Coursework content

To be able to join as a Trainee your English level must be B2 or higher.

We will give you a voucher to take the Duolingo English Test to check this.

Set-up for the test

• You can’t use Linux for this test. If you have a Linux laptop, either use the library or come to class and borrow a computer for an hour.
• The computer must have a working camera and microphone
• You must have a valid ID. List of accepted IDs. If you don’t have one, please talk to your cohort founders to arrange a different voucher.
• Do not enter the voucher number until you are ready with everything: it is only valid for 20 days. This information is only available after the voucher is entered, and pausing is impossible.
• Before doing the real test, do this Practice Test. This helps you to understand the limited time you have to reply to the questions.
• You can also watch this video about the test.
• You will receive the voucher on your email address

Format of the test:

1. Quick setup: 5 MINUTES An introduction that walks you through the test rules and requirements. You must have a valid ID with you. List of accepted IDs

2. Adaptive test; 45 MINUTES A series of questions that evaluate your English skills

3. Writing and speaking sample - 10 MINUTES Open-ended prompts that are shared with institutions alongside your score

Estimated time in hours

1

What is the purpose of this assignment?

Assess your level of English.

How to submit

• Create an account on the Duolingo page
• You will receive a voucher on your email address
• “Buy” a test using the Coupon Code CYF will give you
  • Login to your Duolingo account
  • Use the route “Purchase a test”
  • Select “1 test” option
  • Do not pay extra for fast results (CYF won’t cover that cost)
  • Do NOT add your credit card information, use the “Apply Coupon Code” option
• Take the test
• Add the screenshot of your test outcome to this ticket and then close this ticket.
• Add the screenshot to the trainee enrollment

✍️ Enrol as a Trainee

Have you completed this module? Well done! 💪

If you need help with transport, childcare, data, or a laptop to keep studying, apply to enrol as a Trainee . Trainees at CYF can claim course expenses to support their studies.

Want to know more? Apply to enrol as a Trainee

✨ Code Your Future

Link to the coursework

• Evaluate and interpret data with different spreadsheet functions, filters, and charts using Google Sheets.
• Use advanced functions and conditional formatting in Google Sheets.

Why are we doing this?

Being confident and fluent with spreadsheets is necessary knowledge for all workers. Work through these 2 courses, which follow on from the prep work you’ve already done.

Maximum time in hours

3

How to get help

Share your blockers in Slack. We are here to help each other.

How to submit

1. Make your spreadsheet public
2. Attach a link to your copy of this ticket on your own board

Link to the coursework

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTNamL30sDg

Why are we doing this?

To learn how to use Google Sheets to store and query data is very useful. SQL is a powerful tool you will regularly come across when working with databases, either as a programmer or in many other data roles.

Do #105 first!

Watch the video SQL in Google Sheets. Copy the dataset provided in the video and code along with the queries as you go.

• SQL in Google Sheets
• Here is a link to the data

Do up to at the step least GROUP BY clause and aggregation.

We can skip PIVOT, LIMIT and OFFSET for now. You won’t need these for the next piece of coursework, but look at them if you’re not short on time.

Acceptance criteria

• I have watched the SQL in Google Sheets video and followed along with the instructions in my own Google Sheet.

Maximum time in hours

2

How to get help

Share your blockers in ITP Slack.

How to submit

1. Combine both of these sheets into one. You can create a new sheet for each piece of work.
2. Share a link to your Google Sheet on your own copy of this ticket. Make sure to give read access to your sheet, you can do this by clicking the “Share” button, then change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link”.

Link to the coursework

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zPeHxhKkYmdiqXNhMwhfC1A0o1wI0zNiD5Gsks2SYoc/template/preview

Why are we doing this?

To practice how to use Google Sheets to store and query data. This should make sure we understand the basics of SQL and how to use it to query data.

We’re going to practice extracting data from a database, using SQL. We will use the same data set we used in the Learn about Google Sheets coursework.

