out by hand and are hanging heavily on a wash stand in my room).
-Thought, "Don't go to sleep, don't go to sleep, don't go to sleep."
-Went to take a small nap and slept for hours.

Options and Objectives

(Transferred from my old blog on 18 August 2008.)

Here are my choices:

1. Graduate in August and audit those classes I want while I work part-time at the Family History Library.
2. Don't graduate in August, take the classes to graduate in December, work at FHL part-time.
3. Graduate in August, work full-time somewhere, audit one of the afternoon classes (Magazine Editing).
4. Graduate in August, work abroad in Zurich (I found this job with awesome benefits there, but it has no editing experience).
5. Do this editing internship at BYU during May and June, graduate in August, then work there full-time in the fall.

My objectives:
1. Graduate at the latest in December.
2. Get editing education, either through classes or hands-on experience.
3. Earn enough to save up for my mission, and possibly more for later.

UTA service, pancakes, feedback, silly emails

(Transferred from my old blog on 18 August 2008.)

-This morning, Mom dropped me off late to the bus stop. I knew that I was going to have to wait and be really late to Institute, AND FREEZE! I stood there on crackly ice and thought, "Heavenly Father, please let something work out." I kept looking at my watch and down the street, hoping that somehow it was late. Well, guess what? This truck with emergency lights (not flashing) drove past me and pulled over. Then it signaled to the left and did a U-Turn. As it pulled up to me, I saw that the side of it said, "UTA". The lady rolled down her window and said that the bus was on time today and I must have just missed it. She asked where I was going and told me to hop in. Yay! Thank you, HF! I got to listen to the radios talk about different bus schedules and transfers. We talked a little. Her name was Angie. She dropped me off and I was ten minutes early! Then when I walked into the Institute, I smelled something yummy! There was a plethora of pancakes in there! I ate a few and talked to Tim (who was making the pancakes and on whom I used to have a crush but he is now married) about doing some writing. He asked me for feedback, and at first I was scared, but then I told him what I thought, and he asked me to come to the meeting with some specific feedback on the last three magazines. Yippy!
-So I'm going to be doing service learning at West High and Bad Dog Discovers America school, behind the Gateway.
-This kid in my class today said that he used to be Mormon and he went on a mission to Romania. I'm going to talk to him. The problem is, he knows all our "methods". Just kidding.
-I hope I get into that Shakespeare class!
-I hope I get to at least go on a date with Dave - I'll be working with him soon.
-I emailed Stowie. Hee hee. I told him that I was embarrassed and flattered and surprised about the song, and that we could discover his whole dating history. Then I told him I hope I didn't offend him on Sunday and that I was too busy to think about relationship things. Lastly, he sent me one of those weird surveys that asks things like, "What was the first thing you noticed about me?" I answered all of the questions in the silliest way possible. I said he was a red-eyed atheist and that the first thing I noticed was the football-sized lump jutting out the side of his neck. (Seinfeld) The nickname I gave him was Loiter Goiter, and the "best memory" was "the time you let me touch the goiter". Hahahahahahaha. I was laughing so hard in the computer lab. Anyway, I've got to go. Have a fabulous day!

Writing Style, 22 Days

(Transferred from my old blog on 18 August 2008.)

So, I got this email from some dude with Church Curriculum. He said that they liked my writing style and thought it would be good for the New Era, and that I should do a service mission with them. If I can't do that, he said, I should apply next year for sure. They like graduate students. I wrote back, but I think it will have to depend on how flexible they are and how many hours a week it would be. They are really flexible with the service missionaries at the FHL. Saturday would have been my six month anniversary. Isn't that weird? I haven't seen Matt for 22 days. I read that to break habits, you have to be rid of them for 21 days.

Last night we had Marion and Daniel Marriott over for dinner. They are so great! Wow, there wasn't an awkward or dull moment. What great, happy people. I thought that she might be emailing her sister today saying that she had dinner with this girl's family from her ward, just like Amy emailed me about having dinners.