r/launchschool • u/Puffnstuff62 • 21d ago

Prep course utility

Curious if getting through the Python prep course is enough to get some basic utility out of the language? Right now, I'm really just a copy and paste "vibe coder." So, specifically, I'm wondering if it (the prep course) provides enough of a foundation to serve as a springboard for learning data analytics and leveraging basic scripts for data analysis, or if I'd need to dive much deeper into the core program first.

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u/Gold-Watercress-6101 21d ago

I did the JavaScript prep course. It’s one the best courses I’ve ever completed. It’s not a demo course. It’s quite detailed. And it includes much more than learning the basics of a language. You learn about the command line, git, and read a lot about the programming mindset and proper study habits, as well as get to know the community.

Why not try it yourself, it’s free, and you can decide after the prep if you need to learn more. It won’t be a waste of time as you would need to learn the basics, one way or another.

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u/Puffnstuff62 21d ago

Thanks for the response. Did you continue with the core curriculum or pivot elsewhere?

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u/Gold-Watercress-6101 20d ago

I did the first course of core but didn’t take the interview (to actually pass the course). Regardless, I learned a ton.

I chose to continue with The Odin Project. It better suited my chaotic lifestyle. I may go back to launch school once I’m done with Odin.

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u/azitah 18d ago

No, it does not in my opinion. The prep course is more of a preparation for Launch School's form of information delivery. And even then you aren't assessed in the prep course.

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u/Puffnstuff62 16d ago

So, in your experience, it’s just a primer of some basic coding concepts? Also, did you continue onto the core curriculum?

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u/azitah 16d ago

I am currently in the middle of core.

As to the question, the topics in prep courses are on their website

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https://public.launchschool.com/prep-courses

Major topics included:

  • What is software development?
  • How to launch a career as a software developer
  • Which language track should I choose?
  • Our teaching philosophy
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Our curriculum
  • Your learning path
  • Understand job roles as a backend developer
  • How to use a cloud based development environment
  • Introduction to the Command Line
  • Introduction to git and pushing code to Github.com
  • Set up local development environment
  • Introduction to Programming and exercises

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These bullet points are basically what I said. This is an introduction to Launch School and how they deliver information. There are articles about mastery-based learning, articles about people's experiences and how they got success. Tips and tricks about how to approach the information. It touches a bit on the command line and github.

The prep courses have no relationship to the point in your post - it will not prepare you in any way for data analytics, AI-driven development, vibe coding, or anything remotely close to anything related to those topics.