Please complete the following tasks:

1. Emily Smith would like to be able to quickly see how many deals she’s made. She only cares about Deal Value and Expected Close date to see when she’ll be paid. Create a query that will give only this information.
2. As the accountant working for this business, I need to work out the total sales we’ve made in each country to pay our taxes. Write a query to return a list of each closed deal (they have status of "Closed Won") and sort them by country so we can work this out easily.
3. As the accountant for this business, I need to find out how much we’ve sold in each country to pay our taxes. Deals are only complete when they have the status “Closed Won”, so we should only include those deals. To make the data easier to work with, we can sort them by country. Can you write a query to get this information?

Acceptance criteria

• I have completed all three tasks.
• I have added them to a new sheet in my Google sheet I created in the “Learn about Google Sheets” coursework.

Maximum time in hours

1

How to get help

Share your blockers in the ITP Slack.

How to submit

1. The work should be in the same Google Sheet as the “Learn about Google Sheets” coursework.
2. Share a link to your Google Sheet. Make sure to give read access to your sheet, you can do this by clicking the “Share” button, then change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link”.

Why are we doing this?

Code review is an essential part of self-evaluation. Get a code review for a piece of work; then reply and iterate on this feedback.

We’re using GitHub Labels in our Code Review process. In order for a volunteer to review your pull request, you will need to add a “Needs Review” label to it.

• Open your pull request
• In the right sidebar, click Labels, then select “Needs Review”

Take a look at our code review process from beginning to end. Let us know if you have any questions or need help!

You can also use any solutions to review your code independently.

Maximum time in hours

1

Instructions

1. Pair up with a volunteer and work on a piece of programming together
2. As a trainee, you will need to explain your thought process, plan out what to do, write the code and check it works
3. Volunteers will need to ask questions to check your understanding, provide guidance if you stuck, give honest and meaningful feedback

🧭 Guidance for volunteers

• Don’t take over! It’s important trainees get used to figuring things out. Provide guidance and assistance but trainees need to struggle to overcome any obstacles with understanding and technical communication
• Give honest feedback. Trainees can’t develop if they don’t receive honest feedback about their progress.
• Ask questions. Sometimes asking a clarifying question can help learners discover errors and often promotes more thoughtful responses.
• Encourage best practices. Reinforce good practices like reading error messages carefully sessions and checking documentation.

Why are we doing this?

Pair programming is an excellent way to develop programming and communication skills. It is often much easier to work through something when working on something 1 to 1. It is also helps our trainees to prepare for technical interviews when they’ll need to code in front of other people.

Acceptance criteria

• You have pair programmed on a piece of programming with a volunteer for at least one hour

Link to the coursework

https://www.frontendpractice.com/

Why are we doing this?

This useful site has a series of projects you can do to keep your front end skills in shape all the way through the course. Use all the skills you’ve developed in wireframing, decomposition (breaking down websites into components), testing and iteration to produce some great looks for your portfolio.

Maximum time in hours

This is a stretch assignment - you are not required to spend any time on this, but we strongly recommend you spend any extra time you have on this, as it will help you to become a developer.

How to get help

Share your blockers in your class channel. Use the opportunity to refine your skill in Asking Questions like a developer.

How to submit

No submission step. Put good ones in your portfolio.

Link to the coursework

https://scrimba.com/learn/design

Why are we doing this?

Runtime 1 hour 8 minutes.

This course will give you some fundamentals of design to help you interpret and express design as code.

Maximum time in hours

1.5

How to get help

Share your blockers in your class channel. Use the opportunity to refine your skill in Asking Questions like a developer.

Link to the coursework

https://github.com/CodeYourFuture/Project-Record-A-Goose

Why are we doing this?

A mission of discovery for you.

1. Go to https://github.com/CodeYourFuture/CYF-Record-A-Goose-Project
2. Using Devtools, Lighthouse, and the WAVE accessibility plugin, find all the ways this app is broken
3. How would you fix the problems? Discuss in a thread in your channel.

