Le Wagon

I always felt like I would need to have a creative career. I studied fine art and illustration but as much as I appreciated the background it gave me in lateral thinking, I still felt like I wanted to do something more practical and disciplined. I began teaching as an English teacher and I found that it gave me that discipline I was looking for, as well as being very gratifying. I found that my favourite part of doing a lesson was planning it, creating new materials and discovering new apps or new ways of laying out lessons that were more interesting or effective. It was fun playing around with little pieces of paper, and gave me the opportunity to try out what would work with my students. However, I still really wanted to create something that felt real and tangible out of these experiments.

Two of my brothers were already working as programmers, so I suppose that I realised more quickly than other people might have that programming was a way to create something from this that felt a little bit more real. I was already living in Barcelona, so I was also already conscious that people in Barcelona live pretty well! It’s also very easy to make a lot of connections because people here are very helpful and there’s a lot going on. There are often people who want to collaborate with you or would like to show you how to do something and learn a little bit from you as well.

The teachers in Le Wagon were great, I suppose mostly because everyone has a good mentality about growth. It felt very fresh. The different people on the teams all brought something unique and useful, but it never felt like I was being forced to think one way or another. The most common line of thought among everyone was that they were proud of the work that had been done on the Le Wagon materials (which are incredibly well-researched and tested) and of how their own efforts were layering on top of that work and refining it. They were also all very kind, which is important when you are learning something intensively!

After finishing high school, I worked for two years in banking, where I first got introduced to topics like digital banking. It wasn’t until I started my undergraduate studies in sociology, politics and economics that my curiosity about the interplay between ongoing technical developments and the socio-economic changes, grew. I wanted to deepen my understanding of how those technologies are created and programmed. Starting the Bootcamp, Batch #269 in Oslo, was a very spontaneous decision but I am so happy I joined Le wagon over the university summer break.

Lewagon gave me a perfect introduction to the tech world. The program is so well thought out that after the 9 weeks, you can put specific topics into perspective and get a better understanding of the bigger picture. Coding always seemed so abstract and overwhelming to me, that I didn’t know where to start learning. But after the Bootcamp, I began to realize how broad tech actually can be, and I was surprised to see how many diverse job opportunities within the field of coding exist.

Every day of the Bootcamp was very intense, full of new information, impulses, vocabulary, and I always wished to have a pause button, to quickly read up on topics/things. It was challenging, and at certain points frustrating. But at the same time, it gave me a lot of energy: the moment it ‘clicks’ is extremely rewarding. The support from the teachers and team colleagues motivated me to improve.

Teachers at Le Wagon do not just teach the subjects but also guide you on how to approach new tech challenges along the way. At some point you start to realize patterns and improve your problem solving skills.

The last two weeks (project weeks) were the most intense but looking back also the most fun and rewarding. I was really intrigued by the idea of pitching own ideas and creating something entirely from scratch. We definitely experienced many up and downs in the team and it was extremely helpful to have all the teachers by our side checking up on our progress and helping us to structure and scope our work. I ended up making compromises and successfully resolving unexpected challenges.

Having a space of so many kind, motivated, and interesting people really made this a unique experience for me. I was amazed by the level of motivation and the efforts of the staff to help you improve. You get a chance to fully focus on your own personal development. I feel like this interdisciplinary learning approach over 9 weeks gives you a guidance and a very stable foundation of knowledge, network, and experiences.

2 months after finishing the bootcamp, all I can say is it was a life-changing experience! In the beginning of this year, I was in a gap year before going to college, I was lost about my future. My dad told me about Le Wagon and I did not understand at first, I thought coding was useless. I did some more research then, and it changed my mind. Already on the first week of bootcamp, I knew instantly it was something special. During the 9 weeks, I met wonderful people and learned much more than I could have ever imagine. We build one app from scratch only in two weeks, putting all our new knowledge in practice. Now, because of Le Wagon, I know that I want to learn more about coding and that technology is my future.

It's been two months since I finished Le Wagon’s bootcamp in Milan and all I can say about it is that it was a life changing experience! Before attending the bootcamp I had never written a single line of code, I had a background in Design but I wanted to learn something new and useful.

Every day is extremely intense, you have a lecture in the morning and you spend the rest of the time coding and making mistakes. It may seem boring but it's not, it's challenging and if you struggle there are always teachers and TAs ready to help. Also, everyday you are paired with another student so you are never alone.

After you learn the basics you star working on projects, everything is really well-structured so you never feel like anything it's impossible plus you are working with a bunch of skilled and motivated people and that helps too.

 And then comes the demo day, the most beautiful yet saddest day of the bootcamp. You are there with your new best friends showcasing all your work...but that's the last day!

These 9 weeks went by so fast, I met a lot of incredible people from all over the world and I've learned more than I could have ever imagined. If you're considering doing this bootcamp...just do it, you won't regret it.

