Phase 0 Student Handbook
This handbook is designed to help orient students to the Phase 0 experience. If you have any questions, please contact The Phase 0 Team at [email protected] or ask your teacher in your introductory session during your first week of Phase 0.
Before you start Phase 0
Overview, Policies, and Contact
Components of Phase 0
Important Resources
Welcome to DBC!
We are so excited that you have decided to embark on this amazing, life-changing journey with us.
Before you can start Phase 0, you will need to complete a few administrative tasks as well as some personal preparation. Please go through each of these sections and complete each task. Don't worry, you'll have time to ask questions in your first week of Phase 0.
Here is a rough timeline of what you should expect between now and your Phase 0 start date:
Go through each task in this document. Each must be complete before your start date.
You will receive an email one week before your start date to get you set up in the Phase 0 systems. You will not have access prior to this date.
One of the systems you receive access to is Canvas, located at https://devbootcamp.instructure.com. The Week 0 module contains some activities that check whether you have done these prerequisites as well as a few new tasks, such as setting up your computer developer environment.** Plan on spending about 10-20 hours on the Week 0 material.
During the first week of Phase 0 you will have an Introductory Session with your teacher to make sure you are set up for Phase 0 and to give you a chance to ask questions. These sessions are only offered during business hours, Monday through Friday.
Before Entering Phase 0
0. Brief Introduction
During Phase 0, you can expect to spend about 15-25 hours a week (on average) on the requirements and challenges in the curriculum. While there is some flexibility in when you decide do these challenges during the week, this is still a very intense experience that needs to be given time and dedication. It is not a time to go on a trip or vacation -- especially if you will be away from the Internet. The curriculum is separated into weeks, and each week is due the Monday following its release. The program is not self-paced.
Work and Phase 0
Phase 0 is intense even though it is part-time. We encourage all students to continue working at least in a part-time capacity during Phase 0. This gives you additional financial stability -- it's expensive to take 10-16 weeks off for the on-site experience as well as time for job hunting. It also allows you to discover whether Dev Bootcamp is right for you with less pressure. If you find out web development isn't for you, it's important to have options.
You should be able to complete Phase 0 with a full-time job assuming your job does not require more than 40 hours per week. If you've never programmed before, expect yourself to be at the high end of the 25-hour average (and maybe even higher). This will get you prepared for the on site experience, which sometimes requires 10- to 12-hour days, seven days a week.
1. Create Accounts
You will need to create each of these accounts prior to your start date.
GitHub
You will share your GitHub account with prospective employers, so keep that in mind when you create your username.LinkedIn
LinkedIn will be an important part of your career search once you graduate. If you have some of your information in there before you start Phase 0, it will be easier to cull during Career Week.
2. Update your browser
We recommend using Chrome in Phase 0. Please be sure you have the latest version of the browser.
3. Read about preventing repetitive strain injuries
4. Improve your typing speed
If your typing skills could use some work, improve your touch typing with typing.lk
Before entering Phase 0, you should be able to type at least 40 words per minute.
For more code-typing practice, checkout typing.io.
In Week 0, we'll ask you to read the course handbook. If you'd like, you can get started on it earlier: Handbook Table of Contents
Welcome to Dev Bootcamp's Phase 0!
Now that you have successfully completed all your Phase 0 Prerequisites you are ready to start the journey of Phase 0!
Phase 0 aims to familiarize you to the learning culture we foster at Dev Bootcamp. Dev Bootcamp is a community, not a school in the traditional sense. Each student is expected to take responsibility for their own learning. This means exposing your ignorance when you don't understand something, assessing your own progress, and reaching out when you have questions and need help.
Being successful at Dev Bootcamp is not about discovering the right answer (because there often aren't right answers) or writing the most perfect code. It is about your own, honest, best attempt at tackling the challenge. Sometimes, your attempts may not produce a working solution, and that is OK. Write that in your reflection and say where you got stuck.
Although it may sometimes feel like it, Phase 0 is not an independent-study program. You will be required to pair and interact with others in your cohort on a regular basis. We recognize this will be more difficult for introverts, but it will be worth the reward of making meaningful connections with others. Your peers will be crucial support during your Phase 0 (and Dev Bootcamp) journey.