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How I Went From IT Consultant to Software Engineer in 1 Year

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How I Went From IT Consultant to Software Engineer in 1 Year

Learning to code so that you can land a job in tech can feel daunting. That’s why we’re sharing inspiring stories from Codecademy’s community — to show how people like you (yes, you!) can embark on a learning journey and end up with a totally new career. We hope these stories serve as a reminder that there’s no single path to a more fulfilling work life. 

Today’s story is from Fabrizio Bertoglio, a 36-year-old React Native Engineer at Expensify, living in Bali, Indonesia. Read more stories from Codecademy learners here — and be sure to share your story here. 

Why I chose to learn to code 

“I dabbled in coding as a kid and found that I enjoyed it. I always knew I had an interest in technology and wanted to work remotely. Programming seemed like the perfect opportunity for me, especially given my interest in the field. 

So, I committed to spending about an hour each night on Codecademy for a month. I began with JavaScript, and to my surprise, I made significant progress by dedicating just one hour per day. This motivated me to continue, and I maintained high expectations for my progress. Gradually, I transitioned from my role as an IT Consultant to a Software Engineer. 

After completing the Codecademy course, I secured a job in Munich and moved there. This move gave me an opportunity to further enhance my skills through professional experience.”  

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How I made time to learn 

“I started with one hour per night. I did the JavaScript course, and when I realized there was potential, I found myself in a situation where switching careers was a viable option. I decided to fully commit and dedicated myself to coding full-time for a month, doing the Full-Stack Engineer career path with Codecademy, which covers everything from backend to frontend technologies. 

After that, I began traveling in Asia. I moved to Bali and began developing mobile apps and web applications. I was a little bit inspired by other digital nomads like Pieter Levels who were building and launching their own apps, which motivated me to follow a similar path. Working remotely and learning to code while building apps seemed like the ideal route for me. I spent six months developing different apps, which significantly helped me consolidate my skills.”  

How I saved up money to switch careers 

“I worked on managing my expenses and saving money a lot. I utilized a mobile app to record every expense manually, like dining out to any other expenditure. It was very tedious and annoying, but it helped me monitor my spending habits closely, especially in certain categories. I consistently reviewed my budget and identified areas where I tended to overspend and focused on free activities. 

Living in Bali, Indonesia, made it significantly cheaper for me. When I was in Europe and working, I could save a lot of money because I controlled my expenses pretty well. I quit drinking [alcohol] and replaced it with Coca-Cola Zero, or I substituted fun activities with other alternatives, such as visiting waterfalls or surfing. Additionally, I read a lot of books about self-improvement.”  

How long it took me to land a job 

“I started coding in 2017 on Codecademy, and my first job was in 2018. I started contributing to the React Native open-source project in 2020 and I began working at Meta as a part-time contractor in 2022.” 

How I got in the door 

“After contributing to the React Native open-source project for two years, I started working as a contractor at Meta. Now I continue to work on their open-source project with Expensify.” 

How I evaluated the offer 

“I believe it’s a lot about your day-to-day work and continually developing and building upon the interest and passion for your work as a Software Engineer. I am particularly interested in specializing in a specific area and becoming an expert in that field. I’ve had the opportunity for a relatively long time to specialize in this area and I’m striving to become an expert in it to bring more value to my work — and I find it more personally fulfilling.”  

How day one and beyond went 

“Before when I was an IT consultant, I did see a little bit of code, but I was never actually writing it or committing it to production. So, it was a big opportunity for me, which was rewarding, and I did learn a lot. It was a significant step in my career. Starting at Meta was much, much easier because I had already contributed to the open-source project for a long time. When I started working with them, I had already made significant contributions and gained valuable experience.” 

What I wish I knew before I started learning 

“When I started, Codecademy was very good because it kept me motivated, and did not make it too difficult to start. I did try to start coding before, but I failed. I think actually learning was a big step. I would not change anything in my career, even though I could do many things better. I will do this work for the rest of my life — I’m happy that I found something that keeps me interested.”  

Not sure where to start? Check out our personality quiz! We’ll help you find the best programming language to learn based on your strengths and interests. 

