This word has appeared in 92 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
Special End-of-Year 2025 News Quiz for Students
See what you remember about this extraordinary year by taking our special 2025 news quiz.
5 Reasons Why Codecademy Bootcamps are Different (& Better)
When most people think “coding bootcamp,” they picture the same thing: quit your job, commit 12+ weeks of your life, show up to a classroom (or Zoom room) at set times, and hope it all pays off. Traditional bootcamps have positioned themselves as all-or-nothing career transformation machines; they’re intensive, expensive, and built for people who can afford to put their lives on pause.
That old bootcamp model wasn’t designed for today’s uncertain, non-linear career paths. Not everyone can afford to stop earning income for 3 months. Not everyone learns best in a rigid, high-pressure environment. On top of that, not everyone wants to pivot careers. Plenty of professionals want to deepen their existing skills, not abandon their field entirely, but the all-or-nothing approach leaves out everyone in between.
Of course, it’s not just about what works for learners — the market itself has transformed, too. Tech stacks evolve faster than ever, frameworks rise and fall, and new tools become industry standard within months. Careers require constant adaptation, which means you can’t stop learning once you graduate a bootcamp. You need skills that stack and compound, not just a single credential.
That’s why we built All Access: unlimited bootcamps for $599. Take as many Codecademy bootcamps as you need to stay relevant, adaptable, and ready for whatever comes next. And if you sign up for All Access by December 16, you can save $100 on the offer. Our bootcamps are designed for people who have lives, jobs, and goals that don’t fit into a one-size-fits-all box. Here’s what makes Codecademy bootcamps different — and better.
Flexible, short-term commitment
Traditional bootcamps make you choose between your current job and your education. Codecademy bootcamps run on your schedule, with just a few live sessions a week that you can easily keep up while working. Learner Yvonne Müller described the Codecademy bootcamp format as “well-organized, practical, and intense in the best way.” Most programs run 6 weeks — long enough to build real skills and portfolio projects, short enough to fit into your life without derailing it. You can browse the list of upcoming bootcamps to find a session that fits your schedule.
With Codecademy bootcamps, you get live virtual sessions with recordings available for on-demand access, so you can catch up or review on your own time. During your bootcamp, you’ll have unlimited access to code challenges, career prep tools, interview practice, and the entire Pro catalog, so you can reinforce what you’re learning and explore adjacent skills.
Live expert instruction and industry insights
Some concepts are easier to grasp when you can ask questions in the moment, talk through problems with a real person, or see how an expert approaches a challenge. That’s where bootcamps come in.
You’ll learn live from industry professionals who can share what matters in the job market. What do employers look for in a portfolio? How do you structure code for a real team environment? How are teams using AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot in production? What skills are most in-demand right now? Your instructors bring that insider perspective because they’re actively working in the field.
You’ll also get personalized feedback on your projects and chances to ask questions and work through concepts together. For example, when learner Liz Thorp attended our AI Maker Bootcamp, the instructor hosted weekly doubt-clearing sessions, where participants could meet up and troubleshoot issues live. “The doubt-clearing sessions were especially helpful — not just for solving my own questions, but also for learning from others,” she says.
Cost efficiency
Traditional in-person coding bootcamps can cost $10,000–$20,000. These intensive programs are aimed at career switchers who are betting everything on a transformation. Codecademy bootcamps start at a fraction of that cost, because they’re designed for working professionals who want results, not debt.
Learner Ben Newell was familiar with our self-paced courses, but “wanted to take my learning to the next level with AI agents,” he says. He considered other bootcamp programs but ultimately went with Codecademy because of the cost. “I was like, This is way cheaper; I like the platform and I’ve already done a lot of really good stuff on here,” he says. “I decided to make an investment and sign up.”
The cool thing about Codecademy bootcamps is your potential isn’t limited to just one bootcamp. We launch new bootcamps each month, and with our All Access plan, you have the flexibility to build the exact skill set your career needs, when you need it.
Grow your network
A hallmark of the bootcamp experience is getting to expand your network, both with your fellow attendees and your instructors. While our learners and instructors are located around the world, you can count on having opportunities for connection throughout the experience. After Ben completed the Mastering Generative AI & Agents bootcamp, he connected with his instructor on LinkedIn and Discord. He plans to stay in touch and turn to these connections when he needs feedback on future projects.
We know that accountability and collaboration are important at every stage of your learning journey. Beyond your supportive bootcamp cohort, you can tap into the broader Codecademy community and everything that your Pro account offers.
Stack bootcamps as you grow
Your career doesn’t stop evolving after one bootcamp — why should your learning?
With the All Access plan, you can take unlimited bootcamps as your skills and goals advance. Master front-end development, then add back-end. Build your data analysis foundation, then stack machine learning. And between bootcamps, you’ll keep your full Codecademy Pro access to reinforce what you’ve learned and explore what’s next. Browse our upcoming bootcamps and see what’s possible.
Ultimately, employers aren’t looking for single-skill specialists anymore. They want versatile developers and savvy AI practitioners who can adapt as technology changes. Taking multiple bootcamps means you can expand into adjacent roles, qualify for promotions that require broader skill sets, or pivot when your industry shifts.
With Codecademy All Access for $599, you get unlimited bootcamp access plus Pro — making it the smart choice whether you’re taking 2 bootcamps or 10.
Explore upcoming bootcamps
Helping educators build AI confidence with OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers course
By Greg Hart, CEO of Coursera
Today, I’m excited to share that Coursera is partnering with OpenAI to launch ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers, a new course designed to help K–12 educators build practical, real-world skills for using AI to support teaching and learning.
