freeCodeCamp is a free online coding platform and global network of software and web development enthusiasts. It aims to make coding accessible to anyone; all you need is a computer, an Internet connection and a desire to learn.
Sign up for a free account on freeCodeCamp and go for it! You'll need to learn to make use of a variety of resources in order to become a developer, but we think it really is the best starting point. Also, remember the curriculum is structured in recommended order, but you can use it any way you like and don't have to follow everything sequentially if you don't want to.
freeCodeCamp London is one of many groups around the world who run regular meetups and facilitate online discussion through a Slack group. There is also a global freeCodeCamp forum.
Details of all our upcoming meetups can be found on our Meetup group and are announced in the #meetups channel of the Slack group.
For some it's enough to just click the 'attending' button on the event page, but depending on the venue you may need to register on a different website so please read the details carefully before turning up. Please also remember to update your status if it turns out you can't make it, as places are usually limited so you may otherwise prevent someone else from being able to come.
We usually announce meetups about a month in advance.
If you're under 18 then you must be accompanied by an adult, but apart from that everyone is welcome. And as for ability, it doesn't matter if you've never written a line of code before and you're just curious to learn how to get started, or if you've been working as a software developer for several decades.
Almost certainly not! In general, probably about a third of people who attend are coming for the first time.
Not at all, unless you want to. It's perfectly fine to just come once or twice, and if it's not for you then nobody will make you feel bad for not coming back. But hopefully you will!
Pre-pandemic we used to have a group of venues that hosted us every few weeks, but as of mid-2022 things are more ad-hoc. See the Meetup group for more details.
Nope, the clue's in the name :) But please register beforehand; depending on the venue you may get turned away if you don't do so in advance, so read the event details carefully before turning up.
Usually about two and a half hours, but there's no pressure to stay until the end. It's also fine to arrive late, though it's better to arrive on time or a few minutes early.
Our meetups are generally quite loose and unstructured, the idea being to create a relaxed, low-pressure environment for anyone to be able to come and enjoy themselves, particularly for people who aren't used to coming to tech meetups regularly.
However, at the beginning, we do usually split up into groups based on what people are most interested in, which are generally:
- People who want to work on specific coding challenges. These can be exercises, algorithms or projects from the freeCodeCamp curriculum, but anything goes really. For example, some people find it useful to work through a CodeWars kata with another person. The focus is usually on JavaScript and other web technologies, but again it doesn't have to be limited to that.
- People who want to discuss their experiences in looking for a job as a developer and get some advice. This can be for those who are making a career switch into software development for the first time, or those who are looking to move from a junior to a mid or even senior position.
- Any other general discussion about coding, tech and life as a software developer! Many of our members see making friends and general networking as the main benefit of attending the meetups.
Don't feel that you have to stay in the same spot once you've chosen a group to start with, it's perfectly fine to move around the room throughout the session.
There is usually also a short "show and tell" slot at the beginning, to give anyone the opportunity to present something they've been working on to the group, or share something interesting that they've learned. Let us know on Slack before the session if you're interested in taking part.
It varies a lot, but generally between 15 and 30.
It's a good idea to bring your laptop if you have one, but it isn't a requirement to join in.
Assume that they won't be, but if they are then it will be specified in the event details. You are welcome to bring your own though!
If you're looking for people at a similar level to meet with on a regular basis in order to work through the freeCodeCamp curriculum together, feel free to post in the #study-groups channel of the Slack group group. Before you do, it's better if you already have a venue in mind that would be suitable for sitting down with laptops. Alternatively, it's quite likely that you'll find people in a similar situation to you at the general meetups, so it's always a good idea to come along to one of those first before posting straight away.
Nope, everyone's a volunteer and they are not directly employed by freeCodeCamp. All views expressed are their own and not necessarily those of freeCodeCamp.
Feel free to send me (Matt) a private message on Slack or Meetup, or just post your question in the general discussion or in the discussion for a particular event.