Want to share your Codecademy learner story? Drop us a line here. And don’t forget to join the discussions in our community. 

Color Love | Blush Pink

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Color Love | Blush Pink

Blush Pink Color Palette featuring shades of pink, grey and green

If you’re on the lookout for a perfect spring color that’s both feminine and stylish, blush pink color palette is the way to go! It looks absolutely amazing when paired with light grey and green, giving off fresh, soft, and clean vibes. I personally think it’s a perfect fit for lifestyle and beauty website designs because the soft, warm tones have a way of making your visitors feel right at home.

Blush Pink Color Palette

Although shades of pink are often associated with flowers, they can be used for a variety of purposes.

A while ago, I used a pink color palette to create a design called Jasmine, which is now your all-time favorite. It’s ideal for small business owners, personal coaches, or stylists. The warm pink tones are subtle and not overpowering, so you can easily showcase your content while keeping it feminine.

Make sure to check Jasmine WordPress Theme!

Jasmine WordPress Theme in pink

As always, I have put together a mood board with some inspiration. It is in perfect Pinterest format, so feel free to pin it for later.

If you're on the lookout for a perfect spring color that's both feminine and stylish, blush pink color palette is the way to go!

See our collection of other gorgeous color palettes by visiting our color palette section.

What do you think about this Blush Pink Color Palette? I’d love to see how you incorporate these colors into your designs! Don’t hesitate to share your creations in the comments or on social media. Let’s inspire each other!

Make sure you take a look at our blog post about the importance of using color in blog design. It’s a really interesting read and will show you just how big of a role colors can play in your projects.

Looking for more inspiration?

Browse other color palettes. There are so many beautiful combinations out there to choose from!

Do you link spring colors?

Browse logos from our Etsy store which features botanical elements and bright pink and green shades

If you create something using today’s color palette, don’t forget to share it with me!

How to answer “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” in interviews

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How to answer “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” in interviews

Welcome back to our interview series. Last week, we kicked things off with one common interview question, “Why did you apply for this role?” This week, we are wading into another frequently asked question—and the topic of the most-read article on Coursera—“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Strengths and weaknesses is a classic behavioral interview question, and like all behavioral interview questions, interviewers ask it in order to learn more about who you are and how you work. Broadly, these questions may touch upon the way you organize, communicate, make decisions, take initiative, and work with others. They are typically phrased in a way that requests or allows you to recall a specific example to illustrate your past behaviors. For example:

  • How do you manage competing demands?
  • What was a difficult decision you had to make in the last year? What made it difficult?
  • Tell me about a time when you identified a problem and came up with a solution.

Behavioral questions tend to be related to your workplace skills—they’re less about the technical aspects of what you do, and more about the way you go about doing your tasks. So to prepare, think about how your workplace skills have made you a better, more effective colleague. (For inspiration, revisit our issue on the top skills of 2023.)

Now let’s explore how you may go about answering behavioral interview questions with one that is frequently top-of-mind:

“Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses.”

Interviewers ask this to learn more about what you think about yourself. Think of it as an opportunity to share what you’re most proud of and ways you hope to keep growing.

For strengths, review the job description and see if you can identify one or two responsibilities that align with things you do really well. Then, provide a real-life example and try to back it up with a measurable result. In your answer, touch upon two points:

  • In what ways are you good at this strength?
  • How does this strength help you at work?

Here’s an example of someone who excels at collaboration:

“I’ve always enjoyed working cross-functionally—I actually consider it one of my strongest attributes. In my current role as a marketing research analyst, I held several focus groups and synthesized the results of that user feedback to stakeholders across my company’s product, design, and marketing departments. My abilities to communicate clearly with other teams and collaborate to ensure accurate deliverables ensured that we launched an effective product that better addressed user needs.”

For weaknesses, talk about an area where you’d like to grow. The key here is to pair self-awareness with action and results. Be sure to touch upon these two points:

  • What have you been doing to improve?
  • How has that improvement had a positive impact on your work?

