Hudson · born 2012 · age 14 · ≈ 9th grade

Computer Science
3-Month Plan

A college-flavored intro at a humane pace: the full stack from logic gates to the web, solid Python, a taste of web dev, real ML concepts, and practical, critical AI fluency.

GOAL 01 · HOW IT WORKS

The machine, demystified

Understand computing end-to-end — gates, CPU, OS, networks, the web — and write real Python with version control.

GOAL 02 · AI & THE FUTURE

Use the new tools well

Grasp how modern AI works, use it as a sharp tool for building and learning, and reason about its limits and ethics.

0 / 12 done

Roughly one card per week, ~12 weeks. Order matters within a month; months build on each other. Tick a task when it's truly understood, not just finished.

Month 1

Foundations, bottom to top

Gates → CPU → OS → network
Week 1

Bits & Boolean logic

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    Build an adder
    Go deeper in nandgame: work down the levels combining gates into a half adder, then a full adder and beyond. Pair it with CS Unplugged's binary activity for the number side.
    nandgame ↗CS Unplugged: Binary ↗
Week 2

From gates to CPU

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    How programs run
    Watch 'The Central Processing Unit' (#7), then the memory & instructions episodes that follow it in the playlist; explain fetch-decode-execute in your own words.
    #7 The CPU ↗Full series ↗
Week 3

The command line & the OS

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    Live in the terminal
    Do The Odin Project's 'Command Line Basics' lesson — the shell, files, and navigation — then start the Foundations course for the bigger picture.
    Odin: Command Line ↗Odin: Foundations ↗
Week 4

Networks & the web

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    HTTP, DNS, packets
    Trace what happens when you load a page; learn how data crosses the internet. Khan's 'The Internet' unit covers IP/DNS/HTTP; Crash Course #29 gives the overview.
    Khan: The Internet ↗#29 The Internet ↗
Month 2

Programming for real

Python + Git
Week 5

Python fundamentals I

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    CS50P, weeks 0–1
    Week 0 (functions, variables) then Week 1 (conditionals) — a rigorous, well-taught course with lectures and problem sets.
    CS50P Week 0 ↗CS50P Week 1 ↗
Week 6

Python fundamentals II

Week 7

Data structures

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    Lists, dicts, files
    CS50P Week 6 (File I/O) — read and write files, work with lists, dicts and CSV; model real data with the right structure.
    CS50P Week 6: Files ↗
Week 8

Project + version control

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    Ship a CLI tool
    Build a useful script and put it on GitHub with real commits. Set up Git first, then follow the 'Hello World' guide for repos, branches and commits.
    Set up Git ↗GitHub Hello World ↗
Month 3

Web, data & AI fluency

Build with AI, think critically
Week 9

The web you can build

  • FUNDAMENTALS
    HTML / CSS / JS
    Start the Responsive Web Design path with 'Build a Cat Photo App' — you write real HTML from step 1.
    freeCodeCamp: Cat Photo App ↗
Week 10

How machine learning works

  • AI & TOOLS
    Models, features, bias
    Work through Elements of AI Chapter 4 ('Machine learning') for training, features, overfitting and bias; then build a quick classifier in Teachable Machine to see it firsthand.
    Elements of AI: Ch.4 ↗Teachable Machine: Image ↗
Week 11

Practical AI

  • AI & TOOLS
    Prompt, verify, build
    Use AI as a coding and learning partner: effective prompts, checking output, spotting hallucinations. Then follow the Claude API quickstart to make your first call from Python.
    Claude API: Get started ↗
Week 12

Capstone

  • AI & TOOLS
    Build + document + critique
    Combine code with an AI component; push it to GitHub, then use Elements of AI Chapter 6 ('Implications') to write up how it works and where it could fail or harm.
    GitHub Hello World ↗Elements of AI: Ch.6 ↗