Launch HN: Lambda School (YC S17) – CS education that's free until you get a job

Re:Launch HN: Lambda School (YC S17) – CS education that's f... by austenallred on Monday August 14, 2017 @03:46PM (#15012131)

> What these programs need most of all are cheap dormitories that offer room/board.

That's also true, but it's much more easily for someone to find a place to crash for six months than to come up with $10k out-of-pocket.

Eventually we'll be able to provide a stipend for living expenses and/or dormitory style living as well, but for now it is what it is.

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Re:Launch HN: Lambda School (YC S17) – CS education that's f... by dfabulich on Monday August 14, 2017 @04:02PM (#15012295)

A studio apartment in Oakland is $1,500 a month. There are already a bunch of great free resources to learn to code, including Codecademy, Coursera, Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseware, and freeCodeCamp.

Right now, the people who need to learn to code need room and board, not yet another free coding school.

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Re:Launch HN: Lambda School (YC S17) – CS education that's f... by austenallred on Monday August 14, 2017 @04:08PM (#15012348)

First, why live in Oakland? A lot of our students move to more friendly environments (read: cheaper) during that time.

There are a lot of great resources, no doubt, but those don't really compare to an in-person experience with an instructor and a school incentivized to take you all the way to hired.

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Re:Launch HN: Lambda School (YC S17) – CS education that's f... by MarkMc on Monday August 14, 2017 @11:35PM (#15015201)

The difference is that with Khan Academy, Coursera etc. you need self discipline. With Lambda you have a coach who expects you to be at your computer at 9am every weekday, and who has a strong financial incentive to ensure you learn.

Plus in time a Lambda qualification may become more respected by employers than a Coursera degree.

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