Coding Temple

Coding Temple was my life for three months and in that time I really became a developer. I don't mean an expert on Python; I mean that I learned to think like a developer. The skills I developed in this bootcamp make me feel confident I can learn any language. That being said, I love Python and I hope to get a job using it.
My instructor Derek was excellent both at laying out the curriculum but also at answering questions, and my TA Lucas was absolutely essential to my success in the program. In my moments of doubt, Nicole was able to help me stay grounded and I was so lucky to have a group of students invested in each other. The student-led study groups organized made everything feel so much more manage-able and I strongly recommend future and current students do the same. Once you finish, Marlene is a wiz at helping you with all aspects of optimizing your job search.

Disclaimer: I have not been hired yet (but I only graduated a month ago).

Coding Temple was a great experience. I was a full-time student. I chose this bootcamp because it gave me a taste of front end, back end, and data, and also because of the job search support after graduating. I already had some Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript experience prior to enrolling, but I am still very happy with my decision. It lived up to my expectations and followed the curriculum available on their website pretty closely. Expect to be in class 9:30-4:30 everyday (sometimes ends 3:30-4:30). Some nights of homework took five hours and other nights took 30 minutes. Because it wasn't always a full day of coding with those shorter assignments, it was manageable. Projects took between 2-15 hours on the weekends (including most of Friday). Do not expect to be able to go out of town for a weekend trip during the bootcamp, but doing household chores, relaxing, and going to family gatherings was definitely doable. I didn't feel like my life was completely consumed by the bootcamp or that I was burned out at the end.

If you are joining this bootcamp (or any for that matter), be aware that you will not be an expert in anything right after graduation. They teach you some basics and how to learn quickly (which is the most important skill a developer can have), but it is up to you to dive further into topics you are interested in afterwards. However, to get started, the instructors were extremely helpful in answering questions or helping debug. Every class session started with 1-2 whiteboard problems with a student solving a question in front of the class. This was invaluable in preparing for technical interviews. I had Nate and Marcus as instructors, and I don't have a single complaint about them. They were fantastic and went above and beyond to help our cohort. They were often available outside of class hours even though they weren't obligated. And I know Nate spent many evenings after class working on lectures, supplemental videos, and technical issues. Other instructors/TAs are usually available when your main instructors are not. I've heard great things about other instructors, as well.

Job search support has been great so far. Thank you Marlene! She is basically always available to meet or answer quick questions. She is the main reason I joined the bootcamp. She helps you create a standout resume, write cover letters, fix up your LinkedIn profile, communicate with recruiters/employers, and negotiate salary. Without all of this help, I was and would still be lost. Again, I have not been hired yet. But I was surprised that within a week or two of graduation, I started an interview process with a startup and am now waiting to hear from them after a third and final round of interviews. You are not necessarily handed opportunities afterwards, and I think most people find jobs on their own. But the founder and some alumni do post some opportunities where you might have a slight advantage with the referral. You will finish with a full, diverse GitHub profile to show employers, but because of the nature of rushing through projects in a bootcamp, you will have to go back and touch some of them up afterwards.

Here are my very, very minor complaints that I think are worth mentioning. I think more time could have been spent on frameworks (React and Flask). I felt that we moved too quickly through those where we were practically copying what we learned in lecture in order to finish homework/projects. I think data analysis should be its own bootcamp separate from web development. It was nice to get an intro to data analysis, but that was not why I joined a web development bootcamp. I would have preferred to get rid of the last two weeks (data analysis) and add one additional week to each framework. However, many classmates of mine enjoyed data analysis and are searching for data jobs, so I know many would disagree with me. Also, I must say that my final project used React and was functionally significantly different than what we learned in class, and I was still able to use the knowledge I gained to build a project that I am very proud of. My only other minor issue was how much lecture time the instructor devoted to debugging and technical issues of other students where the student clearly did not try debugging on their own. Although, I'm not sure what the solution would be because everyone has bugs and technical issues from time to time, and you don't want to get behind. So if you are concerned about whether your questions will be answered, they absolutely will. There was definitely a no-man-left-behind mentality, for better or worse.

In my opinion, Coding Temple was a great investment. I would 100% do it again. Sure you could learn all of this for free online, but I tried that and could not stay disciplined to do it in a timely manner. This will keep you motivated, on a schedule, while also having someone who can answer your questions or help with debugging. Coming from the healthcare industry, I had no idea how to network or market myself when job searching in this industry, and now I do. This will give you the best chance at landing a job within the next year. And I believe the program will pay for itself many times over.