If you told me a year ago that I would be a junior developer at a fintech company and helping people learn how to code, I wouldn’t have believed you, but here I am!

This time last year I was lost. As a trained journalist I had become disillusioned with the industry and I wanted out, in short, I wasn’t happy.

I wanted to move into a more commercial role, and the natural transition from journalism would be into another content based profession, marketing was my answer.

So, in August of 2018, my cv had been to every corner of the internet, screaming for attention.

And a notification from Angel List would change everything, a coworking business in Bali wanted me to speak with them about a possible job!

What?! Bali? Surely I couldn’t go and live in Bali, that would be too good to be true, right? But it worked out and the next thing I knew I was on a flight to the famous island, for a marketing job that I still knew wasn’t right for me…

Coworking spaces by nature attract some interesting people. Remote workers living their best lives, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Where I worked, there was a lot of people looking at screens of text that I didn’t understand… code.

As a naturally intuitive person, I couldn’t walk around my office and not understand what these people were doing, it seemed on a different level and I felt helpless that I couldn’t read it.

So I reached out to a close friend of mine who himself was a software engineer and I pleaded with him to teach me. He obliged and my coding journey started, one Sunday afternoon in an Ubudian cafe.

It started with the basics, HTML and CSS, a coder’s bread and butter.

Ok, I admit, I became a little obsessed. I found this stuff way too cool and my inner nerd was starting to take me over.

I knew this was it, this was something that I knew would both interest me and provide me with a livelihood. Two weeks later, I quit my job, there was a coding bootcamp starting in Canggu that I needed to attend.

I had heard of Le Wagon around Bali, I’d seen the little wagon logo but had never really known what it was, but from deeper research I knew this was the best one I could choose.

I had two weeks to finish the prerequisite coursework before the bootcamp started, this didn’t serve my nerves well as I was more confused than anything else, but my motivation remained and the start date rolled up.

I was about to embark on the best educational experience of my life.

Setup day, a day for everyone to meet each other and prepare their systems for the two months we were about to put them through, Windows people (me) brace yourself for issues (and tears), Mac users, get ready for an easy day!

The first chunk of knowledge we had to absorb was Ruby, the key programming language Le Wagon teaches, and one that fits behind the scenes on Rails (all will be revealed) and what a beautiful language it is.

It is regarded as a beginner friendly language because of how expressive and flexible it is. You can solve the same problem in a variety of ways, no wonder why programmers around the world still love it.

Arrays, hashes, iterations, blocks, all words and concepts that will be drilled into you until you can’t sleep without thinking of them. When I heard the bootcamp was immersive, I didn’t realise it would be to this extent, but it really is the best way to learn such initially difficult concepts.

Next up, OOP, or Object Orientated Programming, the paradigm on which Ruby-on-Rails is built. Something about cakes and cake moulds? Le Wagon has great ways of simplifying at a high level core programming concepts and OOP was for me, one of the most fascinating parts of the bootcamp.

Here, we also built our first basic applications, sure only through the terminal, but to build something you can use and interact with after just two weeks coding, pretty cool.

Following OOP, we delved into the realm of databases, considering database design and SQL, a veteran language used to interact with and manage databases.

We looked at how this all pieced together and worked with web applications, faking, migrating and generating data. Data is king, and here we learnt how to manipulate it.

After four days of databases, we moved onto the sexy part, a week and a half of front end languages, HTML, CSS and Javascript. Everything that creates the part of a web application that you can see, in short, the stars of the show.

Here is an interesting part of the bootcamp as you start to see the people with a real design nous excelling and enjoying themselves, which not being one of them, was nice to see. Front end is hard and I gained a new found respect of front end developers.

Rails is the next topic to cover, and you bring the knowledge of Ruby you acquired a few weeks prior to the table. Rails is a programming framework that makes setting up a fully functioning web application relatively easy. Everything becomes connected in these weeks and lightbulb moments begin to appear!

Then, the big daddy, the crescendo of the bootcamp and the project weeks. Everything has been built up to these weeks, the drilling, the confusion, the frustration. We were now released in teams of four to design and build the projects of our dreams and imaginations.

First, we spent a week working on an Air BnB clone, this is to learn how to work well in our teams and practice building a fully functional web application.

This week proves significant, as you make mistakes that you don’t want to repeat over the main project fortnight. Also we give a presentation on the Friday which prepares us for the finale of the bootcamp, Demo Day!

The last two weeks are intense, but also extremely fun. Using GitHub and working in a team of four and having stand up meetings every morning, these days are when you start to feel like a developer. Bringing the skills you have learnt, and applying them to something tangible and real.

I personally enjoyed the last two weeks the most out of the whole bootcamp, I love working in teams and to see something becoming a reality through your own know how was extremely rewarding.

