CodingNomads

I decided to go with CodingNomads after thoroughly researching coding boot-camps for the best Python options in terms of curriculum, timing, quality of the facilities, teachers and support staff. Kim was beyond professional and also let a dedication and devotion to her team shine through.

Once I was signed up, Kim and Ryans team, Caden and Martin came on stage.

It was clear from the start that Caden was going to drive us to success with his friendly yet ambitious coaching and leadership from the day I signed up and that Martin with his  enthusiastic and optimistic style and incredible skill had put incredible effort into the course material which was well structured, friendly, upbeat and super-useful on all levels.

Caden and Martin are both natural educators and did an incredible job of getting us from n00bs to actual Python developers the six weeks - but they also drove the flock in a way that made us come together as a team and friends. Their enthusiasm for nature-outings on the weekends, outings into the Barcelona nightlife, Crossfit and many other little supportive efforts made us feel like we were all star players in the NHL getting special treatment. Kim helped find an wonderful apartment for myself and two other guys seven minutes walking distance from the fantastic Betahaus co-working space. The apartment turned out to be a great place for informal late-night hackathons, card-games and class gatherings.

This is the third last day of the course and I am left in awe of the fact that I am actually now capable of building the complex trading platform I have set out to do. Not only that, but I have a bunch of new friends that you would normally only get after spending years together in college.

I can't wait for my next CodingNomads trip!

Tahoe local here! 
I can't say enough good things about this course, friendships made and awesome adventures. 
I originally signed up for the class since it was the only one in my area and I'm so glad I did! From meeting class mates from all over the world to a fun class environment; it was absolutely perfect. Even during a few weeks of online work before our physical class began there was always someone online and available to answer questions or get past a sticky spot (and I'm talking 11:30 at night available). 
Ryan is a fantastic teacher and can explain even the most difficult concepts into basic understanding (I'm looking at you, "Big O"). The overall flow of the course was perfect; from starting online for a few weeks, the physical class for 2 months (June/July) and online again for August to work on our final project. It was also a perfect balance of learning new concepts in the morning, break for lunch and then most afternoons were spent doing challenges or projects based on what we learned. The class size was also great for collaborating together and getting experience of working with a team and also the ability to work solo. The class itself moved at a very fast pace, but Ryan always made sure everyone was on the same page before moving on to new topics. The class also had a great sense of camaraderie and was more than willing to help one another out if in a pinch (this coming from a relatively shy girl, too!). 
Long review short; SIGN UP! JUST DO IT! It'll be the best few months of your life! 
I only regret not doing one of these classes remotely; which, I can't wait to sign up for another class again and continue learning, all while seeing other cool places around the world.

Exotic location & incredible value are two definite pluses for Coding Nomads, but my main reason for choosing them was because I wanted a more technical, comp sci style of coding bootcamp. Having Java as the main language was a huge part of that, but also focusing on the backend and learning about AWS, databases, and SQL too. It delivered on all fronts, and I received a job offer as a graduate Java software engineer only 2 weeks after graduating!

Now, if you apply to Coding Nomads, I can't guarantee the same results, but I can ensure you that you'll receive a wide breadth of knowledge for your programming language, a solid foundation in computer science fundamentals, and, most importantly, the skills to figure out whatever you don't know how to do. The instructors are knowledgable, experienced, and genuinely care about both your education and the quality of your overall experience!

As a a smaller organization they don't have all of the same structured job support/partnerships as the big bootcamps. But they more than make up for that with personalized support with mock interviews, resume reviews, practicing your elevator pitch, and being available every step of the way through your job hunt.

For any bootcamp, you'll get out of it what you put into it. Make sure you put in the time during the online prep work, ask a lot of questions, and do all of the practice assignments. If you do this, Coding Nomads will make sure you leave with tons of knowledge, amazing friends, and unforgettable travel experiences. Can't recommend them highly enough!

