Silicon Valley is home to some of the most creative ventures and unique businesses in the world. And the latest project to come down the line is no exception.
With the rising cost of education and a growing disdain for traditional academia among tech developers, it seems like the perfect storm for a new kind of education. And given Silicon Valley’s constant demand for such creative critical thinkers, this has culminated in the founding of a new coding school named 42.
The school's name references the science-fiction series "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," in which the number is the solution to "the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything."
At first glance, it might seem like just a vocational school for software developers, but after doing some research, it’s so much more than that.
Firstly, it’s free. The school is a non-profit funded by billionaire Xavier Niel, who started 42 using $100 million of his own money.
One of the centerpoints of the 42 philosophy is the need to eliminate excessive college debt, and this is their means of doing so.
Today, 3 in 5 college graduates leave school in debt. The average debt per borrower--including those who do not graduate--is nearly $30,000, which can be crippling to young people just entering the workforce. This is part of the reason 42 provides such an attractive alternative to traditional higher education.
But this philosophy isn’t only about finances, it’s about opportunity. That’s why anyone from age 18 to 30 can apply, with or without a degree (or coding experience). But that isn’t to say that everyone gets in. This school is highly competitive, and begins with the intense “Piscine,” also known as “Bootcamp.”
For the first four weeks, students code Monday through Sunday, day and night, trying to prove that they’re good enough to be a part of this school. After this, admissions are determined, and the top students are allowed to continue with this program.
That isn’t even the most radical part of this university. The biggest difference is the lack of teachers.
The model involves project-based learning, with students peer-reviewing each other’s code, and takes 3-5 years to complete. This school is all about emphasizing creativity and critical thinking without a price tag.
While it’s admittedly unorthodox, 42 has a fantastic approach to education. It only seems natural that this sort of off-the-wall university would reside in Silicon Valley. But this sort of against-the-grain notion of education isn’t simply characteristic of California start-ups, it’s an idea very connected with the computer science and the coding community.
For many of those in this community, the idea of going to college for computer science is ridiculous. They believe it can be self-taught, without the need for a regular classroom or teachers. This works because computer science is a field where you either have good code or you don’t. It’s more about the skills you have than the degrees on your wall.
This is the model for the autodidact — the driven thinker, determined to get ahead. So in teaching students this way, 42 doesn’t necessarily create a whole new model for education. These ideals have always been there. But 42 it takes those students who want to teach themselves and gives them a place to do so.
