Welcome to the Digital Marketing Boot Camp!

Congratulations on your acceptance to the Digital Marketing Boot Camp!

You are about to embark on a transformational journey that will dramatically improve your skill set. At times, it will be challenging, frustrating, and even bewildering, but trust us; it will be worth it in the end.

This program's curriculum is not easy. You will be exposed to new ideas at breakneck speeds and challenged to complete difficult exercises. Be prepared to push yourself and to be pushed.

That said, remember every one of us, behind the scenes, is rooting for you. You were accepted into this program because we believe in your potential to succeed. You will have excellent instructors, dedicated teacher assistants, an extremely rich curriculum, and supportive peers to nudge you forward. If you put in the time and effort, we're confident you will find the success you're looking for.

The Importance of Prework

Because of the challenging nature of this program, we want you to come ready to sprint on day one. To help prepare you, we've created these modules to be completed before your first day. The prework will provide you with the preliminary skills and information you'll need to begin the course. It will also give you a glimpse of what's to come.

We recommend reading the sections in sequential order, as each section builds on the previous one. You should also complete the recommended readings and culminating activity.

Tips for Virtual Learning

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, almost all education programs in the U.S. have moved their classes to an online format. Our program is no different. While this is required in order to keep everybody healthy, we know it may cause a little uncertainty. Rest assured that all of our instructors have undergone training in using virtual conference platforms for online teaching, and they receive ongoing support throughout the length of the course.

We know not everyone feels confident about learning new skills in an online format, but we’re here to help you succeed. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your class:

  • Recognize that this may be weird at first. You might be new to online learning. Even if you aren’t, juggling the various platforms may feel confusing and clunky at first. You may feel overwhelmed. You won’t be alone in feeling this way. Online learning has gotten more popular, but it is still a fairly new modality and your instructor may be learning alongside you. Be patient with your classmates, the instructional staff and, most importantly, with yourself. Everyone will go through a learning curve, but eventually things will normalize and become routine. Until that point, don’t be afraid to ask for help!

  • Get to know your classmates and instructors. You’ll get more out of the course if it feels like you’re part of a shared community. Camaraderie can be difficult to develop through a computer screen, but there are ways to get to know your fellow classmates. Participate in class and in your cohort’s Slack space (more on Slack coming up). You don’t have to get too personal, but you can do things like: share your thoughts on brands you like/dislike, talk about your experiences with marketing as a customer, or share a funny ad or marketing-related meme you’ve seen.

  • Treat class time like you would a live class. If you were sitting in a classroom, there would be few potential distractions around you. Likewise, you should make the area where you sign on to class as distraction-free as possible. If you can, go to a quiet room, silence your phone, and ask others in your home to avoid distracting you while you’re online.

  • Budget time for classwork. At the moment, with most people stuck at home all the time, the days can feel like they all blend into one another. You may not realize that you’re getting closer to the due date of an assignment in these circumstances. Deliberately scheduling time throughout the week for your coursework will help. Set aside three hours 3 to 4 times a week for studying and doing homework. Your work won’t feel as overwhelming this way, and you won’t be working on assignments last-minute!

Good luck, have fun, and get pumped! You are in for an amazing ride.