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britishpandachick·Oct 14, 2019·25 replies

Last week, the Code Newbie Twitter chat topic was all about preparing for a coding bootcamp. The conversation was all about coding bootcamps and sharing tips on how to get ready. Have you attended a coding bootcamp? Are you thinking of attending a coding bootcamp? Would you attend a coding bootcamp? Post your coding bootcamp experiences and prep tips.

Nicholina·Oct 14, 2019

Hi! I'm actually on the other side of the discussion and have been a Learning & Development leader with a team that has built and delivered many different coding boot camps. Interested in the discussion and happy to add anything I can offer.

jgrayson

jessicagrayson·Oct 15, 2019

jgrayson

jessicagrayson·Oct 15, 2019

I did Hackbright Academy and it was really good. I felt like I had a nice foundation to start working as an Engineer. It was incredibly challenging to break into the industry though. Many of us went into programs designed for people with non-traditional backgrounds like apprenticeships and stuff with larger tech companies. Getting the first job was the hardest, but once you break in, it becomes a lot easier to move around with 2 or so years of experience.

chichamarisa·Oct 15, 2019

I did Le Wagon Bootcamp for Full-stack Dev. It's good enough for me to build my own MVP and get the early users and proof that idea works. My background in Marketing and Operations for startups, but I knew how to write SQL before joining the Bootcamp. The first 2 weeks were the hardest because I need to understand the concept of computer logic. But afterward, everything feels organically easy to follow.

Stani

stani85·Oct 15, 2019

Stani

stani85·Oct 15, 2019

I have recently completed a full-time 4 month Cybersecurity Bootcamp with Fullstack Academy in NYC. There was some coding involved (Python + Bash), however we focused more on hacking/securing machines, networks, connections, protocols, etc., using different Linux OS distributions (and Kali Linux & PWK Labs). It was very intense and productive. I know a few people who have also done Fullstack's coding bootcamp in NYC and they were very happy with it.I got a scholarship for mine, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford it at the moment, so this was great! Now I am at the hardest phase - looking for a job after the cybersecurity bootcamp. It's not easy but I won't give up!

truclyle·Oct 15, 2019·1 reply

I did a part-time full stack web development bootcamp offered by Trilogy. I applied for it because it was called the "University of Washington Coding Bootcamp" but it turns out my university wasn't tightly involved. The application process consisted of a phone call and some questions to assess critical thinking and problem solving skills. After I was accepted, Trilogy sent some pre-work.The bootcamp's curriculum consisted of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Git, jQuery, Firebase, MySQL, Node.js, Express, Handlebars, MongoDB, React, and Java. Each week we met on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday. We had weekly homework and three group projects over the course of 24 weeks. There was also a career services component.There's lots of criticisms about the Trilogy bootcamps but my cohort was great. Our instructor was an experienced engineer at Microsoft and Amazon. His enthusiasm and passion made me excited to go to class everyday. My classmates were talented, ambitious, and smart people who were helpful and supportive. We learned a lot from each other. I can't say that I recommend coding bootcamps for everyone. For me, I needed the structure and community. After bootcamp was over, many of us struggled to maintain the same level of discipline to learn new things and work on projects. Only two of my classmates and I found a developer job after finishing the program. Some classmates gave up and returned to their previous jobs. It can be really hard to find that first job after coding bootcamp.

melissaortiz·Oct 17, 2019

We have te exact same program here in Arizona. I feel like it's misleading. They make it seem like they are a university program, when they're far from it. I heard terrible reviews from people who attended our local Trilogy bootcamp.

christinetreacy·Oct 15, 2019·1 reply

I have opted for online and lower cost options due to financial reasons and needing to work full-time while learning. I did a 3-month bootcamp with Skillcrush a few years back and I feel that that gave me a solid foundation of HTML and CSS. Not a whole lot stuck from the JS section so I felt like I was starting from scratch when I signed up for a Treehouse Tech Degree program about a month ago. That is a full stack program that focuses on JavaScript. So far I really like it, I'm learning a lot and I'm excited to keep building the rest of the projects throughout the course.

DevChemi

McNChem·Oct 16, 2019·1 reply

DevChemi

McNChem·Oct 16, 2019·1 reply

Hi! I’m doing some SkillCrush’s courses too. I cannot get JavaScript to stick either. Sometimes text just stick better with me. How do you feel about JS now? I am using nodeschool tutorials to learn JavaScript while I’m offline.

christinetreacy·Oct 17, 2019·1 reply

Hey there! I definitely feel better about JS now that I'm taking a class that's covering it more thoroughly. I think the Skillcrush section on JS just taught enough to give you an overview of key topics. But more than anything I think just putting what I've learned to use over and over again is what's helping make it stick now. The Techdegree builds on itself and you do comprehensive projects at the end of each major section (with smaller projects that are guided throughout each section). That seems to be working better for me. How do you like nodeschool? I've never heard of them before.

DevChemi

McNChem·Oct 18, 2019

DevChemi

McNChem·Oct 18, 2019

I’m learning practice and projects are key for me to pick up any code concepts. I picked up Eloquent KS book too. I loved the free online version that bought it. I stumbled on NodeSchool fromhackr.io for js offline. It’s teaching me how use Bash and JS/Node together. All no cost :) I’m interested in deeper dives into JS ecosystem. I’m always getting sidetrack between web dev/ software engineer/ data visualization concepts. Ooooo Shiny shiny *Rabbit Hole* What has been your favorite project so far?

daniroo·Oct 16, 2019

I'm planning to do a full-stack coding bootcamp next summer in Mexico City with Ironhack before shipping off to business school. I'm planning to stay in product, but the signficantly lower cost of doing the bootcamp there makes the idea tenable. I know's it not necessary to work in product, but think it will be a great immersive opportunity and if I can walk away with some solid skills to build on, or even build an MVP, I'd feel it was worth it.

rani76·Oct 17, 2019

I went to flatiron New York and thought it was an excellent experience - the quality of teaching was great, with lots of support. Re preparation they do give you a minimum amount of work to do, which most of its required but you’re able to level set in the first week if you haven’t managed to - and from them on it’s about the effort you put in. Re getting a job after - I was able to translate skills into a developers role in the company I was working at before

maryojob

maryjob·Oct 18, 2019

maryojob

maryjob·Oct 18, 2019

I am currently taking a JavaScript bootcamp with Zac Gordon and his resources and programme are out of this world and very personal. I have attempted to learn Javascript with big e-learning platforms like Udacity and others so many times, and this is the first time I understand what I am learning.cc: see Zac's resource at: https://www.JavaScriptforWP.com

LizzieMartin·Oct 18, 2019

I am considering jumping into one - I am a technical project manager so understand the concepts but have never gotten my hands dirty with writing code. I am now working on a startup where I have a technical co-founder but he is heavily focused on developing our algorithm and we are currently outsourcing our dev which I haven't been happy with. I am more and more seeing the value of learning to do it myself so really looking forward to everyone's experiences and insights! Thanks for raising the topic :)

Laura

codeimagine·Oct 21, 2019

Laura

codeimagine·Oct 21, 2019

I can't afford to do one, so I've been learning on my own instead.

britishpandachick·Dec 01, 2019

If any Elphas Can Code members are considering attending a bootcamp, check out this post from PowerToFly. They share lots of great tips for picking a coding bootcamp, paying for one, and more. At the bottom, they include links to the best coding bootcamps. You can learn more at the PowertoFly blog at https://blog.powertofly.com/coding-bootcamp-2606082808.html.