I just want to start off by saying I knew zero, zilch, nada coming into this. I took the course with my boyfriend who is a faster learner than me so that was immensely helpful. He was able to explain things to me after class that some times helped me understand a little bit more but if that didn't help, the staff at Coding Temple is always eager to help and mostly available. Coding Temple boot camp tested me...that's for sure. I thought about giving up a few times. During my check in I was ready to...the towel was in the bucket...but they talked me back in...the staff is in incredible in the sense they never give up on you. They pump you up. I haven't exchanged much time with Marlene yet, but I have no doubt she will be able to help me find a job when the time comes. Everybody talked her up and my first time meeting with her she definitely lived up to those expectations and then some.... I guess to sum it all up Coding Temple was very time consuming and mentally demanding. If you decide to sign up with them be sure to clear your schedule and definitely do your pre homework, get familiar with the fundamentals that way you can get more out of class.. I wish I would've spent a little more time getting prepared but life happens...Even though I failed to prepare I learned a lot....I know way more than I did coming into this. I'm honestly amazed at my understanding now. My boyfriend even said, " You've come so far, if there was a video to capture your first day to now, wow." 

This is a lengthy review but I am compelled to do so because of how great my experience was at Coding Temple.

I completed the online full-stack web development program just over one week ago. 10 weeks went by fast, but it is amazing how much material you cover in a relatively short amount of time. Of course, you get out what you put in, and the work cannot be done for you. But if you come prepared to work hard, and especially if you enjoy coding, you will benefit greatly from this program.

The amount of support present was perhaps my favorite part of the actual school. Not only were our instructors available after class (thanks again Nate & Marcus!), there were also a handful of TAs available during the evening, one or two during certain parts of the weekend, and they seemed to be adding more available sessions every couple of weeks. Instructors from other classes (Kevin & John!) were also happy to assist if they were available. The school Slack channel was extremely active and engaging, and there were multiple check-ins throughout the program to connect with us individually to make sure we were doing ok, or to set up a plan to get on track if there were issues; much of this is thanks to the wonderful student support advisor, Nicole!

Lots of 'extra-curricular' type of events as well which really boost the value of this school; guest speakers from the industry & student alumni throughout the course, periodic algorithm nights to practice code problems with other students & instructors, and alumni courses for after you graduate (e.g. Java, Tableau).

My only wish was that we had covered React a bit more in-depth, specifically State, Hooks, and Redux. I believe it was covered well enough for us to master after some further practice on our own (which is the real way to learn, anyways!) as well as 1-on-1 guidance from the instructors, but with the time required to simply get through building projects with React, we did not devote a lot of time to those specific aspects in great detail. Otherwise, I felt the curriculum was good.

Though the job search has just begun, I feel confident in my skills and in my knowledge of the industry and career networking strategies to be able to find a job that will be a good fit for my needs. We get plenty of job search guidance from the highly invigorating and motivating career support queen, Marlene. I truly feel in good hands and am excited to keep up the search.

I recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn full-stack development (and some data analysis!), and find a job in this awesome industry.

I enrolled in Coding Temple's 10-week Full-Stack Web Development course in June 2021, and it was hands-down the best professional decision I've ever made.  Less than a month after completing the program I am accepting a Software Developer role, that Coding Temple has left me feeling fully prepared for.  I had some prior experience with programming upon entering the program, but my instructor Derek helped me take my skills to the next level. Less than a week after beginning the course I was writing code approximately 5x the speed I was before, and I learned a truly incredible amount about application design and best practices.  I was amazed how accessible all of the staff were; my instructor and my TA always responded to my random questions about the industry, and by the end of the course they felt like dear friends. Marlene, Coding Temple's Career Advisor, has been absolutely indispensable to me before and throughout the job search process. She helped me reframe my skills to give me the confidence I needed to represent myself well, and my resume is like night and day after her assistance.  Usually I find alumni activities tiresome, but for once I'm actually excited to continue being involved with Coding Temple after graduating.  I would recommend this program to anyone I know in a heartbeat.

When I reached out, I didn't know anything about coding/programming or even how to read any of these software languages. The process was simple, and they even helped me with a tuition grant through the State of Illinois for displaced workers due to COVID. I feel much more comfortable with reading and writing the different languages and feel as if I can get a job easily with the help from their career coach as well. Coming as a recent bartender and car sales for the last 10 years, I can now start a new career path to help support my family.  Yes, the full-time commitment was extensive, but well worth it in the end. I highly recommend Sam as the instructor and Shoha & Tatyana as the teaching assistants - although everyone is readily available to help with any questions/comments/concerns.