Codeup

Unfortunately I don't recommend program to anyone. I had high hopes going in but finished disappointed. Curriculum and class time very disorganized. Most of the time they asked you to figure it out on your own. They don't know how to teach and the assignments don't build on each other. You leave class with a weak foundation and a bare bones portfolio. I've learned more from videos on the internet than at Codeup. Also they pay students for reviews. So watch out. They are closer to a technology frat than an educational institution, since they are better at networking and parties than teaching. All the instructors and staff are wonderful people so no hard feelings. I just think skeptical people should know the truth.  It was the only bootcamp in town up until this year so take a look at the other options. 

I had a great experience with Codeup and shortly after graduating, I had a job offer.  I think the staff really cares about making their students happy and are always trying find new ways to make the program better.  

I would say that the program is what you make of it.  If you go in with a serious mindset and code on the weekends and the evenings, you'll get a lot out of it.  I can't say the same for some of the my fellow classmates - a few of them just did enough to get by.  

Also, I must also mention that I already have a degree and a background in technology so I looked at Codeup as a way to add to my skillset.  It's a great program but won't replace a degree.  Overall, I had a really great experience and learned a lot.  I'd recommend it to anyone looking to make some changes in their career.  

I have been told by several Computer Science majors that I learned more in 16 weeks than they did in 2 years of university course work!

I chose Codeup out of all the bootcamps in the country because they felt like an actual school - not a for-profit business - who honestly cared about my education and ability to effectively enter the programming career field. The instructors are incredibly dedicated to their students and are constantly improving the curriculum to cater to their students' and the markets' needs. And everyone involved in the program has such strong connections in the tech community that finding potential employers was incredibly easy; I had 2 job offers within a week of graduating, simply because they knew the program and respected and trusted those involved!

I was very hesitant to change careers at first, but this has been a life-changing experience and I have absolutely no regrets. This was 100% the right decision.

I spent a few years as a computer science major, and I have to say that I learned more practical skills in Codeup than I did in school. 

The instuctors are very thorough and helpful, and legitimately love their job. And best of all, within days of completion, I was getting interviews.

If you are planning on doing Codeup, and have some coding experience, you might find some of the earlier sections slow. However, the instructors will be more than happy to point you to extra exercises.

10/10, would definitely do again.

After years working as a business analyst for a software company, going back and learning the skills to go from 'Hey this is what we should make' to 'Hey this is a good idea lets start putting it together' is one of the most empowering things I've ever had the opportunity to do.   The work is not easy, but neither is the profession if you want to do it well.   I've been working as a full time developer for well over a year now and don't regret the decision.  Codeup had phenomenal instructors, a concentrated curriculum, and an intense program to help separate the wheat from the chaff.  I would do it all over again with little hesitation.

Graduated from Codeup a bit over a year ago, I had little experience in Web Development and wouldn's have dared applying for a job in the industry. During the course we learned a lot about writing code, but most importantly, Codeup taught us how to learn on our own. To this day I still check my notes from class. The course itself was challenging and covered a whole lot. 

Everyone at Codeup has been extremely helpful, the instructors were always open and insightful, not just dropping the answer but helping me find it myself. Codeup has become a community that I'm happy to belong to. They have made it clear that they are still there for me, in case I need help with some code or if I want to explore other job opportunities.  That means a lot to me! 

I have nothing but good memories from Codeup. Recommended 100%.

TLDR – No brainer for veterans using the GI Bill or Vocational Rehab.

Personal Outcome – Hired with major tech organization.

Cohort Outcome – 23/28 Graduated, 21/23 placed within 8 weeks of graduation.

         I told myself that I wouldn’t write a review until I was employed and working. I didn’t want “honeymoon haze” to have an effect of skewing my thoughts on the experience as a whole.

If you are reading this to decide if it’s worth your time or money, that depends on your personal financial situation. For a military veteran using the GI Bill or Vocational Rehab, it is absolutely worth every cent. Mostly because you’ll get paid to attend class and learn a skill worth having. If you’re paying out of pocket or through loans, that can be a much trickier proposition.

Do not be fooled by the ridiculous starting salaries advertised by other boot camps.  Those amounts easily equate to the average of ~$55k San Antonio offers. The primary reason for this is cost of living adjustment. So, if you think you’re going to make $80-$100k fresh out of Codeup with no prior experience or college degree, think again. In fact, due to the enormous talent pool of qualified candidates and limited number of positions, not having a college degree (regardless of field) can really hurt you in the San Antonio market. You have much less in the way of bargaining and have to consider the idea of taking a much lower than desired salary just to get the coveted experience companies crave.

Engagement beyond graduation is more than you could ask for and also worth the investment. Follow-on cohorts may have a different experience, but my review is based off working with Stephen who was in charge of employer relations. On top of the volunteer opportunities, job fairs, workshops, and meetups, additional interviews were also coordinated by Stephen. He did everything in his power to find opportunities with employers. In total, I had 8 phone interviews and 5 in-person interviews. Out of the 5, I received offers from 2. I might’ve been able to secure an additional 2 offers, but my interviewing/negotiating skills were rusty and poorly researched (see above about salary expectations).

The instructors at Codeup are the main reason to choose a structured approach versus self-taught. Having access to someone intimately familiar with the curriculum whenever you need pays dividends when trying to grasp tricky concepts. The instructors almost make you believe they are wizards with special membership rings that give them coding powers. But with that being said, it is important to curb your expectations. The instructors are experts on the curriculum they teach and their individual expertise outside of the curriculum. This means that trying to test them with obscure coding challenges that have zero relevance to the real world is utterly pointless. This leads into the curriculum.

The curriculum is relatively up to date given the breakneck speed development moves. You will learn HTML, CSS, JS (ES5 and ES6), Java 8, Spring, MySQL, and a little bit of Bash. You will learn just enough of each of these to be dangerous, but not even close to mastery. You will find yourself asking why you’re using x framework, or y library, but the truth is, just do it. Development is complex enough as is, you don’t need to try to reinvent the wheel just to say that your project uses no libraries. As the projects get more difficult, no one gives a shit if you use jquery or lodash or bootstrap or whatever to make your project. As long as the final product is functional, feature complete, and relatively bug free, use whatever you can to save yourself time!

With all of that being said, manage your expectations. Special wizard rings are not issued upon graduation. You will spend 4 months learning many dialects of many languages. Equate that to learning French, German, Arabic, Spanish, and Japanese in 4 months. Your level of mastery will be reflected in much the same way. You will gravitate towards one more than the other, and become more proficient the more you use it. At the end of the day, Codeup was well worth it for me and several of my cohort mates would agree.