Prework Resources - Code the Dream

Welcome to the Prework Resources Page! Here, you’ll find everything you need to get started before our classes begin. Whether you’re new to coding or ready for more advanced challenges, these resources will help you gain hands-on experience and prepare you for success in completing the prework assignment, which is the most important part of our class application process. Completing the prework is an important step to ensure you’re ready to dive into the course material with confidence.

IMPORTANT: If you haven’t yet applied to our classes, please do so by going to codethedream.org/apply before proceeding.

Immediately after submitting your application, you will receive an email with the link to the Prework Instructions. Once you’ve reviewed that, you can come back to this page to find resources to assist you with completing the prework.

If you want to change the class you applied for at any point, or have prework questions, please contact admissions@codethedream.org.

Why do we ask you to complete a prework assignment?

Intro applicants:
- Experience what it’s like learning in an asynchronous environment, and decide if this is the right learning environment for you.
- The knowledge you’ll gain from this prework assignment will get you up to speed to begin our class, and will be covered more in depth in our intro class.
- This assignment is a fun way to begin thinking like a software developer, and get creative while doing so!
Advanced applicants:
- This assignment will prove your readiness for our advanced classes by showing your Github and API capabilities. Furthermore, you’ll demonstrate your ability to pull data from an API to display the intended information on your static website.

Prework Requirements

Find all the instructions you need for your prework. Whether you’re an Intro or Advanced applicant, we’ve broken down the essential tasks step by step.

Intro Applicants

All the pre-work instructions are HERE, but remember: you’ll be submitting a code sample that includes the following requirements (If you need help, there are more details in the “Resources for Understanding Prework Requirements” section):

A variable
A conditional
A loop
A unique function

Intro Pre-work Instructions

Advanced Applicants

All prework instructions are HERE. Make sure you have ALL of the following:

STRUCTURE:
- A public GitHub repository containing your project
- An HTML document for the page
- A CSS document to style the HTML page
- A JavaScript file that retrieves data from one of several public API sources to display the data on your HTML page
- A README file that includes the instructions for running the webpage
CONTENT:
- Display the data for at least 2 of the models in the API
- Include navigation from each model’s page to the other models that are displayed
- Issue new GET requests for the linked data to display in the linked pages.
FUNCTIONALITY:
- Code runs without issues by following the instructions in the README file
- Navigation between the different models behaves properly and is not slowed down by requesting more data than needs to be displayed
- Code is readable and well structured
- If applicable, error cases are appropriately handled
- Styling is effective (example: font-sizes are not too small or large, colors are not too dark/light to be easily seen, etc.)
The link you submit should look like this: https://github.com/yourUsername/yourRepositoryName

Advanced Pre-work Instructions

Prework Examples and Ideas (Intro)

Intro Prework Ideas: Check out some of the awesome prework assignments submitted by previous Intro to Programming applicants! Even if you have no coding experience, soon you’ll be able to create fun animations too.

These ideas are meant to get your creative juices flowing, but feel free to use one of them as well.

Simple game where you keep score of something
Car driving down the road
Spaceship flying across the night sky
Snowfall, rainfall, leaves blowing, or other weather-related concepts

Upcoming Info Sessions, and Recordings of Past Sessions

CTD Info Sessions

Past CTD Info Session Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OamcnFXPbng

Prework Info Sessions

Past Intro Prework Info Session recording:
https://youtu.be/RPs14eU5tTQ

Past Advanced Prework Info Session recording:
https://youtu.be/yAYdK2OaD24

Time Saving Tips for the Pre-work Assignment

Intro Assignment

1. We can’t see your Khan Academy progress, so feel free to skip around on videos and challenges as you please. If you’ve already got the concept, skip it. The important thing is knowing how to add the prework requirements to your coding sample in p5.js
2. Coming up with the prework project you’ll create can be intimidating and challenging. Good news! You can copy a concept, and your exact code from Khan Academy for your assignment. Make sure all requirements are added to your coding sample, and you’ll be done.
3. If the code you may copy from Khan Academy, or a function you use from Khan Academy doesn’t work the same in p5.js, please refer to this reference page that will show you how to correct it.

