The Launch School Community

There is a lot more to Launch School than the lessons, books, projects, and assessments that make up the curriculum. Engaging with the student community and taking advantage of the additional resources we provide, such as our Slack workspace, Gather Town virtual space, Community Forum, and live Events is crucial for getting the most out of your time here. Check out the following series of videos to learn about all of the different ways you can get involved.

Slack

The Launch School Slack workspace is where many of our students and TAs hang out. It’s where you can ask questions, engage in conversations, organize study groups, and find live meetups happening in your area. Slack is also where the TAs will contact you to begin your interview assessments, so be sure to sign up for Slack, download the free app, and come say “hello.”

Gather Town

Launch School’s Gather Town space is a virtual study space open to all Launch School students, including those still in Prep. Within this innovative and interactive environment, students have the opportunity to:

• Encounter fellow students exploring similar topics by navigating through the space.
• Hop into study pods or offices for collaborative learning experiences.
• Create personalized study groups.
• Signal your availability for collaboration by hanging out in a common space.
• Use pre-configured coding spaces for individual or joint coding sessions.
• Experience a heightened sense of connection and engagement with other Launch School students and staff.

For a more detailed look at using Gather Town with Launch School, refer to our blog post. Additionally, we’ve provided step-by-step login instructions to assist you when you’re ready to explore this exciting new feature.

Community Forum and Events

The Community Forums are not course-specific and serve as a place to have discussions about anything related to learning to program. We post announcements about happenings at Launch School to these forums, as well as information about live sessions; it’s an excellent idea to check them often.

The Events page is where you can find information about all of the upcoming live events at Launch School, including study sessions, workshops, guest talks, and AMAs.

Periodically checking the forums and the events calendar is a great way to ensure you’re up to date on all of the exciting happenings here at Launch School.

Final Words

There are huge advantages to getting involved with the Launch School community and de-isolating your studying. It’s useful to think of the community as an *additional resource* that is available to you during your learning journey. To understand what we mean by that, check out the following accounts by students who have made use of the community:

• Social Learning at Launch School We encourage all new students to read this article.
• De-Isolate Your Studying, by Nathan Worden
• Gabe, Arthur, and Ben on the importance of studying together and community (Podcast Season 2, Episode 4)

Finally, keep an eye out for periodic “Community Updates,” which are email blasts that summarize major events in the Launch School community. You can adjust your notification preferences from My Account on the sidebar if you do not wish to receive these emails.