The Coding Space

My three month experience with the coding space was everything I could hope for. The people were friendly, fun and especially helpful. Most importantly, I learned a lot throughout the semester not only about programming but also about startups, the workings of a company and about the city of New York. I was encouraged to go to as many tech events as possible which meant that in the end I was able to see the insides of companies such as Spotify, Buzzfeed and Wells Fargo. I even got a private tour of Google!

What I particularly loved about the program was how customisable it was. I was able to chose what I wanted to focus on. In the end, instead of choosing to learn Javascript I chose to focus on Eimacs (a program that focuses on computer science logic and mathematical logic) and I also learned some Python. I am extremely happy with the progress I was able to make.

Another key aspect of the program was being able to help younger children to learn to program too. This was especially rewarding as by the end I had formed a bond with many of the kids. It was a valuable experience to watch them progress into young coders.

Overall I’m very grateful for everything that The Coding Space has taught me and I’ll never forget this experience!

I did this program for three months in the fall of 2017 during my gap year. I didn’t know much about coding when I started, but wanted to learn something new and useful without the school pressure and as a bonus explore my favorite city. This program gave me all of this and more!

There’s so many things I love about this program. First of all the team is super friendly and helpful. Everyone is really passionate about what they’re working with which is really motivating and inspiring.

New York has a lot of cool tech events every week, where you can go in the evening to learn about interesting topics (and often get free food). One of the highlights from the program was a tour at Google, with a friend of Nicole (working as a software engineer at Google) as our tour guide.

Then there’s the coding part. There are so many reasons why I will recommend everyone to learn to code. First of all there are a lot of job opportunities and it will look good on your resume. But the reason I loved it, is because while doing it you’re also learning logical thinking and problem solving, which you can apply in your everyday life.

The program is different from many other coding programs, because you have a lot of freedom and flexibility. You get to learn in your own pace and in a lot more independent way than what I was used to from school, where the teaching method was a lot more traditional. This requires that you are proactive and take responsibility for your own learning. You need to be patient, do your best and most importantly believe in yourself and don’t give up when it gets hard.

Best regards,
Isabel Slorer

Before I started The GirlCode Gap Semester, I was had never coded and didn't know what I wanted to study in college. I had heard about coding, but I didn't really know what it was. When I joined, the team worked with me to help go over my goals and set a individualized plan for my semester. Each morning, I would learn how to code. I started to fall in love with it! I also got to shadow and intern with different parts of The Coding Space to see what areas interested me the most.

I also really enjoyed being able to teach kids how to code in the afternoons. It was such a great way to practice coding and break down the concepts to make sure an 8 year old could understand.

The program is small and entirely customized to you, which I loved. Now I decided to study Computer Science at Georgetown University. I am so grateful for my experience with the GirlCode Gap Semester and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in technology!