They spend the first part of the conversation discussing how Sherece managed to overcome her extremely low confidence to not just progress through the core curriculum, but to even enroll amid self-doubt and fear of failure. Though she was an incredibly curious and eager-to-learn child, life circumstances meant that Sherece lost this part of herself for many years. After developing an interest in software and spending several years dabbling in the prep course, she finally took on Launch School.

Sherece is approaching the end of a successful core curriculum experience with a transformed self-image and a renewed passion for learning and pushing her limits. She shares valuable insights into the initial difficulties of Launch School, as well as the challenges encountered along the way, like the personal development needed to confidently lead SPOT sessions and overcoming a 'Not Yet'.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Patrick also shares some of the more difficult hurdles he's faced. His initial plan and schedule for moving through the core curriculum were too rigorous, resulting in burnout and ultimately a false start where he paused his subscription while adjusting his expectations. After successfully restarting, as with many students, life happens and he must pause his subscription again. While most students hope for a very linear journey through Launch School, it's not always possible and this episode gives great insight into being flexible and allowing yourself the grace to take breaks.

We hope you enjoy the episode and also have a rest when you need it!

In this episode, Brandi has a conversation with Karis about Smooth Start. Karis is part of the Launch School staff and is largely responsible for creating Smooth Start, an introductory program to help students overcome common hurdles that are often faced at the early stages of Launch School.

They discuss why Smooth Start was created and new students' struggles, whether they're in the prep course trying to gauge how to take the plunge into the core curriculum, or fresh into the core curriculum, nervous about taking their first assessment.

Karis shares the week-to-week schedule that Smooth Start students get to participate in, along with how the agenda has changed over the various cohorts based on feedback from students and leads.

Finally, we get a sneak peek at what's to come with Smooth Start 5. Karis explains what's new in this cohort and how you can get involved.

He also gives insight into overcoming a 'Not Yet' on his first coding challenge interview, even though he was technically prepared. He cites the support that he received from peers as a critical component of his ability to persevere. Nick is a great example of someone who came in uncertain, with low confidence, and became a pillar in the Launch School community as a SPOT lead, a Smooth Start lead, and over two-thirds of the way through the core curriculum. He's an excellent example of the transformation that can happen at Launch School.

We hope you'll have a listen!

We reached out to Katelyn to see if she wanted to share her story after she wrote and shared an article about her experience receiving a 'Not Yet' on an assessment. Every student has a different approach when they don't pass an assessment, but most approaches don't involve telling everyone in the community how and why it happened, in hopes of helping others. We wanted to hear from her!

They discuss her 'Not Yet' and what changes she made to her study habits. Katelyn also discusses her approach to having an online presence, and how she's taken as many opportunities as possible to work on her soft skills in conjunction with the technical skills she's learning from the coursework.

This is a great episode for gaining insight into what you can expect from your first few courses at Launch School, and the learning curve that many students face as they find their footing.

Trisha opens up about receiving a 'Not Yet', a non-passing grade, on her first assessment over a year ago. She talks about the aftermath of doubt and insecurity. Trisha's trajectory changed drastically when she immersed herself into the community, finding a supportive group of peers to help her stay motivated, push her technically, and gauge her readiness for assessments.

This is a positive first-hand account of how your study habits can make or break your success at Launch School.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

The SPOT, which stands for Study, Practice, Overlearn, Teach, is a student-led community within Launch School that facilitates virtual study sessions for every course in the Core Curriculum. They discuss the deterrents that often stop students from utilizing the space, such as being unaware that it exists, feeling inadequate to participate, or being intimidated by stepping into an existing community. In addition to encouraging students to attend SPOT sessions, they discuss what it means to be a 'SPOT Lead', and how it can push you even further as a student and leader.

They also discuss and show off GatherTown, the virtual study space where you can quite literally 'bump into' your peers. As a virtual school, it takes effort to deisolate your studies. GatherTown is a great place to go, whether you're joining a study group, meeting with a peer, or hanging out near others as accountability buddies.

Have a listen, and we hope to see you in GatherTown!