My team built a cycling app for cycle tourists to plan routes, drop locations and connect with fellow tourists. Over the two weeks we messed up, we backtracked, we worked our socks off and as demo day approached, we grew extremely confident of the MVP we had designed and built.

Demo day came at us fast and this is the swan song for all the teams, a night of free flowing drink and presentations said with pride. It really was a night to remember and some of the projects that were on display were incredibly impressive.

Amongst them, a trading app, a crypto currency balancer and a yoga studio management tool to name just a few.

Now, as I start a new job as a junior developer just two months after I graduated, I look back on Le Wagon not realising how much it changed me at the time.

Le Wagon has taught me the skills to make me in demand in an exciting and ever changing tech industry, the real hard work for me starts now but without Le Wagon this would have never been a reality.

I still know nothing in the grand scheme of things, but I know more than many. Pretty much everything I write doesn’t work initially, I still break things, I still see code that makes me scared and I don’t understand. But I can do things that someone with no programming experience would think was magic.

Le Wagon has equipped me with the tools to dissect code, to break it down and finally make sense of it. It has given me the foundation on which to build and develop.

The thing with coding is, you always get lost, but you work to find yourself again, I’m still as lost as I was a year ago, just now I’m lost in a codebase.

If you are questioning whether to embark on a bootcamp like Le Wagon, my advice, do it and think about it later, commit yourself to the cause, it really will change your life.

I worked as a delivery man and I tended to code amateur (home automation, arduino, etc ...).
I wanted to try coding professionally and Le Wagon was the best choice to make!
This bootcamp was amazing! During these 9 weeks, the staff was always there to help us in case of doubt.
Teamwork is encouraged in the program and beyond working hours with cool events that create a beautiful community!
The training has met my expectations and I would recommend it without hesitation to all those who wish to change careers or even acquire more skills.

It was just another day with a few of my friends at the university library, where I spend most of my time at, either studying after classes, reading books for a research programme, or just read comics, when we were talking about our plans for the summer. One of them talked about Le Wagon, and I felt like going bootcamp would be more interesting than to keep doing more research at the university. Web development is also very different from robotics so I decided to give it a try.

I still vividly remember the first day at the camp. With people from different backgrounds, different nationalities and above all, different age groups, I thought I would not make a lot of friends, but I could not have been more wrong. From strangers to classmates, to classmates to friends, to friends to family, we have grown really close to one another over the course of two months. 

I was no stranger to coding, but web development is an entirely new thing. The lecture slides were great, and the teachers were very instructive and friendly. Coding challenges were hard and draining, but the teaching assistants were always around whenever we got stuck or a talk to relieve stress. At the end of the day, live code and flashcards really brought all the knowledge together.

The project weeks have to be the most memorable for myself. Every topic was so different from each other but it was when everything was brought together. I had a great team, and everyone at the camp pretty much says the same. After all, we all share the same passion to get our project something we can be proud of. Things didn't go as planned, but our teachers and teaching assistants' help, we got about 10 times faster than our normal speed during coding challenges. 

The bootcamp has certainly changed my life in a lot of ways. I have not only learned web development, but also got a lot of connections. Le Wagon also provides a lot of resources to expand on our current knowledge. I have been working creating my own project since the camp has ended, and the huge alumni community is always around when I need help.

9 weeks at Le Wagon is a memory I will never forget.

Before coming to Le Wagon, I was at sales function in Banking Industry. I had no skills in Tech at all, but somehow had the feeling that I love coding and will be good at it. 

Le Wagon was the place that not only help me from 0 to 1, but also empower me with the skills of how to learn. Now, after 9-week intense and enriched bootcamp life, I see an upgraded version of me for sure. 

I am so grateful that I have gained far more than I could imagine here, especially the friendly and vibrant community, with everyone coming from different background but sharing the same spirit and passion, I can continue fast learning momentum even after bootcamp. I am now doing several exciting projects with batchmates and teachers. Coming to Le Wagon was the best decision ever.

After a business school in France and several internships in startups and Venture Capital funds, I decided to attend a coding bootcamp at Le Wagon. I had a rather business and analytical profile thanks to my study and my professional experiences but I had a lack of tech skills and awareness. Le Wagon allows me to have a wide scope of the coding environment (from Ruby to Javascript with notion of SQL). Thanks to this bootcamp, I was able to continue to develop coding skills by learning Python online and to write scripts to interact with APIs. All of these will allow me to automate a lot of tasks in my future job that is to me more and more essential today. I am glad to have done this coding bootcamp and be part of Le Wagon community which helped me a lot in having a better overview of tech jobs !

I had a great, great experience at LeWagon Buenos Aires and would highly recommend it, especially for beginners/people who are changing careers. I did quite a bit of research before choosing a school, and I chose LeWagon because it has been around for a few years, I read great reviews both on CourseReport/SwitchUp and on various people's blogs, and also it seemed to be great great value (the one in BA was especially great value). I had never done any coding before, so I wasn't sure yet if I wanted to become a computer programmer, and I wasn't ready to drop $20,000 for a bootcamp in the US. 

