devCodeCamp

Growing up in the disaster restoration and construction industries Software Development was never on my radar as a possible job path to take. Due to some medical issues, I found myself without a driver’s license and 6 months to kill.  I did some research on courses and talked with some colleagues in the tech industry about this career switch.  A few short but packed months later I am happy to say I am a Full Stack Software Developer thanks to the Instructors and Curriculum at devCodeCamp. Going from being a hands-on Project Manager traveling the country for work to a 100% remote based school was quite the shock. Through the help and guidance of the instructors and Career Services at devCodeCamp though I feel confident in taking on a role in the tech industry. Knowing that I have a solid foundation in all of the basics involved in Full Stack Development and having the tools necessary to continue that growth has put me at ease through a tumultuous time in my life and makes the future look bright.  

I came into this program with no prior experience in coding. After being honorably discharged from active duty military, I faced a task that many fellow veterans face after leaving the service, What do I do now? I researched on tech jobs for I always had a passion in tech. This landed me on Full Stack Software Development. I then researched opportunities to learn about how to learn full stack development which then in turn put me onto devCodeCamp's landing page. I researched many other courses and none of them had the professionalism/willing to help that devCodeCamp's staff did. Once enrolled into the course, I was met with instructors that actually want to help you learn and see you succeed. The course layout although fast pace(I took the full immersion Full Stack Course) , gave me a since of direction and a plan to follow. The instructors were there every step of the way on my journey to Software Development. This course not only taught me how to build Full Stack Web applications, but how to learn, and how to ask professional questions in a development environment. Thank you to everyone at devCodeCamp and I am excited to see where the next part of my journey takes me. 

1) Overview 
Selecting a Bootcamp to go into programming can be a highly complex process. With loads of boot camps out there all vying for your attention it can be hard to pinpoint which one is right for you.  Fortunately, that is where I come in. I've been in this situation and in turn, I come here today to give you a comprehensive review of my experience with devCodeCamp. This will be broken down into detailed sections.  All of which will address the question: is devCodeCamp worth it?

2) My background 

To be as transparent as possible, I want to explain  my background, prior to entering the Bootcamp. Even though my background was in Economics, I did have programming experience in Python.  I have been experienced in Python for about four years alongside SQL(PostgreSQL) and other statistical languages like, R.  So I was not a complete novice when it came to understanding programming and the problem-solving element.

What I did lack was the consistent experience with project work and in turn, the boot camp definitely helped shake a lot of that atrophy I had with problem-solving, planning, and coding.    I also worked at Amazon in a Fulfillment center but left the job shortly when the Boot Camp started.

3) Content /course load

My program was for full-stack web development. Specifically, the MERN( stack.  That is  MongoDB, Express.js, React.js and Node.Js.   In layman's terms, this stack was taught to enable me and the rest of my classmates to build full-stack applications that utilized the front and backend. 

The first few weeks were straightforward, focusing on learning the essentials of JavaScript and doing problem-solving prompts. These were not that difficult for me as I have had experience with problem-solving prompts.     The bulk of the course work was focused on working on projects.

The complexity behind these projects started simple, like an ATM machine but eventually ramped up when we hit React.Js.   The React projects included building a social media project and a YouTube clone to eventually a Capstone project.  The former was a group project in order to simulate what it would be like working on a team.

Note each project will start incorporating more elements from the stack, like MongoDB(non-relational database for backend), Express.js, a web framework, and Node.Js. 

The course projects are laid out in user stories with point based values.  Depending on how much you complete the projects you get a score that is weighted as a grade. Note you did have an opportunity to resubmit your projects  once to get a better grade. 
You will also learn about GitHub and how to utilize it alongside MongoDB which is a non-relational database.

All I will say is that be prepared to work hard during this course. The experience was 15 weeks but it flies by and will require your every attention.  But if you are willing to be diligent, ask questions and in general, try your hardest/ learn you will do fine.

Also, devCodeCamp does offer video brush-ups on JavaScript, Python, etc. They are useful if you are rusty or new to programming.
 
4) Classmates and Instructors 

My favorite part about devCodeCamp was the instructors. Pascal was definitely my favorite, alongside Nevin(the head instructor) and Dan.  All of them were very knowledgeable in their subject fields and approachable.  However, they will force you to work for the answers. So do not expect them to give you answers.  But they did help make the experience all the more worth it, especially whenever I was stuck on a particular question/ problem and needed some help.

But they were good whenever it came to checking your progress and being alert.  They definitely helped make the experience so much worth it. Especially whenever they recorded lectures for you to listen to and whenever you ask them questions. 

My class was great. There were three members, including myself, so the class size was perfect with regards to our instructors giving us individual attention. Class sizes at devCodeCamp I know aren't that large, usually ten maximum.  But my recommendation is to go for a smaller class so as to get the most amount of attention.