Here’s an example of someone who is working on their public speaking skills:

“I am a naturally shy person, so presenting in front of others has been a challenge. A few years ago, I led a big project and was asked to present my findings to the company’s leadership team. I was so nervous. But I wanted to move past that fear, so I signed up for Toastmasters as a way to practice public speaking. Not only did this help get me through that first presentation, but it also helped me feel more confident as a leader.”

Sharpening your workplace skills

After reflecting on the way you show up in the workplace, a helpful next step may be proactively seeking self-improvement opportunities. You can always revisit all of our course recommendations for the top skills of 2023, or consider these picks:

To explore a range of in-demand workplace skills, try IBM’s People and Soft Skills for Professional and Personal Success Specialization. Here, you’ll take a closer look at techniques to improve skills like collaboration, presentation, and problem solving.

To practice answering interview questions, try the University of Maryland’s Advanced Interviewing Techniques. In this course, you’ll get tips for answering behavioral interview questions—including discussing your weaknesses.

To find courses related to a specific weakness, type your desired area of growth into the search bar on Coursera. Use filters on the left sidebar to narrow your results, and take a look at the course ratings and reviews to see how other learners felt about the course.

If you need help finding a course or just want our recommendation, let us know what you’re working toward in the comments and we will see what we can find!

Next week, we’ll continue this conversation with an issue on situational interview questions. See you then!

10 Reasons to Become a Better Photographer

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10 Reasons to Become a Better Photographer

Develop your camera and photo-editing skills with self-paced . The field of photography has been growing and expanding since the first Kodak cameras made their way into amateur hands in the late 19th century. Today, with millions of pictures being shared and captured every hour, there is no better time to learn what makes a good picture great!

Whether you yearn to become a professional photographer or just want to take your camera skills to the next level, here are 10 reasons to broaden your horizons and learn how to make frame-worthy images. You’ll also get a snapshot of some of our free online photography courses.

1. Break Free from Blurry Snapshots and Frustration

Picture the scene – your first child has just been born, your son and his partner have just announced their engagement, or your best friend is turning 18. You’ve been snapping away and can’t wait to see the prints. Like the air going out of a celebration balloon, your excitement disappears as soon as you have the hazy, hapless snaps in your hand. Put an end to the disappointment of poor-quality pics by learning some essential skills for taking a photograph properly.

If you are new to photography, try our beginner’s course Introduction to Digital Photography. Master basic camera settings, learn useful guidelines for framing a shot such as the ‘Rule of Thirds’ and find out about key pieces of equipment that will help you achieve better photos. 

2. Elevate Your Photos from Average to Amazing

Everyday occurrences might seem mundane and boring, however, through a camera lens, it’s a whole different view. From the streets you walk to work, to the vast open rural landscapes, or even the food on your plate! Photography lets you see the world in a new light and appreciate the hidden beauty of your surroundings. Capture your world in all its everyday glory with the help of our free camera courses.

Learn from an industry expert in the short, certificate course Understanding Photo Composition. Top travel photographer Mark Paulda shares insights and skills that have brought his work to magazine shelves across the world.  You’ll learn how to capture an image that’s worth a thousand words, without recourse to digital editing software. 

If you are relatively new to photography, why not get started with our Beginner Digital Photography? It will teach you how to work your camera, including the all-important relationship between shutter, aperture and ISO that you need to know before taking Paulda’s course.

3. Open Doors to New Opportunities and Experiences

Photography lets you get to know people in different ways through the lens and also enables you to learn from people and see the world through their perspective. While a wildlife photographer may enjoy the isolation, many photographers relish the social aspect of taking pictures. Whether meeting the locals when you travel to a new place, or running into like-minded people, it is easy to make new friends and savour new experiences when you are a photographer.

There are always new advances to explore in photography. Photo by David Henrichs on Unsplash

From comparing cameras to critiquing techniques there is always something new to try.  

4. Learn to Tell a Story with Your Photos

Thousands of famous events in history have been captured in a second and portray a fuller narrative. You too can harness the power of photography and tell a story with just one image.

