FRACTAL BOOTCAMP: PRE-COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Welcome to Fractal Bootcamp!!

Our program is intense, immersive, and a lot of fun! To make sure that you're ready to hit the ground running, we have a pre-course evaluation, which is the only true requirement to join the program. You can take it as many times as you like, but if you don't pass it, then you can't join the program.

In order to make sure you can pass, we've put together a comprehensive self-guided course to help you learn. If you are coming from zero technical knowledge, it will take a few weeks of directed work to finish. If you have some technical background, it can go much faster.

The Pre-course Eval:

To pass the pre-course eval, you should be able to easily and fluidly do something like this, without looking anything up:

0. open a javascript file and write some random JS code (loops, functions, variables, console logs, etc etc)
1. Setup express server
2. Get a GET endpoint working
3. Test endpoint in browser
4. Setup react app
5. useEffect fetch data from server
6. sort, filter, or map over that data
7. render data
8. test that everything works (don't forget CORS!)
9. setup input field
10. deliver content of input field to server via a POST request
11. handle that input on the server (save to a log file, etc)

Don't freak out about the eval! If you fail, you can re-take the test until you pass. You will get constructive feedback to help you polish your learning each time you fail. If you are worried about passing or the volume of work, please do not worry silently; reach out to us. If you're serious about the program, and you've already paid the deposit, we can create a custom plan with you to triage your prep in an emergency.

How do I learn this?

We have two pre-course programs. Both should take approximately 2-4 h/day of focused work. Even if you're an experienced coder, you will learn a lot by completing the pre-bootcamp prep.

1. Essentials (4 weeks) covers the core prerequisites needed to pass the evaluation.
2. Optimal Prep (8 weeks) will set you up to take full advantage of the boot camp. Our most successful students (the ones who make $150k+ or graduate early) have this knowledge, but you will be able to graduate the boot camp without it. It's strongly recommended but not required.

Many students browse Essentials in the evenings while powering through the Optimal schedule during the day. Feel free to remix however you see fit.

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The Essentials (4 weeks)

NOTE: when learning to code, ALWAYS engage your curiosity. If you want to know why/how something works, ask ChatGPT, Youtube, or Google! (in roughly that order).

I encourage you to jump between resources, depending on what feels good in the moment:

• If you feel like actually DOING something with code, do the Practice.
• If you want to relax and learn concepts, focus on reading and video explanations.

Enjoying and practicing coding before class is essential to get the most out of our bootcamp. The faster you develop an intuition for coding, the faster you'll fall in love with it as a medium of expression. There is a lot to learn here, but I guarantee you will not regret a second spent on learning to code, because we will put every bit of your knowledge to work for you, and you will be rewarded for it.

Week	Video Explainers	Interactive Practice (Scrimba)	Deep Reading / Practice
1	CS 101 in 13 min Web Dev 101 (13 min) Git in 100 sec JS in 100 sec 100+ JS Concepts	Learn HTML + CSS	—
2		Learn JavaScript	Eloquent JS Intro → Ch 4
3		Learn React
4			Full Stack Open Parts 0b-3

Videos are optional but highly recommended—they deliver quick "a-ha" moments.

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Optimal Prep - (8 Weeks)

This course will give you the best possible preparation for being successful at the boot camp. It takes you from "a little bit of fundamentals" to "comfortable with everything we do at the boot camp". If you're getting lost, feel free to supplement with material from the Essentials course. Remember, you can work from our co-working space if you've paid the deposit for the bootcamp.

Week	Full Stack Open	Eloquent JS	Fundamentals Reading	LeetCode	Other
0	Part 0 – Fundamentals of Web Apps	—	Getting Started	—	React Foundations Course
1	Part 1 Part 2 Part 3	Chapters 1-5	Basics	—	—
2	Part 4 Part 5	Chapters 6-8 Chapters 10-11	Frontend	Palindrome Number	—
3	Part 6 Part 7	Chapters 12-15	Backend	Roman to Integer	—
4	Part 9 Part 13	Chapters 16-19	Advanced Computer Science	Two Sum Fizz Buzz	—

Why this sequence?
Full Stack Open is the best online web development course we have found, and Eloquent JS is the best Javascript book.

Typescript

tldr; learn Typescript Basics here.

You might notice that none of this preparation is in typescript, and yet the course is completely in typescript.

That's true.

We care more about you understanding the fundamentals of programming the web than we care about any particular language, and javascript is (kind of) a simpler subset of typescript.

THAT BEING SAID, Typescript is a better language (in our opinion), you should learn it (in our opinion), and we will require it in class from day one.

Here is my favorite course on Typescript Basics.

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