devCodeCamp

I have attempted to learn code at a 4-year university as elective courses and although I made it through a handful of courses, I did not recieve the same rewarding level of education that I received at devCodeCamp.  With the courses at the university, I merely felt like I was doing the work in order to pass the class whereas in devCode, I truely wanted to immerse myself in the environment and continue learning more and more code.  At devCodeCamp, you will learn and they will teach you in a manner where it will click for you.  My experience with code was not the easiest, but a devCodeCamp I was finally able to get over my wall and wrap my mind around code.  

With that being said, the journey is by no means easy.  I think devCodeCamp found a formula and style to efficiently teach code but it will not come naturally, you must also put in the effort and time (which is not a concern because you'll be there 10hrs/day for 5 days a week).  You will get what you put in.  Although my class was one of the bigger ones, it was hard to expect constant attention from the instructors, but it taugh me to dig deep and solve these problems on my own which is what you want by the end of the course.  There will be many days where you will want to give up and quit but the end result will be very rewarding and you'll actually know more than you think. 

Taking this course was definitely one of the tougher things that I have done, but also completely worth it. I had always been interested in coding but could not take any steps towards it because I didn't think I could with my job and my upcoming wedding plans.

I decided to take a tour and that decision may have changed my life. I did have to dedicate that time span strictly to coding and researching. I fully understood that the time spent improving my projects and going in early to speak with instructors were going to pay off. Now, I feel empowered by the things I've learned and done in the course.

Not long after I graduated, I had interviews lined up and coding challenges assigned. The instructors, without a doubt, set me up for success. I'm very proud to have graduated from devCodeCamp.

I was interested and took a tour.  I decided to enroll because devCodeCamp promised to provide what I would need to learn to be able to get a job as a software developer in 14 weeks.  My expectations matched up with what I experienced during the course.  We typically spent some time getting an introduction to a topic and the rest of our time doing exercises or building projects.  It was very hands on and much different from taking a regular class or tutorial to learn how to code.

Everyone you talk to will be very clear that you will get out of it what you put into it.  I had to work long hours every day learning very difficult material at a very fast pace.  Much of the course is spent on learning how to do things on your own under a deadline, which should prepare you for a work environment.  It is a huge time commitment if you really dedicate yourself to learning everything and completing all the assignments.  I also felt overwhelmed and frustrated at times.  Part of the course is learning how to fail, deal with setbacks, and still complete an assignment.

I am starting to look for a job and feel very comfortable that I will be able to get started somewhere and be able to improve from there.  I have a good base to build on.

The instructors will be honest that do every class a little differently.  As a result you may end up be doing a project that has never been taught before to a previous class.  Some of these brand new projects might not be as tried and true as others.  Also, because you move at such a fast pace, there is not a lot of time to review past assignments and improve the code you wrote or even revise it in anyway.

My final impression would be that if you want to complete the course and suceed it is really up to you.  The instructors will be there to help but you won't turn into a software developer unless you put in the work.

Very very intense program, called bootcamp for a good reason. I would recommend it to those that are determined and willing to put the work in. You apply what you learn in lectures immediately, but you'll find yourself researching and problem solving on your own for the most part. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. It helps you take initiative instead of waiting around for help, which is a skill I believe any employer would want in their employees. The staff of instructors are more than qualified and I wish the program was longer to have more time to pick their brain. The program will push you to the limit, you'll feel like you're in over your head, but you can always take a break and play some video games, foosball, table tennis, or take a walk downtown to release some stress. 

The program is evolving and improving, I recommend anyone who is interested in expanding their tech knowledge to take a tour of the place.

The way DevCodeCamp gave me and the rest of my class the opportunity of learning the business side of things i was amazed of how much devcode camp really wants to do more then just make software engineers. The instructors were very excited to see us learn and expand our knowledge of programming into more then just working for a business. I know the instructors also wish we had more then fourteen weeks to learn the bigger picture of programming. i am very grateful to have decided to come to DevCodeCamp and i do not regret it. I am a proud graduate and will wear it on my resume for my entire life.

    devCodeCamp changed my life in a way that five years at a "four year" college never did. Classes aren't overwhelmingly large, meaning that instructors really have the time to answer any questions you might have. Periodic lectures sprinkled throughout each week provide you with the framework for the projects you will work on, and that is what you want: projects. At dCC, you spend majority of your time actually working, something that is highly beneficial. Not only do potential employers want to see what actual work you've accomplished, but, in my opinion, it is also the best way to learn. Learn by doing!
    
    You'll gain many skills while attending devCodeCamp, whether it's experience in C# or Python, a multitude of other programming languages of all types, or whatever the new up-and-coming technology is. Arguably the best skill, however, is the ability to face a problem, and handle it all on your own. dCC provides the framework for many things for you, but you are also expected to be able to learn some things by yourself, an invaluable skill that dCC will help you develop.
    
    The environment is very comfortable as well. In just a short amount of time I've made some great friends, not to mention many business connections. The program is intense, yet the relaxed feel of the classroom and lounge really help to ease any stress you might have. Instructors are truly invested in you, the student, and that's something that I've seen each and every day.
    
    Keep in mind that learning the technical skills is only half of the services that devCodeCamp provides. Once you finish the program and reach deployment, they help you find a job as well. Everything from resume training, to mock interviews and presentation practice, to setting up hiring days and interviews, their job is to get you a job. Their immense and ever-growing network of hiring partners in Milwaukee and all around the surrounding area offers the best way to find employment in this field.
    
