Class Expectations
Technical Requirements
- We expect, at minimum, that all students have access to a computer and stable internet access.
- Students are free to use Mac, Windows, or Linux machines, although most of our interns prefer Mac.
- If you are having trouble completing class materials due to a malfunctioning machine, please contact CTD staff
- All CTD students will have accounts through Treehouse & GitHub classroom to access course content. You should also create a free Zoom account to access mentor sessions.
Attendance & Deadlines
- Plan to complete each week’s Treehouse content and assignment by the end of the week. Once you get behind, it’s hard to catch back up. If you feel like you’re in danger of falling behind, reach out to a mentor or someone at CTD for help!
- Code the Dream does not penalize students for turning in an assignment late, but we do have set deadlines at the end of each unit. All students must complete assignments by the dates listed on the course pages. If you have not completed the assignments by that date, you will be assumed to have dropped the class.
- If an unexpected life occurrence makes it impossible for you to keep up with the course material, let us know. We want to work with you to make sure you’re on-track.
Mentor Sessions
- Mentor sessions are scheduled throughout the week and are a place for students to learn more about the week’s content, get help on code, and connect with each other.
- Plan on attending two mentor sessions per week. Use the mentor group sign-up forms to RSVP for a session. If you want to attend more than two mentor sessions, feel free to attend as many as you need!
- Make sure you are able to share your screen to talk over questions about code.
Completing Assignments
- Each week you will complete an assignment through GitHub classrooms to demonstrate your knowledge of the concepts covered in Treehouse.
- Comment your code when completing assignments. This will help you make sure you and others understand your process and can help you organize and simplify your code. Check out this mini-lesson for instructions on best practices for commenting your code.
Asking for Help and Assignment Feedback
- We’ve created a Slack bot that you can use to ask for help and request feedback on your assignments. It’s called Ask Squibby. Search for “Ask Squibby” in the Slack search bar and fill out the form, and one of us will get back to you as soon as possible.
- We’re working to respond to assignment feedback as quickly as possible, but we think this is a learning opportunity. Being a good developer is not necessarily about a grade or getting every challenge right, it’s about learning concepts and training yourself how to solve problems with code. Even more, it’s about progress. Are the things you struggled with last week a little bit easier this week? And if they are not easier, how can you find the place you are stuck and get help through it?