Advanced Assignment

1. Work in small increments to make sure your code is working properly, it’s easier to jump back to when your code last worked if you do this than if you build everything and have to dig through hundreds of lines of code to find something that’s buggy or broken.
2. Start with basics and just make suer your API is working and showing the data as intended – you can play with the styling and make it pretty/flashy once you know it’s functioning properly
3. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with options when picking out one of the APIs – glance through the documentation and go with the one that you understand the best. It’ll make digging in the docs for answers quicker/less painful

Resources for Understanding Prework Requirements

Intro Resources

Functions: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_functions.asp
Loops: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_loop_for.asp or https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_loop_while.asp (but there are also 2 other kinds of loops – these are just the most common)
Conditional: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_if_else.asp
Variables: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_variables.asp

Advanced Resources

API resources:
- General info: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_api_intro.asp
- API Fetch: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_api_fetch.asp
- Video explaining APIs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzx7ihtCGBs
JavaScript Syntax DevDocs: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript
JSON Objects:
- General info: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_json_intro.asp
- Syntax: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_json_syntax.asp
- Parsing a JSON Object: https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_json_parse.asp

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about Code the Dream’s Prework process and about our program as a whole. If your question can’t be found below, please email admissions@codethedream.org and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Prework Q&As

For Spring 2025 classes, you can submit your prework by the early deadline of October 6, 2024, or the standard deadline of November 24, 2024.

What are the benefits of submitting by October 6th? You’ll have a chance to receive early admission into our classes before everyone else, as long as you have admissible prework. If your prework isn’t admissible, and you submit by October 6th, you’ll have a chance to receive notes on how to improve your assignment by November 24th. Those who submit the prework after October 6th won’t have this benefit.

While you don’t need to submit anything to us from Khan Academy, it’s still a unit you should review, especially if you have minimal coding knowledge. This unit will teach you what you need to know to write, and submit your coding sample.

We look only at your application information and the pre-work assignment you submit when we determine acceptance into our program. Khan Academy is to give you the tools to complete the assignment only. We can not see your progress on Khan Academy as you work through it.

You only need to complete ONE pre-work assignment (intro OR advanced). If you are taking two advanced classes in one trimester, you only need to submit ONE advanced assignment.

While most submit their assignment in Vanilla js, you can submit your assignment in React.

For the prework, we compare your work against the requirements list and use a point system. Therefore, meeting the requirements is the key to being accepted.
For the apprenticeship, please review these pages to learn more about the requirements and process:
- https://codethedream.org/apprenticeship/
- https://codethedream.org/apprenticeship-requirements/

Please note that you have to take at least one advanced class and practicum to apply for the apprenticeship.

If you demonstrate basic coding knowledge, you will be asked to join the intro class.

Program Q&As

Yes, all of our class tools have CC, and group mentor sessions are held on Zoom so you can use the CC feature here.

We do have group mentor sessions which serve as classes, but we do operate on a flipped classroom model. This means you should read through lesson materials on your own regardless of whether or not you’ve attended a live group session for the week. We also offer 1:1 mentoring sessions to ensure you understand the weekly lessons.

Yes, they are either current or retired developers, or recent bootcamp grads.

Unfortunately no because of the amount of work that goes into processing and preparing students for the course.

Our classes are intensive, and they are designed for you to be a competitive candidate for tech roles. They can be challenging for some, but luckily, we have dedicated mentors, instructors, and a student success coordinator who are dedicated to ensuring you understand the materials!

Let CTD know that you won’t be able to attend the orientation and look out for the recording. For assignments, let your mentor and CIL know.

Pass/Fail. Mentors return assignments to students with suggested improvements, students then resubmit their assignments.

Finishing the intro final project counts as an application for advanced. Moreover, you won’t have to complete another application and prework assignment once you’ve been accepted into our program.

Everyone!

Calendly clones, Dog adoption apps, Apartment finder app, etc.

90% of our apprenticeship graduates have gotten full time jobs.

$30-$35k

Intro: The Odin Project and Scrimba
Advanced: textbook, FreeCodeCamp, CodingAddict, and more

During practicum (after the advanced class), you will receive two weeks of career development (mock interviews, resume prep, etc). This will prepare you for interviews with the soft skills you’ll learn, and the tech skills you’ve learned throughout our classes.
For apprentices, we offer 2 months of in-depth career development.