HackYourFuture Curriculum

Here you can find an overview of the HackYourFuture program. It gives insight into how our program is structured, organized, what you can expect from the modules that we teach and, last but not least, where we teach and where you can find support during the week. Below you can find an outline of the contents and learning goals per module. The headers of the different modules link to the actual repositories that both trainees and mentors will use to go through the material.

• Are you a new mentor? Take a look here for some practical tips on how to get started!
• Are you a new trainee? Be sure to get started with our Welcome Guide to see how to prepare for your first session and beyond!

Before you continue

If you are an aspiring trainee at HackYourFuture, please note that before you can do the application assignment mentioned on the website we expect you to already have done the Explore module. This module you can do on your own in your own time to see if web development and the HackYourFuture program is right for you. We hope it is!

Overview

The HackYourFuture curriculum consists of 8 modules, spread over 7 months. In the following diagram you'll find the sequence of all the modules included:

Learning goals

If you follow the program you'll learn the following skills:

• Ability to build a basic modern full-stack web application (using Node.JS, PostgreSQL, MongoDB and React)
• Get experience with working in teams using Agile principles
• Knowing how to learn and self-teach new programming concepts
• How to use third-party libraries/APIs
• Have a basic understanding of what it means to work on digital products

Module #1 - CLI/GIT

Welcome to HackYourFuture! In this module we are going to go into two things that are maybe not as fun as building websites like you did in the application process, but are vital to your success as a developer: the command-line interface (CLI) and Git.

The command-line interface is a way for you to give commands to your computer using text rather than clicking, which will be used throughout your developer life. As you may have already guessed, it is much easier for any code you write to talk to the computer via defined commands rather than trying to navigate a user interface meant for humans. In this module we will give you a quick overview how to access the command-line interface and what commands you will use the most.

You'll also be learning Git, which is software that will allow you to save your folders and files in case they accidentally get deleted or end up corrupt. It is the industry standard when talking about version control of your code and we will be using it all the time during the curriculum so that you become familiar with it.

In the following table you can find the module material, week-by-week:

| Week | Topic | Reading Material | Assignments | | ---- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 1. | Command Line Interface basics, Git, GitHub | W1 Reading | Assignment W1 |

Module goals

By the end of this module, trainees should have a familiarity with and basic understanding of the following:

• Understand what a terminal is
• Know what markdown is and how to create a README
• Navigate the folders of your computer using the command line interface (CLI)
• Understand wat Git is used
• Use GIT commands and be able to:
  • Create a branch
  • Commit changes
  • Merge branches

Module #2 - JavaScript

In this module you'll make a start into the wonderful world of programming. We will be using the programming language JavaScript to do so. You'll learn about the basic building blocks of programming: loops, functions, control flow and more advanced JavaScript specific intricacies. Consider these as the ABC's of programming, without them it's impossible to write working software!

| Week | Topic | Reading Material | Assignments | | ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1. | JS Basics Refresher, Loops, Naming Conventions | Reading W1 | Assignment W1 | | 2. | Scope, ModernJS, Problem Solving | Reading W2 | Assignment W2 | | 3. | Higher Order Functions, Closures, Unit Testing | Reading W3 | Assignment W3 | | 4. | This keyword, constructor functions, classes | Reading W4 | Assignment W4 |

Module goals

By the end of this module, trainees should have a familiarity with and basic understanding of the following:

• Have an idea of what computer programming is
• Know the basic building blocks of JavaScript
• Correctly write and use variables, functions and loops
• Understand the control flow
• Think like a programmer
• Know what your personal brand is and how to make it professional

Module #3 - Browsers

In Browsers you'll learn all about how to use JavaScript within the browser. First, you'll learn about how HTML is structured within your browser: we call this the Document Object Model (DOM). Once you've gotten the hang of that we'll apply JavaScript to it, in order to manipulate the elements and make our pages more interactive. We call this DOM manipulation and it's one of the most interesting things about JavaScript! We will finish off with a group project to already combine everything you have learned into your first web application. Besides the technical part, you'll improve your 'soft skills' as well in the Presentation module. This is a two weeks program that will get you out of your comfort zone. Check the Read.me file for a more detailed explanation and overview.

| Week | Topic | Reading Material | Assignments | | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1. | Document-Object Model (DOM), DOM manipulation | Reading W1 | Assignment W1 | | 2. | Presentation Module week 1, Group project week 1! | Reading W2 | Assignment W2 | | 3. | Presentation Module week 2, Group project week 2 + Tech interview | Reading W3 | No individual assignment |

Module goals

In order to successfully complete this module you will need to master the following:

• Understand what the Document Object Model (DOM) is
• Use the basics of DOM Manipulation
• Gain awareness of the inner workings of JavaScript
• Be able to present your ideas in a professional setting

Module #4 - Using API's

A big part of being a programmer means m