The latest articles on DEV Community by Alex Morgan (@alxmrgn). https://dev.to/alxmrgn https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4173923%2F531e3315-3f61-40e4-97b7-44721a902b32.png https://dev.to/alxmrgn en Alex Morgan Sat, 10 Oct 2026 15:04:34 +0000 https://dev.to/alxmrgn/bootcamp-vs-self-study-an-honest-look-at-cost-time-and-trade-offs-2h4g https://dev.to/alxmrgn/bootcamp-vs-self-study-an-honest-look-at-cost-time-and-trade-offs-2h4g <p>Disclosure: I used AI tools to help draft this post, then edited it myself.</p> <p>Many coding bootcamps cost $10,000–$15,000, but the curriculum itself (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Git) is free online. What you’re really paying for is structure, accountability and career support. If you know you won’t study without a fixed class time, that can be worth it. If you’re disciplined and on a budget, self-study can work, but only if you follow a plan and build something every week, instead of getting stuck in tutorial hell.</p> <p>I put together a 140-page self-study guide, The $10K Bootcamp Alternative, with a 12-week plan, project ideas and a progress tracker for beginners. It has no live teaching, it can’t promise a job, and it was created with AI assistance (7-day refund): [your Gumroad link]. If you’ve tried a bootcamp or self-study, what helped you more?</p> ai productivity career