One of the coolest things about San Francisco is how diverse the population is. I have met people from all over the world and country and it is interesting to hear their backgrounds and reasons for coming here. Many of the students that live in our building are doing a college alternative program and many of the kids are programmers. Some have received job offers at 18 or 19 from big tech companies like Facebook. It is awesome how specializing in technology at a young age can lead to such a good opportunity and it makes me wonder where the future of higher education is going. For most high school grads, a degree is automatically the next step in life. However, as I’ve learned there is more and more opportunity for highly skilled workers to prove themselves without a degree.

The end result of the program is that they have to code a working application. I think this an incredibly productive way to learn. It has made me think more about my own time in college and where I’ve seen the most benefit. I think this experience has been the greatest learning experience I’ve had because I was able to work through and solve real business problems and take lasting action on them. As I am nearing graduation, I feel I am more ready for the job market than I’ve ever been.