Why not enhance your visual storytelling techniques by learning photo-editing skills? A course like the Diploma in Photo Editing provides training in the industry standard software, Adobe Lightroom, with technical editing techniques such as exposure blending, advanced object removal, and blending moments in time.

If you love to combine your creativity with technical know-how, another great option is Advanced Photo Editing and Exporting. Here, photographer Matthew Storer explains how to use Lightroom and Adobe’s other popular image editing programme Photoshop to best effect. Topics include cloning, dodge and burn effects as well as the Orton effect and Sunflare in Lightroom, and in Photoshop, important aspects like removing objects, and exporting images for social media and printing.

5. Take Control of Your Camera and Unleash Its Potential

The beauty of photography is that there’s always something new to discover. If it’s new equipment, you need to learn how to use it. With endlessly creative ways to edit your photo, photography will always offer something new, exciting and different to try.

A still from the course Introduction to Digital Photography.

If you know your way around the basic camera settings, our free courses include sequels to the Introduction to Digital Photography. These include:

  • Intermediate Digital Photography – Gain the confidence to take control of your camera’s manual settings with lessons in shutter speed, ISO, aperture and much more. This course also covers techniques for touching up your images in Photoshop for a professional finish.
  • Advanced Digital Photography – Learn about exposure settings, adding filters, and enhancing images using Photoshop. Topics include bracketing, flash photography, hyperfocal distance, focal length and perspective.
  • Another excellent option is Matthew Storer’s Landscape Photography – Equipment Basics, Focusing and Filters. Topics include how to read a histogram to ensure you have the desired level of exposure, along with the best filters and metering modes for stunning scenic shots.

6. Stop Missing Those Perfect Photo Moments

The fast-paced, technology-driven world we live in can sometimes mean we miss out on the present and those everyday moments. Mastering key elements of photography will encourage you to live in the moment and appreciate life’s little beauties as your senses are on the alert for the perfect picture. With our training courses, you will have a new level of attention to detail and will be ever ready to seize the day!

Ignite your passion and take your photography skills to the ‘wow’ level with our Diploma in Digital Photography. You’ll learn about different photographic styles, effective techniques for photographing different subjects and the editing know-how to make your pictures shine. As Alison graduate Shant A. says: “This is an amazing course for beginners or pros for refreshing their basic skills and info.”

7. Unlock Your Creativity and Express Yourself 

Photography is an amazing creative outlet that lets you express yourself in a million different ways. It allows you to share your passion and views with the world.

Fashion photographer Claire Petersen demonstrates editing techniques in the course Self-Portraiture and Street Style Photoshoot

A course such as Self-Portraiture and Street Style Photoshoot will teach you how to take professional-looking selfies and outdoor shots. Fashion and lifestyle photographer and blogger Claire Petersen shows you not only the mechanics of setting up your camera, but also how to get your portrait looking its best using editing software.

With so many platforms available today you can share your pictures instantaneously. 

8. Boost Your Confidence and Mind Your Mental Health

While photography is an amazing outlet to share your passion with the world, it can also boost your mental health. The connection between creative activities and mental wellbeing is so well established that in many countries, doctors have turned to ‘social prescribing’ or suggesting hobbies as a non-medical treatment method for patients with mild to moderate depression. 

In a hectic and pressurised world, photography helps you to relax and unwind, forgetting the stress and strain of daily life.

9. Sharpen Your Skills and See the World in a New Light

Whether it’s a whole new country and culture, or just a part of town you’ve never been to before, photography opens your eyes to the differences in the world around you.

The beauty of a camera (well most of them) is that they are small and compact enough to carry. The best way to master photography is through practice, so being able to take a camera with you wherever you go is always helpful.

If you love to capture different places, a course like Landscape Photography – Exposure, Composition, and Editing will boost your photographic artistry. In this course, Matthew Storer, who specialises in landscape and night photography, delivers a masterclass in composing epic images and editing them to best effect.

Lastly and most importantly ….

10. Capture Breathtaking Photos You’ll Cherish Forever

Photography empowers you to have and relive amazing moments in your life. Whether it was a beautiful sunset or your child’s first steps, you’ll have these moments to look back on and cherish. That’s the beauty of photography – the ability to capture a moment in time and a memory to last forever.

