Ask HN: Coding bootcamp before going to college?
The idea is for him to invest the summer on something that will give him access to a higher earning potential for part time or freelance work.
The extent of his experience is having done the MIT "Computational Problem Solving with Python" course on EDx. He applied some of it to minor problems, including doing some Euler Project and his FRC robotics team. No real web dev experience. Some playing around with HTML, etc., nothing serious. No Linux experience.
Yes, I know, not the best starting point. Not the worst either.
What to do over the summer?
One thought was to send him to a good coding bootcamp and have him invest three months at high intensity learning full stack development.
The other option is to have him dive into a bunch of Udemy and EDx courses under my guidance and supervision.
I don't have the option of tutoring him full time. My plate is full with business responsibilities. What I can do is provide support, guidance and be available for questions, etc.
I don't mind spending the money on a bootcamp if it fulfills the stated goal of allowing him to have access to higher paying part-time or freelance gigs. The theory being that he will be able to earn more in less time and, therefore, focus on his CS studies. Without this kind of a push forward I can't see him earning anything more than minimum wage at essentially entry level clerical or service jobs.
I also considered the idea of him not going to university immediately. Go to a bootcamp, get a job in web development, live at home, put away a bunch of money, learn a ton and go to school in a year. In this regard, I wonder how schools like Stanford or MIT would view such a decision and the experience accumulated during that year.
I'd appreciate any input on this. Thanks.