Intro

The Recurse Center (RC for short) is a programming retreat. Sounds like a load of code-junkies, sashaying about, sharing Jupyter Notebooks and cat pics doesn’t it? Oh, it is!

But wait! There’s more!

RC is about people who love coding and building things, getting together to help each other learn and push their abilities. It’s a lovingly put-together programme of activities, talks and collaborative education.

The physical base of RC is a building (the Hub) in Brooklyn, New York, but you can also do a retreat as a fully remote applicant. There are several 6-week batches every year, and you can apply to do just 1, or do 2 consecutively (like me) for a 12-week batch.

Some people choose to do their entire batch in the hub, some are fully remote (like me), and some do hybrid.

Although there are faculty who provide a calendar of activities and support, generally the work is self-directed. There are few ‘pass or fail’ situations at RC, it’s more about stretching your capabilities than ticking boxes to say ‘done’. It’s a very nourishing environment and everybody involved is kind and generous.

Beyond that: you get out what you put in.