How to: Apr 18, 2025
1. freeCodeCamp just published a comprehensive course on how to train your own GPT-like Large Language Model from scratch. You'll learn how to use Python libraries to load text data, train a tokenizer, and implement the Transformer architecture. Then you'll pre-train your model and use supervised learning to fine-tune it. By the end of the course, you'll have built your own AI assistant that you can chat with. (4 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/train-your-own-llm/

2. And if you want to go even deeper with Python, we also published a course on data engineering fundamentals. You'll adopt the mindset and best practices of the two senior platform engineers who teach this course. Some of the techniques you'll learn include extracting data from APIs, automatic schema management, incremental loading, and how to orchestrate scalable workflows. (4 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/data-loading-with-python-and-ai

3. On this week's freeCodeCamp podcast, I interview Alyson La who used freeCodeCamp to teach herself how to program while working as an accountant. She was able to transition to a data analyst role and ultimately became a data engineer at GitHub. After one of her kids was diagnosed with Autism, she stepped away from her career for 3 years. She now teaches other women how to re-enter the workforce through a charity called Tech Moms. She shares a ton of practical advice for anyone interested in building more technical skills. (1 hour watch or listen in your favorite podcast app): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/from-accountant-to-data-engineer-with-alyson-la-podcast-168/

4. Laravel is the most popular PHP framework for building web apps. And freeCodeCamp just published an in-depth course on how to learn it. You can code along at home and build your own clone of the Medium blogging website. Along the way, you'll learn Tinker, Breeze, Blade Directives, and more. (7 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-laravel-by-building-a-medium-clone

5. Finally, freeCodeCamp just published this full-length handbook that will teach you all about Serverless Architecture, which simplifies development by letting you focus purely on application code. Psst – serverless is a marketing term and does still involve servers. You'll learn how to set up a Docker image that you can then use with AWS Lambda functions to handle your server requests. (full-length handbook): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/serverless-architecture-with-aws-lambda/

Quote of the Week: *“I worked in spreadsheets. But as a data analyst, I had to learn SQL for the first time. The big transition was going from Excel to accessing a database, writing SQL, and then analyzing the data in a spreadsheet. Understanding how the tables connected, how joins worked – that was the bridge that helped me move further into engineering roles.”* — Alyson La on her transition from accountant to data analyst and ultimately data engineer, on this week's freeCodeCamp podcast