Ever wonder what life would be like in the tech field. You have seen all of these YouTube videos on it about how awesome the lives of engineers are and how you can create something from scratch. Well this is why I even entertained the idea of coding bootcamp and let me tell you, the best decision of my life. Attending a bootcamp and now finally coming to an end is an amazing feeling. There were times where I felt like this is not for me and I should maybe dropout but trust me once you get past feeling, it is so awarding.
Let's be real, learning on your own is very hard because there is nobody there to guide through the entire learning process but guess what with a bootcamp, you get to meet a bunch of people who are in the same boat as you and where everyone push each other.
In this blog, I plan on explaining why a coding bootcamp might be a great option. This blog will be broken down into different sections where I talk about the structure and value the program has provided.
The Curriculum Structure
I ended up completing the Flatiron School remote course which was attended from my parents’ house in Seattle. It was a nine-hour-a-day, five-day-a-week class that spanned over 15 weeks. The bootcamp was one hundred percent a well planned out curriculum which offered an amazing balance of front-end and back-end.
The front-end part of the curriculum included HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and React. The first 3 weeks was all on JavaScript and made sure we had a good foundation going into React. React is an amazing language someone should for sure learn. It is HTML and CSS but on steroids.
The back-end consisted of many parts including the learning of SQL, Ruby on Rails, and learning so many other functions that help advance your way to approach starting back-end.
Every phase we had to create a project with a group so you can get a feel of working with a team. So many skills are developed doing pair programming and team projects since communication and adapting to someone else's way to code.
Projects:
- Javascript Project with HTML/CSS
- React Project
- Ruby Project with React as frontend
- Ruby on Rails with React
- A huge Capstone project showing what you have learned so far.
Value of the Program Provided
While the curriculum did scratch the surface of the technologies and frameworks listed above, some people devote entire masters and Phd's to the topics we were “taught” in three days. Which really helped me adapt to learning a new language in no time. The camp also gave me an experience like it was a workspace instead of always just learning. Before attending the camp, I already knew HTML/CSS, and Java but I was not sure what to do with the languages and how to connect the two. Attending the camp definitely helped get rid of my Imposter Syndrome which is pretty huge in the tech field. About 53% of engineers have this issue.
Non-Tech Lessons I learned
To end of this blog, I definitely want to leave some tips for a future developer who plans on attending a camp.
I know this might sound hard to some but (some) experience will go a long way. Some bootcamps offer pre-work programs that get web dev beginners introduced to the basics. These (typically short) lessons teach you the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. But still look at the languages they are going to teach and just do some research on them.
Talent is not a requirement! Always remember that because coding is really just a skill. Just remember to practice everyday so you do not get behind or forget the structure of the language.
Last tip, "Focus, Endurance, and Grit", if there is one thing my bootcamp taught me, that would be stamina. Coding bootcamps teach you how to teach yourself how to code. Always remember that while you are learning. Learn how to learn. The camp is not going to teach you everything.
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