HB Quick Tips

Sat, 11 May 2013 20:20:21 +0000

Below are some quick tips for those considering something like Hackbright Academy. If you have time before or want to get some preliminary building blocks, check out the links and pointers below.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

Learn keyboard short cuts (before starting any programming bootcamp)
If you are not used to it, it does suck royally to learn
Push through it and practice, practice, practice!
The less you use the mouse, the more credible you are as a developer

Ask for Help Early and Often:

Leverage your classmates
Leverage google, stackoverflow, reddit, etc…
Leverage your network and online social tools

Start Reviewing:

Check-out HTML, CSS & JavaScript

Git with Git:

Read about git
Read about GitHub
Want more?…
Load git on your home computer
Setup a GitHub account

Balance is Key:

As Cynthia would say “take breaks!”
Make sure to keep up a workout regime – its good for the brain
Eat healthy to keep the energy up

Check out Zach Holman’s deck (it’s 5 min)

Hackathon Quick Bits for Beginners

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:49:00 +0000

I participated in my first hackathon a week ago, Gates & Facebook HackEd 2.0, with several of my fellow classmates. The hackathon’s focus was about building apps to improve education especially around college going, retention and social learning outside of school. There are others who were there that wrote some great overviews on the experience like KWu’s post.

I just have a couple quick bits to share about this experience and what I understand so far about hackathons.

Beginners on Nyghtowl

HB Quick Tips

Hackathon Quick Bits for Beginners