This is also a fun in-person workshop, so you could choose to do it in a class or coworking space together.

https://record-a-goose.onrender.com/

Maximum time in hours

2

How to get help

You could choose to do this in class together during independent study time.

How to submit

Write up your findings in a thread in your class channel.

Don’t make a new post each. Discuss in a thread.

How to review

It is a review! ;)

Anything else?

• https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/overview/
• https://wave.webaim.org/extension/
• https://accessibilityinsights.io/docs/web/overview/
• https://design-system.service.gov.uk/

Link to the coursework

https://github.com/CodeYourFuture/Portfolio/tree/Module-HTML-CSS

Why are we doing this?

Now you’ve built plenty of static sites, you should pick one for your portfolio, write it up, and get it deployed.

The challenge for HTML-CSS is stored in a branch. You need to checkout this branch and follow the README.

Maximum time in hours

1.5

How to get help

Share your blockers in #cyf-portfolios.

Use the opportunity to refine your skill in Asking Questions like a developer.

How to submit

1. Fork Portfolio to your GitHub account.
2. Check out the branch for the module you are on.
3. Make regular small commits with clear messages.
4. When you are ready, open a PR to the CYF repo, against the matching branch, following the instructions in the PR template.

How to review

1. Complete your PR template
2. Ask for review from a classmate or mentor
3. Make changes based on their feedback
4. Review and refactor again next time

Anything else?

To get a job in tech you need a minimum set of tools that you need to acquire or build over the course of this year. You need:

1. A well written CV
2. A solid portfolio of junior level work that makes you memorable to a recruiter
3. To be able(and show you are able) to plan, build, and ship a working product in an Agile team
4. To be able to score reasonably well in a timed technical test
5. To be able to do an interview in fluent English

Keep this in mind.

Link to the coursework

https://github.com/CodeYourFuture/Project-CLI-Treasure-Hunt

Why are we doing this?

Alongside learning web development, you need to become familiar with the basics of the command line. The command line is how you talk directly to your computer, instead of pointing and clicking at areas on a screen to trigger actions.

All interfaces are limited sets of possible interactions with data, arranged in ways (with words, colours, pictures, pixels) to guide the user towards the information they want. Clicking a link on a screen is really no different to typing. In both cases you are changing to a new directory. The difference is only in the interface you use to issue the command. Do not confuse the method with the goal.

I really want you all to understand this deeply and think about it many times over the course of your career. Do not decide you are “front end” or “back end” or limit your understanding in these ways. A CLI is an interface. An API is an interface. A GUI is an interface. All interfaces are maps. It’s how we travel around data to find what we need.

The map is not the territory.

Maximum time in hours

1

How to get help

Share your blockers in your class channel.

How to submit

1. Clone the repo https://github.com/CodeYourFuture/Project-CLI-Treasure-Hunt
2. Open the folder in VSCode
3. Open the terminal inside VSCode
4. Type node clue.js to start

The submission clue is inside the treasure hunt.

Anything else?

Completely optional cultural background reading: In the Beginning was the Command Line ~ Neal Stephenson, 1999

Coursework content

https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/c/college-and-continuing-education/en/effective-communications-at-work/overview.html

Estimated time in hours

1

What is the purpose of this assignment?

As a professional, you must be able to communicate effectively to succeed at work. You must be comfortable with standard office software and to be able to use this to present your ideas and explain your work.

Do lessons 4 and 5

• 4 Communicate Ideas in a Proposal
• 5 Present Information About Your Job

How to submit

You can do as much of the rest of this course as you like, but you must do 4 and 5. Share the results to the exercises of both lessons on your coursework board.

Link to the coursework

https://www.codewars.com/join

Why are we doing this?

When you begin programming you will also begin Codewars, if you have not done so already. Prepare now by signing up to Codewars.

You will complete at least three kata a week for the rest of the course. A kata is a short coding workout and you should aim to spend twenty minutes, three times a week, doing kata.