Register for your free account here now and you can enrol in your first course today! It’s that easy! With completely flexible online learning, you can pause a tutorial, go out and practise your new skills, then return to the lesson. Download the app and you can (virtually) take the tutor with you! With course options for beginners, keen amateurs and professional photographers, you can begin creating perfect pictures right now.

Free Career Guide

If you are considering a career as a professional photographer, you can find out more in our comprehensive career guide. You can also look into becoming a wedding photographer, capturing the most romantic moments in a couple’s lives, or for a completely different take, a forensic photographer, gathering evidence in crime or medical investigations.

Weekly Student News Quiz: Israel, Abortion Law, Trial of the Century

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Weekly Student News Quiz: Israel, Abortion Law, Trial of the Century

On April 9, Arizona’s highest court upheld a long-dormant law that bans nearly all abortions, a decision that could have far-reaching consequences for women’s health care and election-year politics in a critical battleground state.

When was the law enacted?

Defying the Odds: Kelia Conteh Jr. CEM’s Journey Through Online Learning

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Defying the Odds: Kelia Conteh Jr. CEM’s Journey Through Online Learning

In the heart of Sierra Leone, during the devastating Ebola outbreak of 2014, a story of determination, resilience, and transformation unfolded. This is the journey of Kelia Conteh Jr. CEM, a young man who dared to embrace online learning at a time when it was met with scepticism and mistrust in his country. His story is not just about overcoming challenges; it’s a testament to the power of digital education in changing lives.

The Beginning of a Remarkable Journey

Kelia’s adventure into online learning began amidst one of the most challenging periods in Sierra Leone’s history. With the country grappling with the Ebola crisis, traditional education systems were under strain, and the concept of online learning was still in its infancy. Despite this, Kelia was determined to pursue his educational dreams through the digital world. He started with courses from local e-learning platforms, earning certificates that reflected his commitment to learning. But it was his encounter with Alison that marked a turning point in his life.

Overcoming Barriers

The journey was far from easy. In Sierra Leone, access to the internet is both expensive and limited. Yet, Kelia’s resolve didn’t falter. He sought out free WiFi hotspots, a testament to his resilience and unwavering dedication to his studies. His efforts bore fruit when he completed his first Diploma course on Alison, a milestone that not only expanded his knowledge but also opened new doors for him.

A Job Against All Odds

Kelia’s achievement was soon followed by another significant milestone – securing his first job shortly after the loss of his mother. This was a poignant moment, a beacon of hope amidst personal tragedy. When doubts arose about the credibility of his online education, Kelia stood firm, confident in the knowledge and skills he had acquired. His expertise in Business Process Management, gained through Alison, eventually led him to a job. In a challenging hiring process that tested candidates’ competence over seven days, Kelia excelled, securing the position and proving his doubters wrong.

Transforming Perceptions

Despite some family members viewing him as a dropout, Kelia’s achievements told a different story. With three Diploma certificates from various universities around the world and graduation from the University at Albany, State University of New York School of Public, Kelia has indisputably proven the value of online education.

Kelia Conteh Jr. CEM’s journey is a powerful reminder of the transformative impact of digital education. Through perseverance, dedication, and a belief in the potential of online learning, Kelia not only overcame the challenges he faced but also paved the way for others to follow. His story is an inspiration to many, shining a light on the life-changing opportunities that online education can offer to those willing to embrace it. His story exemplifies the essence of what we stand for at Alison: the belief that education, accessible to all, has the power to change lives. Let’s take inspiration from Kelia’s journey and continue to break barriers, defy expectations, and transform futures through the power of online learning.

What Sign, Symbol or Emoji Best Represents Your Generation?

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What Sign, Symbol or Emoji Best Represents Your Generation?

When you see peace signs, like those pinned to the graduation caps in the image above, what comes to mind? Does the symbol mean anything to you? Why do you think the students in the photograph might have been wearing it?

Are there any signs, symbols or emojis that you could see the students in your graduating class wearing in unison one day? Is there one image that you think best represents your generation?