I joined the Bali Bootcamp of 2018 and it was an incredible experience.
The Coding Nomads crew really knows how to run a coding  bootcamp in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The learning experience was really good, covering a great amount of topics and giving us all the tools to move forward on our Software Developing careers.
The speed of the course was  fitted to the group and the teachers always made an effort to make sure none got left behind.
After finishing the bootcamp, the Coding Nomads team has been in constant contact with me, pushing me to keep coding, helping me build my resume and find job opportunities

Beyond the pure academical experience, joining Coding Nomads Bootcamp in Bali was one of the most amazing experiences of my life; by the end of the course both the teachers and my fellow campmates became my friends and when we were not coding, we had the incredible expericiences enjoying all the fun that a place like Bali can offer.
Work Hard, Play hard and Push it to the limit!
 

CodingNomads is definitely a great experience. They take you to spot which is remote but at the same time very enjoayble to live at. This combo gives you the opportunity to switch off from your old routine and focus fully on learning. At the same time, the enviroment is amazing (I was in Playa del Carmen, MXN) which allows you to live pretty much stress-free. Ryan, the lead teacher, is highly experienced and good at spreading his knowleadge in a nice fashion. On her side, Kim, takes care of the details around the course which allows you to once again focus on learning.

Overall, I would gladly re-do this course. it was fun, I learned a lot, and it did not ruin my bank account. What more to ask?

Overall Review:

The CodingNomads bootcamp is one of the most unique and rewarding experiences in my life. Traveling to a foreign country and meeting new people from around the world with the common purpose of learning to code creates a common atmosphere that allows friendships to form over the struggle of learning to code.  Before the bootcamp I was in the process of transitioning from one career to becoming a software engineer and the transition has been rough studying alone.  The distractions of daily life or fatigue from being at work 8-10 hours a day can impede the ability to truly focus on coding.  Struggling on your own learning to code can also leave a negative and overwhelming feeling.  There were aspects of this bootcamp that I enjoyed as well as other aspects that I thought could be improved that I will discuss below. 

Overall the experience was definitely rewarding.  Kim and Ryan are two wonderful people who have the students interest always in mind. Their support in helping students can vary  and is not limited to reassuring students that the overwhelming feeling of learning something new and vast will pass or you will get used to it, motivating students to push as much as they can when they can, spending extra time outside of class to help students who seek additional help, or even planning relaxing activities in the foreign country to help destress students at the end of the week and also not miss out on opportunities available in the country.  I feel I learned a lot and am more prepared and motivated to move forward in the next step to becoming a software engineer.

A few things to note in my opinion:

• This is a bootcamp that is directed towards anyone who wants to learn but has no background knowledge of coding.
• The required preparation work before the bootcamp starts is important and will affect how well someone will progress through the course.  
• It is not intended to land you a six figure salary after graduation.
• It still requires time and hardwork to be put in even after class and sometimes on the weekend depending on the situation. 
• Keep your priorities straight. Be prepared to work hard so you can play hard and enjoy the country of your bootcamp on your off days.
• The more you put into studying and doing the assignments the more you will get out of the bootcamp.
• Sleep is sometimes more important than finishing the assignment because it will affect how much you will absorb the next day's information.  

Aspects that I thought this bootcamp excelled in:

