Thinkful is an online web development school that lets you build projects at your own pace with support from a mentor.

One-On-One Programming Mentorship

Thinkful is an online education services that uses a mentorship approach to teach coding skills. The classes are designed to be completed at an individual student’s own pace, and can be done entirely online. Even though students are working alone on the courses, Thinkful connects them to the larger community so they can ask questions on the discussion board, compare notes or share projects. The main draw of Thinkful’s service is its mentorship program. Each student is matched up with a mentor that gives individual instruction to students on a weekly basis, in addition to daily office hours. This practice of delivering personal feedback to students sets Thinkful apart from other coding schools that make students learn challenging material on their own.

Learn How to Program by Building Real-World Projects

Thinkful has greatly expanded its course load since it launched in 2012, now offering classes in Python, Data Science, Frontend, iOS, UX and more. Thinkful also works on a project-based structure, so students actually begin building things as soon as they enroll in a class. This makes the learning curve slightly steeper than comparable programming instruction schools, but it’s definitely a more rewarding way to receive an education. The mentors, again, are always there to help. The site’s mentors come from diverse backgrounds and have unique experiences, but each has a programming knowledge that’s undeniably useful to anyone just starting out. Classes can be pricey (more than $300), but the skills students learn in a short amount of time under the guidance of a mentor definitely make the cost worth it.