I was really impressed with the curriculum at LeWagon. Each day and each week, I would look back at what I had accomplished and would be amazed with what we had accomplished. It's all very well done, and I liked the daily schedule as well - it worked well for me. 

Although I learned a lot the first 6 weeks of the bootcamp, for me, the most fun weeks were the last 3 in which we got to actually work on projects. I'm really proud of what my team created for the final project, and it's something that I feel confident including in my GitHub portfolio. I also learned so much during that period that I now feel comfortable launching small web apps on my own. I still feel like I have a lot more to learn, but I at least feel that I have a strong foundation from which I can build upon which is so important. Before the bootcamp, I had trouble studying on my own. Now I feel much more comfortable working on my own. 

But the main reason I would highly recommend LeWagon Buenos Aires specifically is that the teachers were amazing. They were incredibly dedicated -- I couldn't believe how many hours they put in, giving 100% energy all the time. The two teachers that I had also complemented each other really well. They both obviously cared so much about each and every one of the students - they followed up with each of us regularly, giving us advice and asking us how we were feeling about the material. They were highly knowledgeable, motivating, and patient. I really can't emphasize enough how incredible they were.  

The only negative thing about LeWagon is that there isn't really much job assistance, but I knew that going in, so I don't really mind that, and for the cost of the program, I'd say it's still completely worth it without the job assitance. The alumni network is also very active on Slack, so we get access to lots of job postings through that which is great! 

All in all, the program is GREAT value and I highly recommend the LeWagon at Buenos Aires! 

Whilst on a sabbatical from my career in strategy consulting, I did Le Wagon in order to understand a bit more about tech and how to build websites. This was primarily to help me with my own long term aspirations of setting up my own start-up. Ultimately, the course did just this and provided me with a solid background and understanding as to the coding process and how the various parts of a stack fit together. Creating real life products such as an airbnb website and a tinder for tennis web-app helped to solidify those learnings. Whilst this course is designed for those that want to transition careers into a coding role or re-fresh their knowledge; it is flexible and rigorous enough to provide useful learnings to those who are just dipping their toes in.

For a start, my background is only a single semester in Computer Science (and tons of hours in Codecademy 😁).

For a long time, I’ve always been fascinated in the programming world. I remember my first time looking at bits of HTML/CSS code (around 6-8 years ago) and was confused on what it was. Although, my confusion only sparked my curiosity. There began my first time actually learning about HTML and CSS (and yes I did not know of JavaScript at this time). Unfortunately, I didn’t really know how to proceed and nothing really came out of it.

Fast forward to 2 months ago, I joined Le Wagon with the hopes and goals of gaining knowledge for what I’ve always been passionate about and actually build something concrete and live for everyone to see. On the other hand, I got to meet and spend time with a lot of people from all over the world during the bootcamp, which in itself was a bonus! (shoutout to batch #253!)

I remember my first day in the bootcamp clearly, setup day (probably one of the hardest days, lol). After the setup was finished, it was time to rock and roll. First set of challenges for the day, done, Boom🚀. The excitement and thrill for the next days and challenges were experiences that are hard to forget.

For 9 weeks, my life was an adventure. Everyday, we learn new things. The teachers said that the first three weeks would be intense, so I buckled up and prepared myself for the ride. I’ll be honest, some days were quite bumpy, a couple of roadblocks here and there. But thankfully, the teachers were there to help and guide us. Stuck on a challenge? Frustrated and don’t know what to do? Ask the teachers for help and they will help you until you understand. (shoutout to the teachers, you guys are amazing👌)

Week by week, I learnt a lot of new things. Pieces of a bigger puzzle that I will get to touch later on in the bootcamp. From Ruby, Object Oriented Programming, Databases, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and eventually Rails, the bigger puzzle. Rails (and project weeks) was definitely my favourite part of the bootcamp. All the things I’ve learnt in 6 weeks, I finally got to piece all of them together into one single thing, a web app. I was ecstatic! I finally achieved one of the reasons why I joined the bootcamp.

Now all of this boils down to one thing, the end project, which takes place in the last two weeks of the bootcamp. We were separated into groups (in which we sort of choose by ourselves). Different groups, different products, but all of us share the same goal, build a web app/product.

14th of June 2019, the last day, or as we call it Demo day was an amazing experience for me. We got to showcase our new abilities that we’ve learnt for the past 9 weeks into something real and in front of a giant crowd!

In the end, Le Wagon successfully exceeded my expectations. My hopes and goals are now accomplished👍, with everything I’ve learnt in the past nine weeks, I am now equipped with the knowledge and ability to dive into the programming world and I am now ready to set new goals for the future me.