In “Does the Peace Sign Stand a Chance?” Michael Rock, a founder of a design studio who also teaches brand strategy at the Yale School of Management, writes about the evolution of the peace sign:

The signs and symbols that designate our beliefs and affiliations are slippery. While the Christian cross, the Islamic star and crescent, the Jewish Star of David and their copyrighted, vigorously litigated corporate equivalents — swooshes, apples and targets — may prove resilient, a dizzying mix of familiar and newly minted graphic devices now compete for our dwindling attention.

These days there is no movement without messaging. Even anarchy has a brand identity, its scratchy circled A logo has migrated from your corner lamppost to a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor Anarchy-edition All-Stars. From the pink hats of the Women’s March to the red hats of the Capitol raid, rainbows to thin blue lines, salute emojis to watermelon emojis, we are navigating a thicket of improvised graphic devices.

Then there is the case of the peace sign. Originally devised in the late 1950s by the activist and designer Gerald Holtom as a symbol for the British antinuclear proliferation movement, the ubiquitous divided circle mark — derived by overlapping the flag-semaphore signals for the letters N and D to stand for Nuclear Disarmament — itself quickly proliferated as an open-source logo for global antiwar and counterculture movements.

From its inception Mr. Holtom insisted that his mark remain forever in the public domain. But without the protections of centuries-old institutional traditions or menacing cease-and-desist letters, symbols are vulnerable to appropriation. Since no one owns the peace sign, it can be leveraged for whatever by whomever. (Looking at you, Craigslist.) Even by the early 1970s, the once highly charged peace symbol was devolving into an anodyne lifestyle and fashion motif akin to a smiley face.

Mr. Rock also includes what his current students think of the peace sign:

A highly unscientific survey of my Gen Z students and colleagues suggests that after decades of relentless commodification, younger generations may have lost the thread. The typical associations I heard — “hippie,” “Venice Beach,” “someone pretty easygoing and kind of disconnected,” “coexist” and “slacker” — sounded more like a marketer’s kombucha psychographic than a radical revolutionary.

“I take one look at the peace sign, and it feels really dated and meaningless,” Gabby Uy, a 22-year-old college junior, told me. “It reminds me of being in elementary school, and this was on everybody’s water bottles or T-shirts, and the world seemed a lot simpler than it actually is.”

“I wouldn’t consider it progressive or anything,” Ben Gertner, a 21-year-old college senior, concurred. “It’s more of an antiquated symbol of ‘just getting along’ — a kind of neutral blanket statement against war and violence.”

“When I see the symbol, my first thought is always a capitalist trinket of sorts,” said Kali Flanagan, 19. While that may sound cynical, the connection to marketing is not entirely surprising considering this is a generation whose first encounter with the mark may have been being swaddled in peace-sign-patterned onesies or fed a bowl of Annie’s Organic Peace Pasta & Parmesan before going on to wear an Urban Outfitters Peace Crochet Bucket Hat, a pair of Vans Old Skool Peace Paisley slip-ons or even a Tiffany platinum and diamond peace pendant.

One might be tempted to think that after decades in service of selling fast fashion, the peace sign is impossibly debased. But while some may dismiss it as anachronistic, others find it retains some of its original poignancy.

“It is relevant to me,” Elizabeth Olshanetsky, 23, another college senior, said. “Two parts of my identity are currently war-torn: Jewish and having lots of family in Israel, and my parents growing up in the Soviet Union and us still having family in Ukraine and Russia.” Context still matters.

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

  • Before reading the article, did you know the origins of the peace sign? If not, where did you think it came from and what did you think it represented? Does learning about its history make you see it differently now?

  • “These days there is no movement without messaging,” Mr. Rock writes. What visual messages do you see in present-day movements? For example, if you’ve attended or seen video footage from protests, marches, demonstrations, parades or picket lines, what slogans and symbols have you seen emblazoned on the signs that people carried? What emojis have you observed being used in social media campaigns? How effective are these images at helping to spread the intended message?

