EZRA OTEH: Once I saw computer coding-- that's the career that I want to be in.
And I think that I would be very good at it.
>> CHARLES MOUNTFORD: Well, I've been at job hunting for awhile.
Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering.
It hasn't been going too well.
So I thought maybe I'd look into a different field.
>> KIMBERLY MIRKES: In Green Bay, Wisconsin I was a school counselor.
And I really knew I wanted to change careers.
>> SAM HATFIELD: I've heard a lot of people saying
everyone should learn how to code.
Everyone should be exposed to it.
Before I was just like, whatever.
>> AUSTIN BANKS: I have taken a semester off.
And I'm now doing the CS50x program.
>> KELLI CRAVEN: It's very accessible to anyone at all.
>> LEANNE LIS: I've been a developer in the past.
But I had a situation and I wanted to increase my confidence.
And I wanted to learn C. And I wanted to learn
PHP, which I saw that CS50 was teaching.
AUSTIN BANKS: People are really helpful.
There's definitely more of a community than you
would think from an online course.
>> KELLI CRAVEN: I'm working on my problem set five that I just started.
So we get to do a little forensics.
>> CHARLES MOUNTFORD: It has been challenging.
It's definitely meant to stretch your limits.
I'm working on problem set five.
>> KIMBERLY MIRKES: My classmate and I working on our final project.
>> SAM HATFIELD: I'm working on my final project.
I've got two other people working with me.
We're the triforce of power.
>> LEANNE LIS: I'm attempting to work on an iOS app that is a calendar agenda
application that I wanted to create just for my own use to start out with.
AUSTIN BANKS: My final project is going to be
a website that is an image and visual repository.
Basically it's going to have a listing of helpful phrases
and sign language for medical personnel.
>> EZRA OTEH: Let's say my final project was a puppet doing a dance.
And they asked me, can you make this puppet do this dance twice as fast?
I would be able to go to my code, change it, save it, compile it, upload it,
and show them right away that not only did I make this final project,
I can tweak it however they want me to tweak it.
>> CHARLES MOUNTFORD: I figure once I get my final project completed
and some potential employers have a chance
to look at that I'll have a better assessment of whether they
think I'll be a good fit for them.
SAM HATFIELD: Now I'm very confident.
And I'm learning new stuff all the time.
And it's great.
It's changed my life.
>> EZRA OTEH: This is really hard material.
Especially if you're doing this and also working; and maybe also have a family;
and maybe also have children; and maybe also have a mortgage.
But it's so worth it.
If you just put the effort in, what you get out
is so much more valuable than the time that you've put in.