• Ryan, the instructor, is truly devoted to making sure everyone learns and is never stagnant.  He will spend the time to make sure everyone understands the material before moving forward. If you are ahead he will have different assignments ready to keep you pushing forward in learning.
• The course material is not set it stone.  If the class learns better with powerpoint presentations vs oral lectures vs a combination of both, the instructor will adjust the material to suit the class's need. If material in Java fundamentals is not as relevant due to the constant evolution of coding, it is noted by the instructor and relayed to the students.
• The curriculum being covered in class is relevant to skills required for current day job opportunities. Best practices in the industry are taught in class by the instructor based on his extensive experience in the industry prior to teaching.  
• Being in the presence of other students who are learning/struggling just like myself promoted a camaraderie that extended past the classroom. Study sessions with other students outside of class or even relaxing together during downtime made the struggles of learning to code enjoyable and less alone. Everyone is feeling similar stresses, worries, struggles, etc. throughout the course.
• Studying abroad in a remote country helped remove day to day distractions and worries that would otherwise preoccupy a student's mind (speaking from my personal experience).  This allows a student to really be focused on coding during the week and if needed weekends. Otherwise offdays provided an opportunity to experience the country and make amazing memories and life experiences. As noted above, make sure to keep your priorities straight when needed.  
• Pricing of this bootcamp is a major plus that may affect which bootcamp future students will choose. The pricing of this bootcamp compared to others is roughly half if not less than half the price of other bootcamps. This is huge with regards to having the opportunity to join a bootcamp.  Living in Mexico for this specific bootcamp reduced the cost of expenses even further during the stay of the onsite bootcamp which helped relieve monetary stresses. To me the price of this bootcamp also showed that the interest of this bootcamp was not about making money but about teaching potential future software engineers. This is just my opinion. 
• The small class size allowed more one on one time with the instructor or TA if needed.
• Availability of the instructor extends past class hours.  If I had questions I could message him at any time (within reason) and receive a response within minutes.  If additional tutoring or studying sessions were needed he would make those available to us on the weekend. This availability is also offered beyond the scope of the bootcamp session.
• Job preparation and advice at the end of the onsite bootcamp was useful and informative.  Assistance with these aspects extended beyond the onsite bootcamp timeframe as well as the offer of assistance past the entire bootcamp timeframe.   
• The instructor is always open to suggestions on how to improve the course for future bootcamps. Constructive criticism is not shunned and solutions for improvement were welcomed. The comments for the selection below was voiced personally outside of class as constructive feedback for improvements for future bootcamps.

Aspects that I thought could be improved:

• A stricter enforcement towards class preparations before the beginning of the bootcamp.  Our specific bootcamp spent a bit more time on Java basics to ensure everyone was on the same page but this caused other aspects of our learning to have less coverage towards the end of the bootcamp.
• Overlapping time coverage of the instructor, Ryan, and our TA, Caden, could have been separated out by a few hours.  This would allow more one on one time exposure or in person interaction for students to take advantage of outside of lecture.

Choosing to attend CodingNomads' course in Koh Tao, Thailand was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but it paid off completely! The teachers - Ryan and Kim are one of the most lovely people you'll ever meet and are always willing to go the extra mile for you and provide you with help and assistance for anything you might need. They make sure you have a great time not only in the classroom but also outside! Overall, the price to value ratio was amazing and the whole group learned an unbelievable amount of skills over the course of the 3 months. I was concerned that the environment might make it harder to study and concentrate, but it was actually the other way around, as the calm, sunny and beautiful atmosphere filled us with energy and helped us to work with motivation throughout the whole day. I definitely recommend!

I did a lot of research before choosing CodingNomads, and I'm so glad that I ended up choosing them! I didn't know anything about Java when I signed up. The curriculum is laid out very well and the videos are very helpful. The best thing though is the 1 on 1 mentorship that you get. It's supposed to be once a week but they are always more than willing to meet up more or even just a quick call to help you get through any issues you may be stuck on. Also the CodingNomads community is super nice and they are always willing to help. 

Honestly anyone can google and youtube their way to learning a new language, so for these bootcamps, it's really the mentoring that separates them. I've talked to a few people from other bootcamps and they said that they didn't get much attention from the teachers/mentors and if you have questions they make you feel like you're bothering them. And I know the cost of some of those bootcamps is at least double the cost of CodingNomads. 

On top of the top quality mentoring you get here, towards the end of your curriculum you get help with getting ready to look for a job. They help set up your resume, LinkedIn profile, gitHub, etc. They really do want you to succeed and want you to land that first job. In fact I received a job offer before even fully completing the program! I know that might be rare but I think it says something about the program and I actually do know of at least one other person that got a job offer before graduating as well. If I ever decide to learn a new language, it'll be through CodingNomads!