Day 34 of writing every day.
Perhaps the loneliness of city life, where everyone is a stranger is tugging at me, but I went to get a tour of an in-person programming school today.
The appeal of learning everything online in terms of convenience is that you don’t have to go anywhere to learn and you can watch and read modules, do the work, etc. at your own pace. There are deadlines for homework but you get the comfort but also the distractions of being at home.
In-person schools means commuting, which comes with time and transportation costs. But at the same time you’re physically around people who have a shared goal of studying to learn new skills even if you aren’t necessarily going to speak or interact with each other. This school offers courses on a wide range of skills and students have their own schedule and pace they go by. If I were to enroll in this school I don’t expect I’ll be making new friends and connections with students. But having a teacher who drops in to check on you and assist you if needed, it might be an appealing choice depending on your preferences and learning style.
I think I could successfully learn and complete the curriculum either way. Online only, in-person, or a hybrid approach. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.
Tour of the school
Though it’s called a programming school, it’s really just an office room rented in a fancy part of Umeda many floors above the ground. The network of classrooms is pretty big, so students are actually able to use them interchangeably in principle. I was able to appreciate the view from high up and despite being a tower building, there’s quite a bit of room.
I saw the intro video and picture before coming so I wasn’t surprised by the basic layout. A few long tables with computers and wide monitors set up so that maybe around 15 to 20 students max can all fit and learn in the classroom.
The hybrid nature of the info session was unexpected. I was physically in the classroom but given the rundown via web cam by a staff off-site while the on-site instructors proceeded to watch over the students.
I was greeted by one of the instructors who was probably assigned to give me the introduction. At first I was guided to sit in a seat with everything set up to receive info via a video meeting. I first had to fill out a survey for the staff at the other end of the camera for them to read over. Then began the explanation of what course they think I should be taking based on my goals and interests.
After the video session concluded the instructor who greeted me was contacted and told to give a brief glimpse of what the school has to offer. We went to an open computer and I took a seat while she awkwardly moved the mouse and keyboard to open up the browser and show me what kind of content gets covered.
My primary goal is to become a frontend developer but I have a lot to learn before I know what that job looks like. I just hope I make the best choice in terms of learning options.
Anyways I ended up forgetting to post this since it was a busy day, so it’s up one day late.
Thanks for reading!
One Chance Works 