    If you have even the slightest notion of attending devCodeCamp, I urge you to get in contact with them just to set up a short tour to get the feel for it. They are very accommodating and will absolutely cater to your schedule to get you in and check out how they work. You can't ask too many questions, keep that in mind. I was skeptical at first as I'm sure many of you are, but I can't say enough how positively dCC affected me, and I hope that it will for many of you as well. Do yourself a favor and set up a short tour, you won't regret it!

devCodeCamp is defiinetly a boot camp and not a school. Although there are some lectures, the majority of the time is spent working on projects and you are expected to learn most of the course work on your own. Believe it or not, this is a good thing. When you have to figure out something on your own you tned to remember it better and are able to explain better. Programming is not something that can be taught easily, it is best learnied by doing and you will get plenty of practice here. Overall I had a great experience.

As a recent graduate of devCodeCamp, I can honestly attest that the course was very tough but all worth it in the end.  Prior to starting the course, they will present you with a short screening test to make sure that you know your keyboard from your mouse in a sense, not very hard. However, the test is not a preview of the actual course.

They often stressed that it would be a tough course as I went through the admission process. This is a reality that will not hit you until you are actually going through the course later on. Before devCodeCamp, I had general experience of computers and some coding languages such as javascript. I liked to dabble online here and there in the area, but devCodeCamp was a serious decision and commitment to make coding into a successful career. They definitely do not hold your hand through the class. I honestly felt like I was learning to teach myself how to code most of the time. Google will become a valuable asset in this course.

Despite, the challenges, there are valuable experiences that you can gain. DevCodeCamp will provide workshops where you can interview with employers and get a chance to present your final project. They help you draft a resume and refine your interviewing and presentation skills. You learn all this by doing it. It's a really hands on experience. In the beginning, all of this will seem appealing because of the testimonials and statistics of successful graduates. But I want to stress the reality that it is also not as easy as it seems to become that story of success that is promoted. It is really ultimately up to you to take this opportunity and make it a success through your dedication, determination, skills, and your final project.        

Therefore, I think that devCodeCamp is not for everyone. You have to be passionate about coding and love it. You also have to go in it risking a lot as well as believing you can come out gaining so much more. If a traditional 4 year college is not for you, and you don't mind cramming all of that into 14 weeks, and won't cave under that pressure, this can also be a great opportunity for you.

This was the mindset and the picture of the path I was taking as I deciding to join devCodCamp, and because I went in with a realistic, yet determined to succeed despite the challenges outlook. I can testify that I am one of those success story.

Although I consider my experience at devCodeCamp a success, I would definitely not recommend it to anyone. The curriculum was disorganized and it became apparent the staffs’ primary concern was pushing us through rather than actually teaching us. I was also constantly hassled for being late or leaving early regardless if I had a legitimate reason. Most of what I learned I taught myself with the occasional help of asking an instructor a question, if I could can find them. These things are pretty nitpicky but by far the most egregious aspect of this program is their emphasis on placing their graduates. Before you actually enroll they will use the promises of a salary of $55,000 and an expansive hiring network to entice you to enroll. They did bring employers in for us to present ourselves to, but most of the time I felt like I was selling devCodeCamp rather than myself. In my experience most employers in the Milwaukee area will not seriously consider a graduate of devCodeCamp as a candidate. Not to mention that they charge hiring partners a placement fee and strongly discourage you of going outside of their network because they won’t get paid for it. In the end I don’t regret my choice of attending devCodeCamp but my expectation of a new, dynamic, and immersive program was not met. I instead found myself in the middle of a startup business that was far more concerned with making a profit than actually producing software developers.

The course is primarily project based learning with a focus on C# and object oriented programming. The time I spent here was about 20% lectures and 80% coding. Working on projects doing actual coding means that you will learn how to overcome real-world problems while creating functioning apps and games. This also means that it is truly up to the student to put in the work and effort to apply material being taught and to seek out answers for problems that material has not covered. Having projects to show was invaluable while looking for a job.

devCodeCamp has developed some great connections with employers in the community. There were employers who came in to see project presentations on occasion during the course and and who came to interview recently graduated students on site. Employers looking for software developers in the Milwaukee area are very likely to have heard of devCodeCamp.

The program is relatively new and while I was here the curriculum was still under development and unorganized at times. This is a comment on the order and pacing material was presented, not the material itself. Core lessons on object-oriented programming, relational databases, data structures, time complexities, and so forth were all present. While I was here we started with Python, moved into C#, and finished up learning some JavaScript (all while learning plenty of HTML and CSS along the way). It's quite a lot of information for 14 weeks.

The instructors are all great people, extremely smart, and very passionate about helping students learn to code. They were always there to answer any questions I had. However, the freedom given with ceratin projects meant that a student could choose whatever language/framework/technology they wanted to in order to accomplish their goal, and instructors might not have experience with that technology.

I started the program with a little bit of coding experience (a semester introduction class) which helped, because the program moves very fast especially in the beginning. We covered more material in those first two weeks then my semester class had. After completing the program, I found a job as a software developer in the Milwaukee area within a month thanks to the knowledge I was taught, the projects I had to talk about, and the community connections devCodeCamp has developed.

This course requires hard work and is not for everyone. Coding is difficult. I love to code, but even with that passion staying focused and coding for 10 hours a day or more while learning vast amounts of new information is not easy. You won't learn and retain the knowledge through some magical process of osmosis by just being here. If you are willing to put in the work, this course will turn you into a software developer.