The experience also included going to alumni presentations of graduates, as well as, firms, like JPMorgan Chase, recruiting for junior developers. These latter experiences were great in helping me understand what the industry wanted from candidates and helped push me to succeed.  This was definitely the best part of the experience, seeing what I could get once I left. 



5) Conclusion and takeaways

To circle back to the main question: is devCodeCamp worth it? Yes, it absolutely is. Even if you have an experienced programmer, having someone guide you through the process can make a big difference.  The instructors and project-oriented curriculum really enabled me to succeed in displaying my knowledge of the material.  Note that these projects won't always be easy and for some, it will take a lot of hard work/ effort to make it through.  But I assure you if you are persistent and willing to suspend your ego/ learn, you will do fine.

My key takeaways from this experience for those interested are such. One is if you can try to do some coding on your own, like Udemy or any free site to see if programming is for you. If you are committed,  then get organized. Make sure you free up a lot of time to be 100% committed to the course.   And finally, be open and willing to learn. Whether it be from other classmates or the instructors, you never know what you might get from the experience.

And while I'm still on the job hunting side, I feel a lot better, knowing I picked devCodeCamp given they instilled in me the confidence/know-how to really shine in the world of tech.  Take care and I hope that this review was helpful.

     I started my programming journey learning programming languages from college courses while I served in the military. As I began my transition out of the military, I decided to pursue software development and I knew I not only needed a refresher but also needed to learn current technologies and techniques. This is where devCodeCamp really helped me. The curriculum was great, moving through several languages and technologies to provide both skills and confidence in my ability to be a software developer. I never felt that I was learning stale or useless information or skills while going through this course.
     I really enjoyed the interaction with the instructors as they taught and guided the class to not only learn syntax of a language but to problem solve the assignments as well as challenges we came across during the coursework. I couldn’t sing them enough praises, from their experience that showed everyday to their patience with students, and their ability to stay engaged every day. I’m looking forward to applying the many skills I’ve learned from devCodeCamp into action as I start my new career.

Coming into a program with no previous experience is definitely a daunting task, but an opportunity to improve upon yourself if you put in the work. devCodeCamp did an excellent job of bringing students up to speed and ramping up educational materials at a consistent pace - ensuring all topics were covered in a clear and concise manner.
The instructors are there to support you however they are able - each and every one of them has been an absolute dream to work with. Anyone looking to take an introductory course in Development with the hopes of jumping into the workforce afterwards should 100% give devCodeCamp a shot!

I was looking for a career change and devCodeCamp really knew how to help me! I came in with little knowledge of  what I was coding and now after completing the Full Stack Software Engineer Program I am completely confident in what I have produced as a student. I have gained the knowledge of what I am putting together and how everything is connected, I am able to start with a blank page and the sentence, "Hello World" to a fully functional webpage. 

I also was happy that I got to carry on that support with Career Services! They stuck by me and cheered my on on my job hunting journey. They helped me stay in the loop of hiring companies, gave me great recommendations and was an overall amazing support system going into this new stage. I would 10/10 recommend this Bootcamp to anyone who is looking. 

I enrolled in devCodeCamp's Full Stack Development course after spending nearly a year researching bootcamps. I had read many mixed reviews online about coding bootcamps in general, but devCodeCamp did not disappoint. The wealth of knowledge provided by the instructors proved that I made the right choice when I picked devCodeCamp. I had many doubts after having not touched code in several years, but with the great team of instructors it was much easier than anticipated. I would highly recommend devCodeCamp to anyone regardless of a lack of experience in programming!

I am a person that needs to be constantly learning something new, growing, and adapting to feel accomplished. My previous field was in the sign industry, and unfortunately, there is not much growth in that industry. That's when I decided to make a change. I took the plunge and researched several boot camps and I was brought to devCodeCamp and I don't regret it.
     
I can say without a doubt, that not only was I served knowledge by the best instructors I have encountered, but they also served me with some life-changing skills.   You can really tell they want to help you out, and that to me is golden.  I encourage anyone who truly wants to learn to code to give this boot camp a shot you will learn things the hard way but you will definitely learn them the right way.

The one thing that really caught my attention was career services. In other boot camps, I noticed that they didn't have extensive career services and that was definitely what swayed me to use this boot camp over all others.  

I enrolled in devCodeCamp from March 2022 through June 2022. I partook in their 14-week full-stack web development boot-camp. I did a lot of research prior to attending to determine which boot-camp I should take, and I decided on devCodeCamp because their career services portion looked promising. Never in a million years did I think it would be amazing as it was. I changed careers prior to enrolling, feeling nervous and uneasy about whether it was the correct decision. I can confidently say now that I am at the other end that it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life, and I am excited to start using the skills that I learned moving forward. I highly recommend devCodeCamp to anyone looking for a life-changing experience.