Module 1: Onboarding & Planning

Welcome to Labs

Excited to have you join us in Labs! 🎉

Labs is the perfect opportunity for you to put your knowledge and skills to the test. This course is designed to help you integrate everything you've learned into a complex project, allowing you to build and articulate your code contributions with confidence. You'll be ready to ace technical interviews and start your career as a successful software developer.

Get ready to work on challenging projects and components during our five-module structure. After completing onboarding, you'll move on to three build sprints that will give you the chance to practice and hone your skills in a low-stress environment. Our goal is to provide you with a platform to apply your skills and communicate your contributions effectively.

Not only will you have the chance to demonstrate your technical skills on a complex project, but you'll also learn about agile, kanban, and kanban software. Labs will simulate junior dev workflow, giving you a taste of what to expect on your first job.

This course lays out everything you'll need to get up and running in Labs, start making contributions to your product, and set off on your path toward graduation.

Let's go! 🚀

How Do I Pass Labs?

Required Assessments

For Module 1: Onboarding, you need to score 100% on:

• Check for Understanding: Labs Kickoff
• Check for Understanding: Local Setup
• Check for Understanding: Basic Planning

For Module 2-4: Build Sprints, you need to pass based on the attached rubric:

• Submit Your Deliverables: Loom and Code

For Module 5: Final Steps, you will need to pass:

• Submit your Career Artifacts
• Payment Type Quiz Completed

Grading Criteria

To pass BloomTech Labs, you are required to pass Modules 2 through 4, which focus on different project-based coding challenges and prepare you for technical interviews. The success of your work in the modules will be evaluated based on a rubric, which consists of the following criteria:

• Presenting Your Work - the student must clearly and accurately explain all aspects of their work, including their approach, design decisions, and results.
• Organization - the video must be well-organized, easy to follow, and present information in a logical and coherent manner.
• Technical Knowledge - the student must demonstrate a solid understanding of the technical concepts and tools used in their work. They should be able to answer technical questions.
• Code Quality - the code must be well-organized, readable, and follow the best practices learned.
• Functionality - the code must run without errors and produce the expected results, meeting the requirements of the assignment.
• Commenting - comments must be clear and provide enough information to understand the purpose and function of the code.
• Correctness - the code must be implemented in a correct, efficient, and optimal way.
• Test Execution - the student must be able to execute tests, document issues or bugs found, and explain how the tests are verifying the functionality of the system.
• Communication & Delivery - the student must communicate effectively and professionally, speaking clearly, using appropriate nonverbal communication, and expressing themselves in a confident and engaging manner. They should also show active listening skills and be able to build rapport.
• Preparation & Self-Presentation - the student must present themselves in a professional and polished manner, be well-prepared, and project confidence and enthusiasm.
• Adaptability - the student must demonstrate an ability to adapt to new information and respond appropriately to unexpected questions or changes in the interview, displaying flexibility and initiative.

To pass Labs, you must meet the expectations listed in the rubric in each of these criteria.

How Labs Works

The goal of Labs is to help you:

• Apply and integrate skills taught in core on a complex project.
• Articulate code contributions confidently in a technical interview.

To achieve this, we will:

• Present you with a project template. This template will give you starter code for you to build off of. You will fork this GitHub template, locally setup the repo on your computer, and begin work on tickets we've made for you.
• Give you tickets to add components/features to the existing project. Similar to what a junior dev might do, you will add working code to the complex project and deliver the requirements of each ticket.
• Have you submit your code alongside a Loom video explaining what you did and why you did it. Each build sprint will require the submission of 2 deliverables: loom video link and GitHub code link. The code is meant to test your technical ability, and the loom video is meant to simulate a technical interview.
• Grade your deliverables based on the rubric attached to each sprint submission. The rubric will measure if you are ready for your first dev job based on your ability to code and how well you articulate what you did.
• Check your resume for your Labs' contributions. We want to make sure that you added the complex project you worked on to your resume to showcase your ability as an developer.

To give this plan structure, we have divided these goals into 5 modules:

Basic Overview of Development in Labs

Labs Tech Stack

Before diving into the Labs environment, it's important to understand the technology stack that powers it. In software development, a technology stack refers to the combination of tools, frameworks, and languages used to build a product.

The following is a list of the key components in the Labs Tech Stack:

• Frontend: React - JavaScript library for building user interfaces
• Backend: FastAPI - modern, fast (high-performance), web framework for building APIs with Python 3.7+
• Database: MongoDB - flexible document-based db that map directly to objects in your code

By being familiar with these technologies, you'll be better equipped to complete Labs modules and build your coding skills.

Getting Support

In Labs, you'll have a fleet of staff, instructors, learner assistants, and career reviewers to support you. Here's how to get help.

The 20-Minute Rule

For technical problems, follow the 20-minute rule:

1. First, try to solve the problem on your own for 20 minutes.
2. If still unsolved, loop in a teammate for 20 minutes.
3. If still unsolved, loop in your team's Learning Assistant for 20 minutes.
4. If still unsolved, post in the Labs Slack channel.
5. If still unsolved, post in the Hub Knowledge Base for support from your community of peers and instructors!
6. If still unsolved, open a support ticket in the Hub for help from a Learning Assistant.

Note: Please do not send Slack DMs to your instructors! Instead, you can always use the Knowledge Base or open a support ticket in the Hub. This helps make sure you get the quickest support possible!

Nontechnical Issues

For nontechnical concerns (like an issue with a teammate), open a support ticket in The Hub. This helps make sure your concern is routed to the right place. (If it's an emergency, that's the once case in which you should escalate it to a Labs staff member immediately!)

Project Setup

Learn how to set up your local development environment and get familiar with the project structure.

Local Setup

Now you're ready to get set up with your project! 🚀

For this final step, you'll fork your project's repositories, clone the forked version from GitHub, and set up your environment.

Access the Local Setup Walkthrough video here.

Access the starter repo for the project here.

Note: You must fork the starter repo to your personal GitHub account before starting local setup.

20-Minute Rule

If you have any questions, bugs, or concerns while setting up, follow the 20-minute rule:

1. First try searching on your own for a solution—search Google, Stack Overflow, and the documentation for the component you're struggling with (like the Python docsLinks to an external site.). Start flexing this muscle now!
2. If you're stuck after 20 minutes, post in your team's Slack channel.
3. If you're still stuck, post in your Labs Slack channel.
4. If you're still stuck, post in the Hub Knowledge Base.
5. If you're still stuck, open a support ticket in the Hub!

Understanding Data Users & Stakeholders

Learn how to identify and understand the needs of different data users and stakeholders when building data solutions. This section covers how to map user journeys, create data personas, and design wireframes that effectively communicate insights.

Data Science Project Planning

Learn how to structure and plan data science projects effectively, from problem definition to model deployment. This section covers how to break down complex data problems, create realistic timelines, and manage stakeholder expectations.

Pull Request Process

Learn how to create effective pull requests, review code, and collaborate with your team.