Computer Science is quickly becoming one of the most popular areas of study as technology is more prominent than ever. Being able to code is an incredibly useful skill to have, whether you strive to be a game developer or an author that can build their own website! Here is a list of resources that I have used and highly recommend to anyone interested in coding.
On Campus
UW Bothell
The Quantitative Skills Center (QSC) on campus offers free in-person and online tutoring to students at UWB, currently covering most of the core CSS classes. Take a look at the time schedule to find out when to stop by!
There are 4 CSS (Computer) Labs available to both CSSE majors and those currently enrolled in a CSS class. These seem like great places for group and solo study.
Cascadia College
Much like the QSC, Cascadia offers their students free in-person tutoring at the Learning Center. As of Fall Quarter 2017, there is one tutor covering BIT classes available Monday through Thursday.
Cascadia also has options for online eTutoring. There’s a wide range of subjects available to students, including Computer Science (Java, C++) and Web Development (xHTML, CSS, and Adobe Dreamweaver).
The Campus Library
The Campus Library website has compiled a Research Guide for CSS, containing information on research and our Computer Science and Engineering Librarian.
Online
Forums
Online forums are a great way to ask questions and engage with people outside of your community. I find them especially useful for understanding coding concepts and finding example code to challenging assignments.
- My go-tos: Stack Overflow, Reddit
Interactive Websites
Whether you’ve never coded before or just want to improve your skills, I recommend checking out these sites out, as they all have a lot of offered content for free.
- Codecademy (my favorite, where I learned to code!)
- Khan Academy
- Topics: Computer Programming, Computer Science, Computer Animation, Hour of Code.
- Lynda is a subscription-based website that offers hundreds of great extensive courses in Software Development, Web Development, and other topics.
- 30 day free-trial, $20-$30/month after.
- Members of the Seattle Public Library can access Lynda for free. Visit this site for more information.
- Udacity offers an abundance of courses that contain timelines.
- What’s special about this site is they offer “Nanodegrees”, with actual certificates for completing those courses.
- They offer a mix of paid and free classes.
- Instructor Craig Duckett from Cascadia College compiled a list of resources here.
Games
These are browser games that prove coding can be fun, and are totally beginner friendly!
- CodinGame contains many individual, animated puzzles
- C#, C++, Java, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, and many other languages
- CodeCombat is an RPG, with each level covering new topics
- Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and JQuery
- RubyWarrior describes itself as “a triumphant quest of adventure, love & destiny all within a few lines of code”.
Books
The textbook for CSS 142 and 143 at UW Bothell. The college I transferred from did not teach in Java, so this book has been my lifesaver in 143.
This book is a great resource for anybody interested in Java, but is more geared towards beginners. They define and describe the basics of Java, and later introduce well-known techniques.
To access this eBook, log in with UW net-ID.
HTML & CSS: design and build websites
Describes and teaches the basics of HTML and CSS, and is geared towards anyone wanting to learn or brush up on skills.
If you have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS, then you’ll easily be able to learn JavaScript and JQuery! The languages can really help make websites look more attractive.
To access this eBook, log in with UW net-ID.
This book is packed full of content, but is presented in a way that is not boring. It teaches through examples, and will have you view solutions and solve problems. Python Crash Course is the perfect book for anyone wanting to learn Python fast!
To access this eBook, log in with UW net-ID.
Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 programming questions and solutions
I’ve noticed that this item is frequently circulated, more-so towards the end of the school year. It makes sense, because Cracking the Coding Interview is the perfect resource for interview prep.
Introduction to Algorithms (ebook)
This book covers a large number of algorithms in depth, describing how to implement it and when the algorithm is useful. Instead of being written in a specific language like Java or C#, Intro to Algorithms goes over everything in Pseudocode.
To access this eBook, log in with UW net-ID.
C# 2010 for Programmers (ebook)
The textbook for BIT 142 and 143 at Cascadia College. It is a great resource for learning C#, and will definitely help with your studies.
To access this eBook, log in with UW net-ID.
Events / Groups
Learn to Code Seattle
This is a public group where anyone interested in coding is welcome to join. They offer introductory sessions (like HTML, JavaScript, GitHub, etc), as well as workshops, panels, and conferences. They currently have almost 4000 members in Seattle.
Black Girls Code is an organization dedicated to teaching young girls of color programming and other technical skills. They have many outreach programs and events, consisting of EXPOs, Hackathons, and workshops on various topics – the Bay Area Chapter recently hosted a 3-D Printing Workshop!
There is currently not a Seattle Chapter of Black Girls Code, but interested parties can apply for scholarships to attend any of the events in other cities.
Women Who Code Seattle Chapter
This is a large international organization who “envision a world where women are proportionally represented as technical leaders, executives, founders, VCs, board members, and software engineers”. They have a wide arrange of events posted, as well as local jobs. The Seattle chapter alone has over 3000 members.
Girl Develop It Seattle Chapter
This is a nonprofit organization that hosts events for adult women interested in programming. Most of the recent events have been public study groups, but they also have occasional courses. Just this past Fall was an Intro to JavaScript, four-day course.
CodeBuddies (online)
Through this website, programmers can arrange virtual study groups and hangouts. Anyone from anywhere in the world can join, regardless of experience with code.
I truly believe that everyone is capable of learning to code, and there are so many resources out there to help get started – these are just a few that I know and love. I began learning to code from a JavaScript course on Codecademy while I was still in middle school! Now, I’m pursuing a degree in Computer Science at UW Bothell, and I don’t know where I would be without that one website that helped me fall in love with code.