As AI transforms how people learn and work, teachers are on the frontlines of that change. Three in five teachers already use an AI tool — many turning to it to save time, personalize instruction, and support students more effectively. Yet many still lack access to the training and guidance they need to use these tools confidently and responsibly.
ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers offers a hands-on, approachable introduction to using ChatGPT in ways that meaningfully enhance classroom practice. It helps educators understand how ChatGPT works, tailor it to their teaching needs, and apply it to real school and administrative tasks.
The course includes:
- How ChatGPT works: foundational concepts explained clearly and simply
- Personalize ChatGPT: adapting it to support the way you teach
- Practical classroom applications: examples for lesson planning, student support, and communication
- Responsible use: guidance for safe, ethical, age-appropriate integration of AI
The course is designed to help teachers use AI as a supportive, reliable partner that frees up time, expands creativity, and strengthens student engagement.
Educators are at the heart of our mission, and we’re proud to work with OpenAI to expand learning opportunities for teachers. When educators feel confident using AI, they amplify their impact in the classroom and help millions of students build the digital skills they’ll need in the years ahead.
We’re also excited to partner in OpenAI’s broader efforts to expand access to practical AI skills. As part of that, OpenAI is introducing AI Foundations, a new course designed to help workers across industries build essential, hands-on AI capabilities. Through early pilots with leading employers, universities, and public-sector partners, AI Foundations gives learners a way to practice real tasks directly inside ChatGPT and demonstrate job-ready AI skills. By providing the OpenAI Certified app inside ChatGPT, Coursera delivers an embedded learning environment that brings our best-in-class learning experience seamlessly into ChatGPT. Coursera will also play a critical role in ensuring that the courses and certifications meet high standards for learning design, psychometric rigor, and real-world impact.
Together, AI Foundations and ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers offer learners and educators multiple on-ramps to build the AI fluency needed in a rapidly changing world.
How Do You Shop?
The Times reported on Gen Z shopping trends. What would you say about where your generation shops and what you buy?
Style in 2025
Who would make your best dressed list this year?
Word of the Day: fruition
This word has appeared in 444 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
What TV Show or Other Entertainment Brings Your Family Together?
Is there a show, sports team, musical artist, game or book that you and your family bond over?
Word of the Day: scurry
This word has appeared in 37 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
A Practical Guide to Exam Taking Strategies
Writing Phase
Read the questions
When the exam starts, carefully read the questions. Think about what the focus of the question is and if there are any terms you need to define or distinguish between first. Pay attention to the depth of the question. Some questions are shallower and ask for definitions, but others will require you to evaluate or compare/contrast. Certain keywords in the question will give away the expected depth. Verbs like ‘Discuss’, ‘Evaluate’, ‘Explain’ usually afford more depth and elaboration than ‘Define’ or ‘List’.
Plan your answers
For essay answers, make a short outline of your answer. This will be your ‘plan of attack’. Note down how you plan to start your answer, how many paragraphs you will be writing, and what each paragraph will be about. Note down key points for each paragraph and compare this outline with what the question asks you to do.
Answer the question (essay)
This should go without saying, but every year we see answers that are well written, but that do not actually answer the question asked. So, keep your answer focused and relevant to what the question asks. Stay on topic and do not divert to concepts that are irrelevant to the question. Think about the most logical order for your arguments in your answer to increase the flow of it. When raising arguments or making points, try to do this in an evidence-based way by connecting this to concepts, theories, and findings that were discussed in class. To gauge if your answer is an answer to the question, I recommend using the ‘Guess-The-Question’ exercise. Imagine someone read your answer without knowing the question, would they be able to guess the question?
Answer the question (MCQ)
When you read a multiple-choice question (MCQ), try to come up with the answer before looking at the alternatives. This can make it easier to spot the correct answer among the incorrect alternatives. One approach is to answer the questions you feel most confident with first and then tackle the more challenging ones. For the more difficult ones, try these steps:
Eliminate answer alternatives that are least likely to be correct.
For the remaining alternatives do the True/False test: For each alternative try to decide if the alternative by itself is likely to be true or false. Then chose the true alternative that aligns best with the question.
If you still cannot infer the answer, take a guess, but only do this if you don’t receive penalty points for wrong responses. So, check your exam rules first. Guessing is only an option if it doesn’t come with negative consequences. If you don’t get points deducted for wrong MCQ answers, definitely guess and don’t leave any questions unanswered.
Plan your time
Most exams will have to be completed within a set time. So, keep an eye on the clock and plan for buffers throughout. Your total exam time is a combination of reading, planning, answering, and final checks, but I would also always add a buffer in there in case you get stuck (see tips below) or just for some time to pause and think. Here is a rough plan for a 1-hour essay exam answer for a scenario in which you are given several essay questions and you pick one to answer: 3 minutes to read all questions and select which question to answer, 5 minutes to make an outline and plan your answer, 40 minutes exam answer writing, 8 minutes for final checks and tweaks, and 4 minutes buffer. This is just an example, and you can tweak this accordingly.
If you get stuck
This can happen and is it does try to follow the following steps.
If you are well enough to attempt recall from memory: Sit back, breathe, close your eyes, and try to remember. Shutting out any distractions by closing your eyes can be helpful in remembering things you have learned (1). Try to recall your notes on the topic or the materials you have read. You can also try to put yourself back in your study space to cue your memory.
If you feel too overwhelmed to attempt memory recall, do this box breathing exercise first:
a. Sit back and close your eyes.
b. Breathe in for 4 counts through your nose.
c. Hold your breath for 4 counts.
d. Breathe out for 6 counts through your mouth.
e. Repeat 2-3 times.
Afterwards, try step 1.
