Introduction to Quantum Computing Class

In April 2022, I finished The Coding School's Introduction to Quantum Computing Class. Taught by quantum computing experts around the world and sponsored by IBM, it is an extremely valuable course that I highly recommend to anyone looking to dip their toes into quantum computing! Now the program has expanded from high school students only to anyone of any educational background.

I first signed up in September, when I learned about The Coding School through my school. The program application entailed a few essays and short questions regarding our prior experience in STEM(not required, but recommended) and why we were interested in the program. Applications generally open and close in September.

When I entered the Zoom meeting for our first lecture, I knew nothing about quantum. I just wanted to try learning something new! The Coding School did a great job explaining concepts from scratch, assuming no prior knowledge, and then taking a deeper dive into the concepts.

Every week, in a addtion to a lecture on the weekend, we would also have a lab on the weekday. The lab was a chance to try quantum computing hands-on, and it was very fun! We coded using Qiskit, an all-in-one Python package for quantum computing. We stored our work in the IBM developer as Jupyter Notebooks. As I mentioned earlier, no prior experience with STEM is required, but the program caters to a variety of levels by offering multiple different lab times encompassing multiple skill levels. I participated in the Advanced Lab having been working with Python for a couple years, but I knew nothing about Qiskit, and the labs went fine! The labs were also a great opportunity to get to know one another better. The labs were much smaller than weekend lectures; my lab had roughly 30 students. Our TA, Emma was super nice and helpful, and as a student pursuing a career in physics and engineering, she could offer a lot of guidance on next steps to take!

My favorite part of the program, however, was the opportunity to converse with so many guest speakers. Almost every weekeend, before or after our lecture, we would get to speak with someone in the quantum field. Guest speakers included quantum biologist Dr. Clarice Aiello, IBM employees, insurance company Anthem's quantum team, and many others. Getting the chance to speak with so many talented, diverse people pursuing quantum opened my eyes to numerous applications of quantum technology I never knew could be possible.

I just finished presenting my final project at the End of the Year Showcase. To learn more about my project, click here. Readers, I hope you consider taking advantage of this incredible opportunity!