S5E9: Student Spotlight - Climbing the Learning Curve as a New Student, with Katelyn

S5E9: Student Spotlight - Climbing the Learning Curve as a New Student, with Katelyn

Author: Launch School March 4, 2024 Duration: 40:40

In this episode, Brandi interviews Katelyn, a current student finding her footing in the first few courses of the core curriculum. Katelyn is in a career transition, with a background in project and construction management, having majored in civil engineering in college.

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.


For anyone curious about the deliberate, patient path to becoming a true software craftsman, the Launch School Podcast offers a grounded and insightful companion. This isn't about quick hacks or trending frameworks; it's a deep, ongoing conversation about the fundamentals of mastery itself. Each episode connects through the shared experiences of learning to code, drawing on voices from within the Launch School community and beyond. You'll hear from students navigating the curriculum, employers discussing what they truly value in developers, and seasoned engineers reflecting on the principles of long-term career growth. Discussions naturally explore effective study habits, the philosophy of mastery-based learning, and the practical realities of transitioning into a professional role. By focusing on the underlying process of expertise, this podcast provides a unique and thoughtful resource for anyone committed to a meaningful education in technology. Tune in for honest conversations that reframe the journey of learning to code as one of continuous, intentional growth.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Launch School Podcast
Podcast Episodes
S4E7 Bytes: Biggest Takeaways This Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In this bytes episode Karis asks Chris and the Launch School community "What was some of their biggest takeaways this year at Launch School?" After the students and staff share their takeways, Karis closes with some Laun…
S4E5: Transforming at Launch School [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:54
In this episode Chris and Karis discuss a recent inspirational talk given by Core graduate student Jake. Chris answers some additional Launch School-related questions including how ISAs work. Karis interviews Capstone gr…
S4E3: The Story of Launch School [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:03:41
In this episode Launch School Student Felicia interviews Chris as he shares the origin story of how Launch School came to be. He also offers his unique perspective on how Launch School approaches learning, coding educati…
S4E2: Latest News, Interviews and Catch-up with Mandy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:26
This episode Karis and Chris discuss the all the latest Launch School interviews and presentations. Karis also catches up with the co-host from last season Mandy who now works at Mozilla. Finally they leave you with a nu…
S4E1: Welcome to Season 4! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:19
This season Chris kicks off our first episode by introducing Launch Schools new podcast format and new co-host Karis. Together they discuss the latest events happening at Launch School and some quick reminders students s…
S3E10: Season 3 Final Episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:49
In today's episode, our podcast hosts Chris, Callie, and Mandy share their end of the year reflections on Season 3, new updates on where Mandy and Callie are going, upcoming ideas for season 4, and ambitious goals for La…
S3E9: Getting to Know Pete [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:05
In today's episode, Callie chats with Launch School TA Pete about his journey to and through Launch School. He shares about his beloved cats we see glimpses of, what brought him to Launch School, and why he enjoys being…
S3E8: Bytes — Gratitude [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:52
In this Thanksgiving episode, Mandy talks to students who have been at Launch School for over a year. These students share what they are grateful for and how the community has helped them throughout their journey at Laun…