1. Link your account with GitHub, and join the CodeYourFuture clan, so we can find you on the clan board here: https://www.codewars.com/users/CodeYourFuture/following
2. Join the #cyf-codewars channel

By the end of the next module, you need to have completed nine kata. Codewars is not just to practice JavaScript, it’s to practice time management and study skills.

All the CYF collections are on the CYF account. Here’s a beginner collection of kata to practice on for now: https://www.codewars.com/collections/cyf-user-focused-data

This task has to be completed by the end of this module.

Maximum time in hours

1

How to submit

Add your Codewars username to your Slack profile

Coursework content

Watch The power of believing that you can improve | Carol Dweck | TED and Neuroplasticity. Write your reflections on why it is important to have a growth mindset as a developer and how a growth mindset will positively impact you in your career in the long term. Try to answer the following questions:

• When did I have a closed mindset this week, and why?
• When did I have an open mindset this week, and why?
• What have I learnt about myself, as a result?
• What will I do differently next time?

Estimated time in hours

1

What is the purpose of this assignment?

This assignment supports developing a growth mindset while learning new skills and facing barriers.

How to submit

Write in your cohort’s Slack channel what actions you will take in order to overcome your barriers to participating in live coding and write a supportive message to one of your peers who have shared their barriers in the channel. Share the screenshot of your post on your ticket.

Coursework content

You have now learned many new things: tools, skills, and programming language. Considering this, reflect on your development.

Estimated time in hours

0.5

What is the purpose of this assignment?

Reflect and celebrate how much you have developed your knowledge so far.

How to submit

1. Think about 1 achievement you had and 1 professional skill (not technical skill) you still want to develop.
2. Write a paragraph about these two: what are they AND why do you think you did well OR still have to learn them?
3. Share this with your class on the thread about this coursework. If the thread doesn’t exist yet, you are the first and can create it
4. Read your fellow trainees’ messages and react to them with emojis that support them or are relevant to their content.
5. Copy the link to the Slack message you posted on this ticket
6. Copy a screenshot of the message you posted on this ticket

Coursework content

As mentioned in the beginning, this is not an exercise that can be done once.

So write down:

• Did you manage to implement any changes? Why?

Also, reflect and write down:

• How are these changes affecting your weekly hours?
• Do you now have more or less energy?
• More or less time?
• Do you feel happier or not?
• Are you feeling more or less anxious?
• Can you sleep and rest better or not?
• Do you feel your focus level has changed?

Estimated time in hours

0.25

What is the purpose of this assignment?

Review your Build your Life plan, to ensure you are thinking about it and acting to make changes.

How to submit

Add a comment with the updated links OR explain why you haven’t made any changes.

Link to the coursework

https://programming.codeyourfuture.io/user-data/success/

Why are we doing this?

🔑 The most important thing is that you are secure in your understanding.

At the end of the course, we will expect you to build novel applications using your understanding. If you cannot build things, we cannot put you forward for jobs. It is in your personal interest to make sure you have properly understood this module.

To progress to the next module you need to meet the success criteria for this module. How will you as a cohort meet the module success criteria? Discuss it in your class channel and make a plan together.

🧑🏿‍🎤 Good strategies

• Asking volunteers to review your code
• Helping each other with coursework blockers
• Arranging midweek study sessions
• Using Saturday time to review code and cohort tracker

🙅🏿 Bad strategies

• Opening empty PRs
• Copying and pasting
• Breaking the Trainee Agreement
• Mistaking the measure for the target

Maximum time in hours

.5

How to get help

Discuss with your cohort. Support each other.

How to submit

At the end of your module you will need a representative to report to the organisation. Here’s your template, fill in your details and delete as appropriate:

📈 Cohort Progress Report from @cohort-name to @programme-team

• criterion
• criterion
• criterion
• criterion

✅ We are progressing to the next module. ⛔ We are taking a consolidation week to meet our targets.