  • Why do you think that images and graphics can hold so much power when it comes to spurring a movement or communicating ideas and beliefs?

  • Do you have a favorite symbol? Maybe it’s one that you like to draw over and over, or a brand logo that you admire, or an emoji that you use often. Why do you like it? What does it mean to you?

  • Is there anything that you wish had a symbol that doesn’t? If you designed that symbol, what would it look like? What would it represent? How would the symbol convey its meaning? How do you see it being used?

  • One might argue that if there was any symbol that best represented the ’60s and ’70s, it was the peace sign. If you had to chose a sign, symbol, emoji or some other image to represent your generation, what would it be? What does it say about you and your peers — your experiences, your interests, your hopes and your worries?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Salt

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Salt

Do you pay attention to the amount of salt in everyday foods? Do you think you are consuming too much?

Did you know that a tablespoon of ketchup has more sodium than 20 Cheez-Its? Or that two slices of Gouda can have more sodium than 55 Goldfish?

Most people in the United States consume far more sodium than federal health officials recommend, which is no more than 2,300 milligrams per day. Exceeding that, they say, can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Think you can spot the biggest salt bombs? Take this quiz to find.

Tell us in the comments about your salt diet and how you did on the quiz. Do you think you will change your diet based on what you learned?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

Word of the Day: thoroughfare

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Word of the Day: thoroughfare

The word thoroughfare has appeared in 104 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 2 in “Rome’s Future Is a Walk Through Its Past” by Elisabetta Povoledo:

As Rome, which will celebrate its 2,777th birthday on April 21, moves toward its fourth millennium, city leaders are promoting a new vision of this area as a giant, pedestrian-friendly public space that supporters say will promote Rome’s ancient past.

… Normally, the area is also crawling with tourists and those who cater to them, including tour guides, street vendors and street artists. Some streets in the area are already closed to traffic besides buses and cabs, but others are busy thoroughfares that link various neighborhoods with the downtown or with the road that winds alongside the Tiber River.

Can you correctly use the word thoroughfare in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

If you want a better idea of how thoroughfare can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

What Elective Do You Wish Your School Offered?

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What Elective Do You Wish Your School Offered?

Does your school offer elective classes? Have you taken any? If so, which have been your favorite? Why?

Are there any elective classes you wish your school offered?

For example, would you be interested in a class that teaches you about where your food comes from?

In “OK, Class, First We Shoot the Deer,” Mark Josephson writes about a Missouri high school program that teaches students just that — in a very hands-on way:

At Maysville High School in Maysville, Mo., population 1,100, classes can be a little tough for the squeamish. Course work can involve assigned reading and algebra, but also a serious amount of blood and guts.

In 2022, the high school, an hour’s drive north of Kansas City, added an elective farm-to-table course run by a family and consumer science teacher, Amy Kanak, who works with an agriculture teacher, Brandi Ellis. Students were already learning to harvest and process livestock and wild game in their agriculture classes, and dissect the organs in science classes. The new course gives them the opportunity to cook meals using the harvested meat, a logical conclusion to the hard work of students in other classes. Ms. Kanak provides instruction on the tail end of the nose-to-tail process, in meal prepping, yield, budgeting and bulk cooking.

But it all starts with the most difficult and messiest part: culling animals and breaking them down. For many students, it’s their first time holding a knife and butchering. Ms. Kanak hopes that students will finish her course with an understanding of where their food comes from.

Ms. Ellis, who finds the classes to be vital in a time of rising grocery bills, said, “It forces them out of their comfort zone a little bit.”

Students, read the entire article and look at the images (though beware if you’re squeamish, as they can be graphic). Then tell us:

  • What do you think about the farm-to-table course at Maysville High School? Is it one you’d like to take? Why or why not?

  • What is one elective you wish your school offered? Use your imagination! What would this class look like? Whom would you want to teach it? What would you hope students would learn from it? Why do you think it would be important?

  • Tell us about the best elective class you’ve ever taken. What made it so meaningful to you?

  • How essential do you think it is for schools to offer elective classes? What do you think students learn from these classes that they may not learn from the regular curriculum?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

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